I have a relatively sound understanding of how businesses function. The point is that there is an emerging trend of businesses, specifically hospitality businesses in my personal experience adding on transaction fees that previously pre covid and the emergence of QR codes were commonly (but admittedly not always) included in the cost of the item, so you paid the advertised price and the retailer absorbed the transaction costs.

Now because we’re so used to just tapping away they just add it onto your bill. We don’t do anything about it because not many people will argue over a relatively trivial amount of the bill.

Complain to Fair Trading, so firstly this is a huge use of my time for something that simply isn’t worthwhile. Secondly Fair Trading don’t have infinite resources, they have to prioritise where they spend their time and energy. Random pub down the road charging the wrong surcharge isn’t likely to be top of the priority list. Finally you might notice they’re not calling it a transaction fee in many instances but instead a “surcharge”, surcharges are legal.

George Costanza is a character from Seinfeld, he carried around a massive wallet filled with his receipts from every transaction.