EBizCharge

JUNE 23, 2025

One option on the table is adding a credit card surcharge—a small extra fee to help cover your costs. But here’s the catch: surcharge rules are a patchwork of federal guidelines, state laws, and card network rules. And the card networks like Visa and Mastercard have their own rulebooks.

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EBizCharge

JUNE 24, 2025

They’re treated differently under both state laws and card network rules. In a few states, laws are in flux or under legal challenge, making the rules a bit harder to pin down. Before applying a small business credit card surcharge, it’s essential to do your homework. Mixing up the two could get you into trouble.

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EBizCharge

JUNE 19, 2025

Check that debit cards aren’t being surcharged and that receipts reflect the fee properly. Regulations can change. Card network rules can be updated. Even your own credit card processing fees might shift over time. Make it a habit to review your surcharge policy at least once a year.

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Stax

JULY 7, 2025

TL;DR Surcharging is a method for businesses to offset credit card processing costs by passing them on to customers. When implementing a surcharging program, businesses follow local regulations, ensure legal compliance, determine surcharge percentages and communicate transparently.

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EBizCharge

JUNE 17, 2025

At EBizCharge, we help businesses implement surcharge programs that reduce costs without violating card network rules or state laws. What Is a Credit Card Surcharge? To charge a surcharge or convenience fee, you need to know both your state’s laws and the card brand regulations.

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EBizCharge

JUNE 30, 2025

State laws and regulations Where surcharging is banned or restricted: Some U.S. states have outright bans or restrictions on credit card surcharging. This upfront notice helps ensure transparency and keeps your business in compliance with card network rules and state regulations.

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EBizCharge

JUNE 30, 2025

If you’re not careful, you could end up violating state laws or card network rules, which may result in fines or restrictions from your payment processing solution. Make sure you’re clear on local regulations before moving forward. What are the total monthly costs (not just per transaction)?

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EBizCharge

JUNE 27, 2025

It’s worth noting that while many payment processing solutions now support no-cost credit card processing, not all do so in a compliant way. Businesses should be cautious about choosing a provider and ensure that the software they use follows current state regulations and card network rules.

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EBizCharge

MAY 5, 2025

In a surcharge setup, the business adds a fee to the customers total only when a credit card is used, making the cost of card acceptance visible at checkout. This surcharge is calculated and applied automatically by the point-of-sale (POS) or payment software, ensuring accuracy and compliance with legal and card network regulations.

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EBizCharge

JUNE 19, 2025

Compliance and Legality Before you roll out a surcharge program, you need to understand the rules that govern how it must be implemented. You need to check state laws and card network rules. Visa, Mastercard and other networks require merchants to register their intent to surcharge.

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EBizCharge

JUNE 25, 2025

Legal and Card Network Rules Here’s where things get serious. For example, small business credit card surcharge rules in states like Connecticut and Massachusetts prohibit or heavily regulate this practice. The more upfront you are, the better it lands with your customers.

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Stax

SEPTEMBER 26, 2024

That said, you can’t just decide and impose credit card surcharges overnight. It requires stringent adherence to regulatory guidelines and card network rules, from surcharge caps to disclosure requirements. How Do Credit Card Surcharges Work? If you lean into it, the next section will detail how this process works.

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Stax

JANUARY 15, 2024

Surcharging involves understanding federal laws, state-specific restrictions, and international regulations. PCI DSS compliance, a global framework, mandates specific requirements and best practices for maintaining credit card data security. In case of ambiguities, don’t hesitate to consult with state regulators.

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EBizCharge

JULY 1, 2025

The platform also includes built-in tools to help ensure you’re following surcharging rules. It won’t apply a surcharge to debit cards, for example (which isn’t allowed under current regulations). Are you unsure whether your fees are compliant with state laws and card network rules?

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Clearly Payments

SEPTEMBER 18, 2024

Legal Advisor: The Protector In complex or high-value disputes, the legal advisor ensures compliance with regulations and assists in developing a robust defense during the representment process. Collaboration with the Analyst: Advises on handling complex chargeback cases and navigating card network rules.

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Payment Savvy

JULY 12, 2024

Complexity of Implementation: Ensuring compliance with various card network rules and state laws can be complicated. Legal Considerations for Convenience Fees Before implementing convenience fees , it’s crucial to understand the legal landscape and card network rules that govern these charges.

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Stax

NOVEMBER 15, 2023

Do be aware there may be local regulations in your area to prevent that, though.) This strategy offers transparency and allows businesses to maintain their profit margins while offsetting the cost of processing card payments. There are plenty of benefits to the surcharging model.

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EBizCharge

JUNE 28, 2024

The Legality of Charging Credit Card Fees The legality of charging credit card fees to customers, a practice often referred to as surcharging, varies depending on location and the credit card (CC) company’s policies. Surcharging is legal in many states and is regulated at the state and federal levels.

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Payment Savvy

JULY 3, 2024

Charge Your Customers a Small Fee for Using a Debit Card: Consider passing on some or all of the processing fees to customers by implementing a small surcharge for debit card transactions. Ensure compliance with card network rules and regulations when implementing this strategy.

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Clearly Payments

FEBRUARY 8, 2024

This article aims to provide an in-depth overview of the key regulatory organizations, payment regulations, and prevailing trends that shape payment regulation in the USA. Why Payment Regulation Exists Payment regulation exists for ensuring the integrity, stability, and equity within the payment ecosystem.

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Segpay

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Carefully follow card network regulations and monitor for shady processors invoking fees without actual non-compliance. However, smaller banks and credit cards avoid coverage.

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