Credit card surcharge

[softpac]

Hi

Has anyone worked out how to add a credit card surcharge to the order when the user checks out and uses a credit card for payment? Typically a surcharge may be 1.5% and it's purpose is to cover the merchant fee charged by the bank for processing.

Thanks - Brent

[jmestep]

Every merchant agreement I've ever read for charge card processing says you're not supposed to do that. The only workaround I know of is a discount if they pay by another method.

[AbleMods]

I just went through the whole authorize.net setup process and there's a couple of different places where they tell you it's not permitted.

[Logan Rhodehamel]

The major card issuers don't like that kind of thing. You can give a "cash discount", but you aren't supposed to have a credit surcharge. It could be done, but before you do please investigate whether this violates any merchant agreements.

[Logan Rhodehamel]

For example, if you accept Visa:

http://usa.visa.com/download/merchants/ ... chants.pdf

On page 15 it specifies that you may not add a surcharge to the transaction.

[softpac]

It must be an australian thing then! Live over here and it is very very common practice. In fact, all but 1 of my suppliers charge a surcharge (business to business transactions, I am not referring to business to consumer). If paying by mastercard or visa, then its typically 1.5%, but if paying by amex, then 5%.

Any other aussies on this forum who can testify that I am telling the truth???!!!

Don't forget, our merchant agreements are not american based. Reading my merchant agreement, it is silent on the matter.

Assuming I am allowed, it sounds like from your answers that it's not possible - only band aid solutions. Oh well - just thought I ask. Thanks.

[softpac]

There are other kinds of surcharges besides credit cards. For example, in Australia, it's common practice for restaurants to charge an extra 10% on public holidays. A printing business may charge an extra $15% if the job is urgent.

For whatever reason a surcharge is needed, basically it looks like AC7 cannot do surcharges at the checkout time. That's ok, just wanted to know if it could or not.

[AbleMods]

I think everyone just wanted to make sure your experience wasn't marred by an unexpected retraction of your card processing services.

I have a distributor that clearly states on their order screen "A 3% charge will be added to all credit card transactions."

Is that legal and within the agreement of their processor? Probably not. Am I going to blow the whistle on them? No. Why? Because as a merchant, I understand the reason. I don't necessarily agree with their implementation - in my opinion, that should be padded into their price to me just any other cost of doing business. That's how I do it.

But when it's a totally separate dollar amount, billed separately and listed separately on invoices etc, well that's a different story in the US. Feathers get ruffled. Emotions kick in and eventually someone is motivated to complain.

The infamous "Order Handling" charge does it for me, every time. Who are you to charge me for placing an order with you? Why are you "taxing" me for doing business with you? Most importantly, why aren't you confident enough in your business processes that you can't just assume the cost of filling an order is built into your prices to me?

And don't give me that packing/shipping materials crap either. Packing peanuts and cardboard boxes are just another cost of doing business - get used to it. Next thing you know, they'll be charging per-diem fees for the salary of the accounts payable clerk to click the print button on my invoice.

You aussies gotta always do things differently don't ya

[sohaib]

For whatever reason a surcharge is needed, basically it looks like AC7 cannot do surcharges at the checkout time. That's ok, just wanted to know if it could or not.

Yes thats right. No support for additional surcharges on CC payments pre-built. You will have to customize this.

[Logan Rhodehamel]

For whatever reason a surcharge is needed, basically it looks like AC7 cannot do surcharges at the checkout time. That's ok, just wanted to know if it could or not.

Yes thats right. No support for additional surcharges on CC payments pre-built. You will have to customize this.

If you are have a valid business reason for doing it and it's not a violation of your merchant agreements, then it's not a very tough customization. I think a few lines of code added to the one page checkout file would probably do it. But Sohaib is right, no surcharge ability is built in.