The government says it is to ban companies from imposing excessive charges for paying by a credit or debit card following complaints by consumer groups over the high fees being demanded by some businesses.

Richard Lloyd, the editor of consumer magazine Which? told the Today Programme's John Humphrys that these "all too typical" card surcharges are "across the board" and that consumers "need to know up front" the entire price of a transaction.

Treasury minister Mark Hoban says these rules will be in place by "later next year" after consultation which, he said, would still be two years ahead of planned European Union changes.

He went on to say that if consumers felt they were "being ripped off" he hoped the Office of Fair Trading "takes enforcement action" when it is flagged up that businesses are charging too much.

And while Which? magazines Richard Lloyd agreed that the Treasury was "doing the right thing" in introducing reforms, it was still happening "too slowly".

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