Offset processing costs with compliant service fee programs
Professional services firms, municipalities, utilities, and B2B businesses legally pass eligible card costs to customers—fully compliant with card-brand and state regulations.
The cost of accepting credit cards
Card processing costs 2–4% of every transaction. For businesses processing invoices, utility bills, or retainers, those fees add up—often reaching $50k–$400k+ annually.
Service fee and surcharge programs let you recover 60–90% of those costs legally.
Three program types at a glance
Cash discount, service fee, and surcharge programs each work differently. The right one depends on your state, industry, and business model.
| Cash Discount | Service Fee | Surcharge | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal in all 50 states | Yes | Yes (eligible MCCs) | No (40 states only) |
| Registration required | No | No (as of Oct 2025) | Yes (30 days) |
| Industry restrictions | No | Yes (specific MCCs) | No |
| Can apply to debit | Yes | No | No |
| Transaction processing | Single transaction | Single transaction | Single transaction |
| Typical setup time | 7–10 days | 7–14 days | 30–45 days |
How each program works
Cash discount
Display your card price and offer a discount for customers paying by cash or check.
- All prices shown reflect card price
- Cash payments get discount
- Legal nationwide
Retail, restaurants, in-person service.
Service fee
Add a clearly disclosed fee to recover processing costs for eligible business types.
- Base price + separate fee line item
- Fee ≤ processing cost
- No Visa registration (Oct 2025)
Government, utilities, education, municipalities.
Surcharge
Add a percentage-based fee to credit card transactions only—never to debit.
- Credit cards incur surcharge
- Debit cards never surcharged
- Legal in 40 states
Professional services, B2B, ecommerce.
Why work with Paytrinsic
Most processors offer these programs. We help you implement them correctly—with guidance on compliance and client communication.
Expert guidance
Strategic recommendations on program structure, MCC qualification, and state-by-state compliance.
Documentation
Ready-to-use signage, receipt templates, and client communication scripts.
Rule monitoring
We monitor Visa/Mastercard updates. If rules change, we provide updated materials at no cost.
Technical setup
We configure debit exclusion, receipt formatting, and fee calculations for you.
Results our clients see
Compliant programs reduce processing costs by 60–90% annually.
75-Attorney Firm
Volume: $3.2M/year.
Result: Costs dropped from $96k to $11k/year with service fee program.
Utility Billing
Volume: $8M/year.
Result: Costs dropped from $240k to $28k/year. MCC 4900 enabled.
Industrial Supplier
Volume: $5.5M/year.
Result: Implemented surcharge program. Costs dropped from $165k to $19k.
Implementation process
Most programs go live in 7–14 days. We handle setup so you don't have to be a compliance expert.
Assessment
We review your processing setup, determine eligibility (MCC), and design the fee structure.
Setup
We configure your platform for debit exclusion and proper receipt formatting. We provide signage.
Testing
We verify fee calculations and receipts. Your team gets hands-on training before go-live.
Monitoring
We monitor card-brand rules. If signage or requirements change, we update you automatically.
Find out how much you can save
Schedule a 30-minute assessment. We'll review your statements, verify MCC eligibility, and calculate your annual savings.
Schedule Assessment