Anglesey chippy fined for charging extra to pay by card

A chip shop owner has been fined for charging customers more for using their bank cards.

Duran Sasmaz, owner of Aran Fish and Chip Shop in Llangefni, on Anglesey, charged customers an additional 50p for transactions of less than £15.

Since 2018, businesses have not been permitted to add any surcharges to card payments.

Sasmaz admitted breaching trading regulations and was fined £1,512 at Caernarfon Magistrates' Court.

Despite previous warnings, Sasmaz, of Pen Derwydd, Llangefni, had been reported to Anglesey Trading Standards after a councillor overheard a customer querying an additional charge they had incurred when paying for their meal at the takeaway on Bridge Street.

With the customer having been told "it was procedure", a subsequent test purchase and investigation in March 2023 confirmed surcharges were being applied.

The prosecution argued "previous warnings were an aggravating factor".

And while the extent of his gains between March 2020 and March 2023 had been "difficult to quantify", the prosecution and defence agreed £6,100 was a "reasonable figure".

Sasmaz, who was said to be of previous good character and reputation locally, said customers had "always been told the charge was added", but there were no signs on display confirming the charge.

Defending Sasmaz, Gareth Parry said the Covid pandemic meant most food businesses "were encouraged to move over to card payments" and "were expected to absorb the additional costs".

Mr Parry said increased costs had "invariably had a significant impact on profits" and argued Sasmaz, whose first language is Turkish, "had not understood the implications" the charge.

He said his client had displayed remorse and entered a guilty plea at the first opportunity.

Sasmaz pledged to donate his gains to Anglesey foodbank, and had already donated £3,000 to the charity, Mr Parry added.