---
title: "Add a card surcharge"
description: "Pass card fees to clients who pay by credit card, within the limits Outpost enforces, and what to check with your card brands and acquirer first."
url: "https://support.outpostplatform.com/client-payments/surcharges/"
product: "depot"
type: "how-to"
status: "draft"
ai_summary: "MSP plan. Card surcharge on Client billing > Payments: off by default, at most 3%, needs an attestation that card brands and acquirer were told 30 days ahead. Credit cards only; never debit, prepaid, bank, saved methods, or autopay; never in CT, MA, ME, PR; 2% cap in CO; none when the state is unknown; only Stripe and Braintree. Shown before the method is picked."
availability:
  plans: ["msp"]
  permission: "psa:payments"
  preview: false
source: "https://gitlab.com/outpostplatform/docs/-/edit/main/src/content/docs/client-payments/surcharges.md"
license: "CC BY 4.0"
---

# Add a card surcharge

A card surcharge adds a percentage to payments made by credit card, so the
client who pays by card covers the processing fee. Surcharging is regulated by
card brand rules and by some US states, so Outpost applies a fixed set of
limits and leaves the rest to you. This page shows how to turn it on and what
Outpost does and does not check.

:::caution
This page describes how Outpost applies surcharges. It is not legal advice.
Card brand rules and state laws change, and some apply to you that Outpost
cannot check. Confirm with your acquirer, and with counsel if you are unsure,
before you turn surcharging on.
:::

## Before you begin

- You need `psa:payments`.
- At least one provider can tell a credit card from a debit card before it
  charges: Stripe or Braintree. Square, Authorize.net, and QuickBooks Payments
  cannot, so payments through them are never surcharged. If none of your
  providers can, the **Card surcharge** card says so.
- Card brands require you to notify them and your acquirer before your first
  surcharge, at least 30 days ahead. Do that first. Turning the surcharge on
  asks you to confirm it.

## Turn on the surcharge

1. Select **Client billing** > **Payments**.
2. In the **Card surcharge** card, tick **Surcharge credit card payments**.
3. In **Surcharge**, enter a percentage, at most `3`.
4. Tick **I confirm my practice has told its card brands and its acquirer that
   it will surcharge, at least 30 days before the first surcharge, as the card
   brand rules require.**
5. Select **Save surcharge**.

The card then shows the date you confirmed the notice.

## When a payment is surcharged

Outpost adds the surcharge only when every one of these holds:

| Rule | Detail |
| --- | --- |
| Credit card | Debit cards, prepaid cards, and bank payments are never surcharged. |
| Processor can tell | The processor reports whether a card is credit or debit before the charge. |
| New card on a one-time payment | Payments with a saved method, including autopay, are never surcharged. |
| Billing state known | The payer chooses the card's billing state. **Outside the US**, or no state, means no surcharge. |
| State allows it | Never in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, or Puerto Rico. At most 2% in Colorado. |
| Rate | Your percentage, never more than 3%. |

The amount is rounded half up to the cent.

## What the client sees

- Before they choose how to pay, the pay page and the client portal say that
  credit card payments carry the surcharge. In the client portal, each choice
  also shows its fee.
- The review step shows **Credit card surcharge** as its own line above
  **Total to charge**.
- The receipt shows the surcharge.
- An autopay authorization for a credit card discloses the surcharge rate,
  even though autopay charges are not surcharged.

## Refunds

A refund returns the surcharge in the same share as the amount refunded, as
card rules require. See [Refund a payment](/client-payments/refunds/).

## Turn it off

Clear **Surcharge credit card payments** and select **Save surcharge**. New
payments are no longer surcharged.

## Verify

Pay a test invoice with a credit test card on a **Sandbox** provider, with a
billing state that allows surcharges. The review step shows **Credit card
surcharge**, and the attempt on the invoice shows the surcharge it included.

## Next steps

- [Payment settings and emails](/client-payments/payment-settings/)
- [Client payments](/client-payments/)