It seems to be the only way to avoid the admin charge on Ryanair flights (I wonder if the new laws banning fees for paying by card will change this?)

As it did last year, the Senate last month overwhelmingly approved an amendment sponsored by Senator Christopher Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut, that would ban outside fees.

The proposed law would ban early fees that exceed the cost of the handset to the provider minus the purchase price paid by the consumer at the start of the contract.

Congress had banned such fees in 1973 after city governments began to divert these funds from the airports and use them instead to keep real estate taxes down.

In the provinces of Manitoba, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Quebec, legislation has been passed to ban expiry dates and fees collected on gift cards.

At least two states, Connecticut and Iowa, have banned fees on such "foreign" transactions, which can result in two charges, and several local governments have joined in or are poised to do so.

Mr. Burke had said the state's banking statutes, drafted 24 years ago before the advent of A.T.M.'s, gave him power to ban such fees.

The board, which charters public libraries, banned such fees by approving an amendment to the state's 50-year-old public library system regulations.

- Make the process homeowner-friendly: Ensure a single point of contact; require servicers to review documents within a timely fashion and disclose information; and ban "advanced fees."

In a largely symbolic vote, members of the Senate went on record last month to join the House and ban outside fees, predominantly for speaking and to a small degree for writing.