Czech authorities flag illegal card payment rounding and fees

The Czech Trade Inspection (ČOI) has identified instances of illegal payment practices during recent inspections of small businesses, restaurants, and e-shops. Between March and July 2026, inspectors conducted 140 checks, finding that 9 businesses were unauthorizedly rounding up card payments and 4 businesses were charging illegal fees for using standard consumer cards.

While cash payments are legally rounded to the nearest whole koruna due to the absence of ten-heller coins, cashless transactions must reflect the exact final price.

Additionally, legal clarifications from the Czech National Bank emphasize that merchants cannot generally refuse domestic banknotes and coins, as they are legal tender. While businesses may refuse a payment consisting of more than 50 coins, a blanket “card only” policy is inconsistent with current legal regulations regarding the acceptance of legal tender in the Czech Republic.