Awkwardly, the free payment option varies from one retailer to another and so there is no substitute for reading the terms and conditions carefully before making a substantial purchase with plastic.

There is no legal requirement for retailers or anyone else to offer a free way to pay with plastic, according to the UK Cards Association, although other countries – including France, Italy and Sweden – ban credit card surcharges altogether.

Britain’s new financial watchdog, which is set to replace the Financial Services Authority next year, should get its teeth into inflated processing fees and force them back into line with the real cost of providing credit.

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