The survey, done by Rochester, Wis.-based Runzheimer International, reveals on a broader level that a strong U.S. dollar has done little to pare outrageous prices in Japan. Runzheimer said it prepared the survey to offer expatriate employees a way to plan their budgets. If ratified, the proposed contract will run until June 2005 and improve wages, benefits and work rules, Continental Micronesia and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said. MasterCard International Inc., Visa U.S.A. Inc., and banks that control the credit-card networks are being sued for allegedly imposing hidden fees on cardholders who make purchases overseas. The suit, filed by cardholders yesterday in U.S. District Court in New York, contends that Visa and MasterCard impose a 1 percent surcharge on each overseas transaction made with credit and charge cards.
Cardholders claim the fees are hidden.