Topic, verified June 2026

Surcharging and Cash-Discount Programs

Surcharging means adding a fee at the point of sale for paying by card. Cash-discount means listing the higher price and discounting for non-card payment. Card-network rules require notice to the network and clear disclosure; state law varies and changes.

4%
Visa cap
Max surcharge on credit transactions
3%
Common implementation
Typical merchant surcharge rate
0
Debit surcharge
Not allowed on debit or prepaid
30 days
Network notice
Visa/MC require prior written notice
Direct answer
Surcharging is legal in most US states but with hard rules: Visa caps it at 4% (lowered from 3% on 14 April 2023), Mastercard caps it at 4%, debit and prepaid cards cannot be surcharged at all, and merchants must give the card networks 30 days written notice. Square offers a built-in cash-discount setup. Helcim offers surcharge tooling that handles the network notice and the customer disclosure. Connecticut and Massachusetts still prohibit surcharging.

Vendor support

FeatureVendorCash-discountCard surcharge
SquareYesPartial
HelcimPartialYes
CloverYesPartial
StripePartialPartial
PayPalNoNo
Authorize.netPartialPartial

Related

Helcim pricing
Built-in surcharge tooling.
Square pricing
Built-in cash-discount.
Interchange explained
What you're surcharging for.
Last verified June 2026. Next review September 2026. Rates change without notice; always confirm directly with the vendor before signing a contract.