New York Restaurants Are Starting To Add This Fee, Is It Legal?

Do you like surprises? "Surprise we got you tickets to a Buffalo Bills game!" would be great.  What if the surprise isn't a pleasant one? "Surprise! You owe us more money than you expected", is not a good feeling.

Some New York restaurants have added a fee to your bill and you might not even realize it, until you look closer. What is this fee and is it legal in New York State?

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Recently I saw that Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports was in Upstate New York doing a series of his famous "one bite, everybody knows the rules" pizza reviews. I decided to check out one of the restaurants and had a decent experience, until I saw the bill.

I did a quick scan of the check so I could calculate the tip I was going to leave and I noticed a Credit Card Fee of $2.05. A 4% Credit Card Fee?

According to the New York Times, more and more restaurants in New York and around the country are adding a credit card fee for a customer using any electronic payments. It is suggested that, due to inflation, restaurants are being hit with high credit card fees and that burden may just fall on you, the customer.

Restaurants have had a rough time trying to survive the pandemic, add in inflation and it's becoming nearly impossible for these businesses to remain open without raising prices. The 4% surcharge wasn't the issue for me, it's more about the surprise of the charge. Heads up, you will most likely see more and more of this at your favorite eateries in the coming months and yes, it's legal.