HomeMerchant Surcharge Program
Revenue Optimization

Merchant Surcharge Program

Recover your credit card processing costs by passing eligible fees directly to customers who pay with credit cards.

CPS-Terminal v2
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Ready

Waiting for customer...

Sale Amount

$85.00

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CARD

Recover Costs

Pass credit card fees to customers

Flexible Rates

Set surcharges 1-3% per state

Automatic

Applied at checkout automatically

Separate Revenue

Track surcharge revenue separately

Live Demo

See It in Action at the POS

Watch how the surcharge is automatically applied and disclosed to the customer in real time.

CPS-Terminal v2
🏪

Ready

Waiting for customer...

Sale Amount

$85.00

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
*
0
#
CARD

What's happening?

1

Sale initiated

Cashier rings up $85.00 in goods.

2

Card presented

Customer taps their credit card on the terminal.

3

Card type detected

Terminal identifies a credit card — surcharge applies.

4

Disclosure shown

3% surcharge is displayed before the customer confirms.

5

Payment processed

The full $87.55 is authorized with the bank.

6

Approved!

Transaction completes — you keep the sale amount.

7

Receipt printed

Surcharge clearly itemized for full transparency.

Key Insight: If the customer pays with a debit card, the surcharge is automatically waived — no action needed from your staff.
Savings Calculator

How Much Could You Save?

Drag the slider to match your average monthly credit card volume and see your estimated annual recovery.

$50,000
$5,000$500,000

Annual Card Volume

$600,000

Est. Current Processing Fees

$18,000

Surcharge Recovered Annually

$18,000

% of Fees Offset

~100%

Estimated Annual Savings

$18,000

* Estimate based on a 3.0% average processing rate and 3.0% surcharge. Actual savings vary by card mix and state regulations.

How It Works

1

Enrollment

Enroll in the Merchant Surcharge Program through your merchant services account.

2

Set Surcharge Rate

Choose a surcharge rate between 1.0% to 3.0% (subject to state limits).

3

Automatic Application

The surcharge is automatically applied to all eligible credit card transactions at checkout.

4

Customer Notification

Customers are clearly notified of the surcharge before completing their purchase.

5

Settlement

Surcharge amounts are separated from processing fees in your settlement reports.

Key Requirements

Compliance Required

Must comply with all state and local surcharging laws and card brand requirements.

Clear Disclosure

Prominent notifications required at point of entry and point of sale.

State Restrictions

Cannot surcharge in restricted states or for restricted cardholders.

Rate Flexibility

Set rates between 1.0% - 3.0%, subject to state caps.

Restricted States & Regions

Surcharging is prohibited in the following locations:

States

  • • Connecticut (CT)
  • • Massachusetts (MA)

Other Regions

  • • Puerto Rico (PR)
  • • Armed Forces Domestic (AF)
  • • Armed Forces Europe (AE)
  • • Armed Forces Pacific (AP)
  • • Armed Forces US (AA)

Card-Not-Present Transactions

For e-commerce, mail, telephone, and recurring transactions, surcharges are automatically disabled for cardholders residing in restricted regions based on postal code validation.

State-Specific Requirements

New York Special Requirements

3.0%

Must display the MAXIMUM TOTAL PRICE a consumer might pay, including surcharge, in dollars and cents. The price display must account for the surcharge amount upfront.

Colorado Special Requirements

Up to merchant discount rate

Must display: 'TO COVER THE COST OF PROCESSING A CREDIT OR CHARGE CARD TRANSACTION, A SELLER MAY IMPOSE A PROCESSING SURCHARGE NOT TO EXCEED THE MERCHANT DISCOUNT FEE.'

Oklahoma Surcharge Cap

2.0%

Credit card surcharges are limited to a maximum of 2.0% per state law (14A O.S. § 2-211).

Surcharge Rate Examples

1.0%

Conservative approach

$100 sale → $1.00 surcharge

2.0%

Balanced recovery

$100 sale → $2.00 surcharge

3.0%

Maximum recovery

$100 sale → $3.00 surcharge

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to Enroll?

Start recovering your credit card processing costs today with the Merchant Surcharge Program.