Surcharging — What It Is and How It Works

What is surcharging?

A surcharge is an additional fee added to a credit card transaction to offset processing costs. Sertifi's surcharging solution automatically calculates and applies this fee when enabled for your account.

Key facts

• Surcharging is legal in most US states. It is not permitted in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, or Puerto Rico. Colorado caps surcharges at 2%.
• Debit cards and international cards are automatically excluded from surcharging — Sertifi identifies and exempts them via Stripe.
• ACH payments are offered as a surcharge-free alternative.
• MasterCard requires merchants to register locations 30 days before enabling surcharging.

How refunds work with surcharging

When a surcharged payment is refunded, the proportional surcharge amount is also refunded automatically.

Example: A $100 charge with a $3 surcharge = $103 total. Full refund returns $103. Partial refund of $50 returns $51.50 ($50 + proportional $1.50 surcharge).

How to enable surcharging

Surcharging must be enabled by Sertifi — it is not something you can turn on yourself. Contact Sertifi Support at [e-mail] to request activation and confirm your property's eligibility.

Still need help?

Contact Sertifi Support at [e-mail].