Has your business accepted Visa and/or Mastercard credit cards as payment at any point since March 23, 2001? You could be eligible to receive up to $5000 as part of a multi-million dollar settlement in a class action lawsuit against Visa and Mastercard for restricting merchants’ ability to surcharge or refuse higher cost (“premium”) credit cards. Today it was announced that applications for rebates are now available until December 30th, 2022.

The BCHA has partnered with Class Action Capital to support our members, many of whom do not have the time, resources, or relevant data available to file a settlement. Class Action Capital will support on a commission basis meaning your success is theirs. Find more details and sign up for Class Action Capital's claim management below.

As of October 6, Canadian businesses are now able to pass on a new credit card surcharge to consumers if they choose to do so. The new rule allows merchants to charge consumers what are known as interchange or swipe fees, or the money credit card companies, banks and payment processors collect from merchants with every transaction. Fees can range from around one per cent to as much as three per cent for cards.

To provide insight for our members into how their accommodation peers are moving forward with these new charges, we ask that you complete a 1 minute anonymous survey, outlining your approach. The survey will remain open until Thursday October 27. Results will be shared with our accommodation members only.

Create an accessible workplace and apply for a Small Business BC (SBBC) Workplace Accessibility Grant! The grant provides direct supports to small business employers in British Columbia by providing direct financial assistance towards creating an accessible work environment for persons with a disability(ies). Apply for grant funding of up to $2,500 for projects that improve workplace accessibility in the business, while addressing and removing barriers in your workplace for people with disabilities. Access to funding is available until April 30, 2023 on a first-come first-serve basis.

WorkSafeBC has shared a new video on tips for preventing slips, trips and falls in the workplace, featuring Isabel Chung, Executive Chef at Fairmont Chateau Whistler. Work in a bar, restaurant, or pub? Share this video with your team and check out additional safety resources below.

Taking place November 15 on Granville Island, SPARK is a first-of-its-kind industry conference that will bring together BC's liquor and hospitality industries and stakeholders for a day of networking, education, and critical industry and economic updates. Featuring TWO tracks plus a member-exclusive joint lunch & political update session at Dockside Restaurant, and a joint industry reception.

This well-deserved achievement has been fueled by hard work of HAC team members Susie Grynol, Elizabeth (Smith) Tobin, Adrienne Foster, Kafia Yusuf, Aaron M. Haddish, Andrea Myers, Andrew Buwalda, Rebecca Bartlett-Jones, Mascha Belagamage, Donnalu Sabo, and Aileigh Karson. Thank you for bringing the voice of our national accommodation community to the table in Ottawa. We of course also thank Beth Potter and her incredible team at TIAC.

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