RELATING TO COMMERCIAL LAW -- GENERAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS --, UNFAIR SALES PRACTICES
Summary
H7022 would amend Rhode Island’s Unfair Sales Practices law to require businesses that add a surcharge or fee for credit card payments to give customers clear and conspicuous notice of that charge. The notice must be posted at the point of sale or payment, and for restaurants or food service establishments it must also appear on all menus provided to customers. The notice must state that a surcharge is imposed and disclose the amount or percentage of the surcharge.
The bill applies to any business that imposes a credit card surcharge, and it specifies that the notice requirement becomes effective January 1, 2027, while the act itself would take effect upon passage. If a business fails to provide the required notice, that failure would be treated as an unfair or deceptive trade practice under Chapter 6-13 and would be enforceable under existing consumer protection provisions.
Impact
This bill would add a new section to Rhode Island General Laws chapter 6-13, expanding the state’s unfair sales practices framework to cover disclosure of credit card surcharges. It would not ban surcharges, but it would require businesses to disclose them in a prescribed way and would expose noncompliant businesses to enforcement as unfair or deceptive trade practices. Restaurants and food service establishments would face an additional menu-disclosure requirement, affecting point-of-sale practices, menu design, and consumer billing transparency.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to be framed as a consumer-protection and transparency bill rather than a controversial regulatory overhaul. No committee transcript or vote record is available here, so there is no documented debate or recorded opposition in the provided materials. The overall tone of the proposal suggests support for clearer customer notice about card-payment fees and a desire to prevent surprise charges at checkout.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is the burden on businesses that use credit card surcharges, especially restaurants and food service establishments that would need to update menus and point-of-sale signage. Businesses may view the requirement as an added compliance cost or as a constraint on how they communicate pricing, while consumer advocates would likely support the disclosure mandate as a fairness and transparency measure. Because no hearing transcript or vote history is provided, no specific lawmakers or stakeholder groups are identified as taking opposing positions in the available record.
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