Visa, the world’s leader in digital payments, has today launched a consumer education campaign that aims to eliminate the practice of surcharging, where merchants levy extra charges on payments made using debit or credit cards at a Point of Sale (POS).
Dubbed ‘Sasuza Visa’, the campaign comes at a time when the country is battling with the novel Coronavirus pandemic and Ugandans are encouraged to protect themselves by adopting cashless payments, physical distancing and good hygiene practices.
Speaking about the campaign, Visa Uganda Country Manager, Ms. Salma Ingabire said, “We have seen an increasing demand among consumers and merchants to take advantage of the benefits of cashless payments in light of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. At Visa, we are working with our partners to ensure that our capabilities are made widely available and updated specifically to help meet today’s challenges. This includes ensuring that merchants do not surcharge consumers who are using their Visa card to pay for goods and services.”
As part of the campaign, Visa will be partnering with various service providers such as supermarkets and fuel stations to ensure customers do not suffer unnecessary charges or delays and enjoy the convenience of paying with their Visa card.
The ‘Sasuza Visa’ campaign comes just under a year after the Bank of Uganda issued a circular prohibiting the practice of surcharging by merchants announced that extra charges were illegal and traders should stop levying them.
According to the Central Bank, no business owner is allowed to set a minimum or maximum amount as a condition to using electronic card payments.
