Albanian businesses are required by law to facilitate payments by card but complain of exorbitant bank fees.
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In Tirana’s 9-Katëshet neighbourhood, people queue for ice cream at 100 lek a scoop.
Previously, the ice cream parlour only accepted cash, but the growing number of tourists among their clientele, many of whom don’t carry cash, has forced the business to start taking bank cards too.
If you pay by card, however, the price is 125 lek.
“We don’t make any extra profit from this,” the woman behind the counter said. “It’s the fee charged by the bank that provides us with the card payment service.”
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