Payzone has broken its promise to allow retailers to opt out of the new “unfair” contracts, instead threatening to charge some retailers “a substantial fee.”

After the NFRN accused the new contracts of breaking several laws including the Data Protection Act and the Unfair Contract Terms Act, Payzone told Retail Express: “We’ve listened to this, and are going to contact all of our customers and offer them the chance to get back in touch if they don’t want to extend their contracts.”

However, Retail Express has discovered that Payzone is only allowing some retailers to leave free of charge while threatening others with exit fees.

Andy from Andy’s News in Goldthorpe, Rotherham, said: “I asked about leaving when I was phoned by Payzone but I was told I would need to pay a substantial fee, but they refused to tell me how much the fee would be.”

Update: Responding to the allegations of charging fees for those wishing to opt out, Payzone again confirmed to Retail Express that there would be an opt-out option for retailers.

Payzone previously said it would “soon meet again with the NFRN to provide an update”. However, the NFRN denies any meeting has taken place at all regarding the new contracts.

In a statement from the NFRN responded to Payzone’s promise stating: “NFRN’s view is that the attempt to extend contracts is invalid, so there is no need for retailers to ask to have it cancelled.”

It continued: “Payzone has ignored NFRN’s point that increasing the notice period to terminate the new contracts to six months is also invalid.”

A separate statment from NFRN warned retailers receiving phone calls from Payzone not to agree to the installation of the new terminal as this forms a verbal agreement to enter a three year contract with additional charges and the new terms and conditions.

The new contract terms changes include additional charges, banning retailers from charging for card transactions and the ability to further change terms and fees with just seven days’ notice.