Silvan, a retail company, has been accused of unlawfully charging fees for payments made with common credit cards such as Mastercard, Visa, and Dankort. Michael Høg Riis, the head of the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority, emphasized the importance of secure and transparent payment processes for consumers.

The Competition Council has decided to report Silvan to the police, seeking a fine for violating payment laws. This action follows Silvan's third instance of charging a fee for Mastercard payments in its stores.

Silvan's first warning to comply with the regulations came in the summer of 2018, followed by a second warning in October 2019. Despite these warnings, Silvan charged a fee again in November 2023, which was deemed illegal by the Competition and Consumer Authority.

In response to the allegations, Silvan claimed that the fee charges were due to errors in their payment terminals and stated that they have implemented measures to prevent future violations of payment laws.

The Competition and Consumer Authority operates as an independent body enforcing various regulations in the payment sector, while the Competition Council oversees its compliance with payment laws.