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Does the Minister agree with David Seymour who said, with respect to the Retail Payment System (Ban on Merchant Surcharges) Amendment Bill, that businesses can't afford it; and if so, did the Minister not consider affordability when he was designing the Bill?

Answered Question 6664 (2026)
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Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

Question

  • Does the Minister agree with David Seymour who said, with respect to the Retail Payment System (Ban on Merchant Surcharges) Amendment Bill, that businesses can't afford it; and if so, did the Minister not consider affordability when he was designing the Bill?

Answered by

Hon Scott Simpson

Member for Coromandel · National Party · Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Answer

David Seymour is entitled to his own opinions. The Commerce Commission estimates interchange fee reductions will save businesses around $90 million a year, and the surcharge ban makes sure customers are not being overcharged to compensate – particularly where fees were already excessive.