Is there a surcharge for paying by card?
'Supplemento' — sup-ple-MEN-to. Four syllables.
Ask before paying in small or independent Italian shops, where card surcharges sometimes still appear illegally. Knowing the surcharge allows you to decide whether to use cash instead.
'C'è un supplemento' — 'is there a supplement/surcharge'. 'Per pagare con la carta' — 'for paying by card'. Technically, surcharges for card payments are illegal in the EU and Italy, but small shops sometimes add them informally. Knowing the term lets you challenge it politely.
Non dovrebbero esserci supplementi per la carta.
There should not be surcharges for card payments.
Polite assertion of legal right.
È incluso il costo della transazione?
Is the transaction cost included?
More formal challenge.
Preferisce i contanti per evitare commissioni?
Do you prefer cash to avoid charges?
Offers a compromise.
Despite the legal prohibition, card surcharges persist in parts of southern Italy and in small businesses. The practice was supposed to end with the 2014 EU Payment Services Directive. Enforcement is inconsistent. Reporting it to the Guardia di Finanza is technically possible but rarely done.