Surcharging

Surcharging is the practice of adding an extra fee to a payment when a customer chooses to pay with a credit card. This allows businesses to offset the processing costs associated with credit card payments.

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Official support for surcharging will be available in Q2 2025.

Surcharging Regulations

Surcharging is subject to strict regulations that vary by region and card network. Below are some critical areas to consider.

Legal restrictions by jurisdiction

Some countries and states prohibit or heavily restrict surcharging, while others allow it under certain conditions. Always verify the local laws to ensure compliance, as surcharging may be entirely banned in certain areas (e.g., certain U.S. states).

Card brand rules

Major card brands like Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover each have specific rules for surcharging. For example:

Disclosure requirements: Card brands typically require clear, conspicuous disclosure of surcharges at the point of entry (e.g., store signage) and on receipts.
Surcharge limits: Card networks cap surcharges at the actual cost of processing or a maximum percentage (e.g., 3% or 4%), whichever is lower.
Card type restrictions: Surcharging is generally allowed only on credit card payments, not on debit or prepaid cards.

Surcharging with

Partners have two options for setting up surcharging with . In both cases, the partner is responsible for controlling the surcharge logic and ensuring compliance with card brand rules.

Surcharging with platform fees: The partner controls surcharge logic using Platform FeesAPI. This option is only available for partners processing on Paysafe.
Surcharging without platform fees: Surcharging is handled by programmatically increasing the payment amount on the Payment IntentAPI. For example, for a 2.9% surcharge on a $100 purchase, the payment intent amount would be updated to $102.90.

Surcharging Resources

Card Account Updater Manual Capture