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Credit card rates payment criticised
Northern Ireland's Consumer Council has expressed concerns over plans for people to be able to pay their rates bills by credit card.
The Council has petitioned finance minister Sammy Wilson to drop the payment option, warning that it "presents more risks than benefits” as credit cards often “simply store up problems for later".
It also warned that the extra 2 per cent handling charge proposed is an "extra sting in the tail" at a time of high repayment interest rates.
But a spokesperson for the Land and Properties Service said that they wanted to provide a choice of payment options. Customers are also encouraged to avoid using credit cards where possible and take advantage of direct debit, spreading the cost over the year.
The payment options were also introduced following a public consultation last year.
Tags: card payments criticised, credit card rates criticised