7
Surcharge
Merchants have the ability to charge customers an additional fee for paying by debit or
credit cards – surcharging. The surcharge can be either a fixed fee or a percentage fee
based on the value of the transaction.
A surcharge fixed fee amount that is greater than $ or a percentage amount greater than
1% is prohibited by the terminal.
If you do decide to charge customers a fee for paying by a debit or credit card you will
need to make sure you do not act in a misleading or deceptive way.
You should ensure customers are aware of the following:
• Customer are aware of the extra charge.
• How much it will be before the transaction is entered into.
This can be done in many ways, including in-store notices or prominent messages
on bills. Customers can choose whether to pay the card fee or to use another form of
payment; eg. cash. The customer will have the option on the terminal screen to not accept
the surcharge and cancel the transaction.
