Credit card charges

· 14 Muharram 1445 AH1 min readEnglish

Question

Bank charges are incurred when a person makes payments online. Is it permissible to use this form of transaction, even if the bank charges are paid by the creditor.

Answer

Your question is not too clear to us. We understand the usage of credit cards as follows; the card holder uses the card to make purchases and is given a 55 day, interest-free period to settle the account. If he pays the balance on the card within 55 days via EFT, then he is not charged interest or a cash deposit fee. This is in order. If he settles the balance using cash at the bank or ATM, then he is charged a cash deposit fee. This too is in order as the bank is charging a fee for their services.

Yes, the shopkeeper who swipes the card for his clients is charged a fee of approximately 3% for every purchase by the bank. We are not fully aware of the reasoning behind the charge. If the charge is for the usage or hiring of the credit card machine, then the transaction will be corrupt, as the fee for using the machine should be fixed. If the bank or credit card company charges an admin fee for every transaction, as there is administration work involved with every transaction, then the fee will be legitimate. Also, the shopkeeper is fully aware of how much he is going to be charged for the transaction. In conclusion, if the fee levied upon the shopkeeper is in lieu of admin charges, then it will be acceptable.

We hope that the above explanation clarifies the matter. If your question pertains to other than what we have explained above, then you should resend your query for further clarification.

Answered by
Mufti Mohammed Desai
Questions about this ruling, answered only from the archive with sources.

Where scholars differ, it’s safer to take the more cautious view.

Fatawa SA is an independent, read-only index of fatawa already published by Darul Ifta Ibn Masood. It is not a fatwa service. For your own situation, please ask a Mufti. Report an issue

For corrections or mistakes, please email us at fatawasa786@gmail.com.

People also ask

Is using a credit card permissible?

“The monthly fee which the bank charges the credit card holder is not permissible. This amount is riba (interest). One is paying the bank this monthly fee in order to keep this credit facility open to him to qualify for credit…”

Mufti Online · 121 fatawa from 6 Darul Iftas on this

What the Darul Iftas say