Law reinforced for store cards

Stricter regulations are to come into effect for shops offering their own credit cards, minister for consumer affairs Johan Vande Lanotte has told De Tijd. One of the new measures will make it impossible for shoppers to buy goods and apply for a credit card in the same visit. Credit requests will be handled by specialised staff rather than at the checkout. “We must set limits so that people don’t accumulate mountains of debt,” Vande Lanotte said. “Some shops use the bait of a zero percent rate to promote their credit cards.” Comeos, the association representing the distribution sector, says the measures are unnecessary, since “ninety-six percent of credits run smoothly”.