Implement surcharging for credit card payments in compliance with network rules

Steps

1. Verify that surcharging is legally permitted in the cardholder's jurisdiction; surcharging is prohibited in several US states and countries — check the current list before implementing.
2. Register your intent to surcharge with Visa and Mastercard at least 30 days before going live; the registration process varies by network but typically involves notifying your acquirer.
3. At checkout, detect whether the payment method is a credit card (not debit or prepaid) using BIN lookup; surcharges may only be applied to credit cards under network rules.
4. Cap the surcharge at the lesser of your actual card acceptance cost or the network-specified maximum (currently 3% for Visa and Mastercard in most markets).
5. Clearly disclose the surcharge amount before the customer completes payment, as a line item in the order summary and on the receipt.
6. Pass the surcharge amount as a separate field in your authorization request if your gateway supports it, so it is reported correctly to the networks.