Avoiding Merchant Credit Card Processing Fees

If you are a merchant or own a business, then you know firsthand about credit card processing fees. While customers may not see that the business they are in is charged for the payments that they accept, you know very well that merchant credit card processing fees are not insignificant. While 3-5% doesn’t sound like a lot, it very much adds up and over time, it can have a heavy impact on profitability and margin. If you want to increase your margin and gain more control over how much you pay to accept payments, then there are definitely ways that you can do so. The savvy merchant works with their processor to find out how they can reduce credit card processing fees, gain more margin, and achieve a competitive advantage over their regional, national, and global industry rivals.

What are merchant credit card processing fees?

Though many merchants are already familiar with what exactly credit card fees are, it is helpful in the context of the conversation to go over what exactly you are paying for when you pay credit card processing fees and how they impact your business. Almost every merchant out there has a need to accept credit cards as payment. This is something that is typically unavoidable from a big-picture perspective.

When a business accepts credit cards as payment, there is a cost associated. The merchant must use a merchant services or credit card processing company that specializes in helping businesses accept payments so that they can cater to their customers that want to pay with digital means. This service isn’t free. Credit card processing fees are the cost associated with accepting a credit card payment from a customer. This typically ranges in percentage, but is most often between 3-5% of each transaction.

What is the downside to paying credit card processing fees?

There’s no doubt that paying credit card fees is an unavoidable occurrence that must happen at any given point when accepting payments. A credit card processor does provide a lot of value for a business and enables the business to accept payments, which is an essential part of what they do. However, there are some negatives that come along with having to pay credit card fees. Here are just some of the reasons that many merchants look to decrease the amount in credit card fees that they pay and why so many merchants are harmed by credit card fees as a whole.

Customer Relationship

When you have to pay credit card processing fees on each payment that you accept, it leads to you having to increase prices across the board to make up for that fee. Just to keep up with what you consider to be an acceptable margin, you may have to increase your prices several times to adjust for inflation and fee increases. As a result, this can easily cause the customer-business relationship to fracture and become damaged. If you want to preserve your relationship with your customers and continue to have a positive relationship with them, then you undoubtedly want to find a way to avoid credit card processing fees.

Lower Margin

Another side effect of paying more credit card processing fees is that your margin for your products will be lower. For those that operate on a low margin already, this can alter the course of a business altogether. Credit card processing fees are no longer a negligible line item. If you want to be competitive in your industry and match the prices of others, you need to explore every avenue possible that could lead to a lower amount of your transactions paid in credit card processing fees. With a lower margin, your business will be less likely to thrive and be price competitive, especially in industries that already have a low margin on their products and services.

Lower Cash Flow

In business, cash flow is everything. Cash flow is what enables you to pursue opportunities, invest in your business, and maintain a healthy balance in your business bank account. In short, if you want to have a successful business, then you need a healthy cash flow. When you are paying 3-5% of your transactions in credit card processing fees, this can lower your cash flow and harm your ability to pursue the investments and opportunities that you need to improve your business and move it forward.

Can you avoid credit card processing fees?

One of the first questions that many business owners have is whether it is possible to avoid credit card fees when you own a business. For the most part, you will need to pay credit card processing fees in one way or another regardless of what business you are in. For small businesses that accept only cash, this is not as much of a problem. While there are steps that you can take to certainly lower the amount of credit cardprocessing fees that you will owe, you will have a very difficult time cutting them out of your business altogether. However, there are strategies that you, as a business owner, can use to reduce your own liability for these fees and pass them on to the party that is gaining all of the convenience by paying with a credit card.

How to lower credit card processing fees

Though there is not usually a good way to avoid fees altogether, there are strategies that you can use to lower the amount of fees that you pay when you process payments. One of the best ways to do this is to work with an agent to participate in our merchant cash discount program, which incentivizes customers to pay with cash in exchange for a discount that saves both the merchant and the customer money. Without this fee, you can enjoy your margin and your customer will be happier with a lower price. For customers that do want the convenience of a digital payment, no problem! Simply add a small surcharge to cover the cost of the fee and you will be mitigating a lot of the negative effects that credit card fees can have on your business and cash flow.

How to get started

If a merchant cash discount program sounds right to you, then all you need to do is get in touch with a merchant cash discount program agent to help you take advantage of this program and start saving money on your payment processing today.

What is the best Merchant Services Agent Program?

Are you looking for the best Merchant Services Agent Program? As a merchant services agent, you must be quite attentive about how to find the best program for your payment processing business. Well, you should search no longer because you can use Shaw Merchant Group. There are many reasons why we have become the best credit card processing agent program for credit card processing sales agents and ISO's. First of all, we give you a 100% guarantee of satisfaction for you and all your merchants. With our high quality service, you can sign up business owners and merchants with self-reliance.

Shaw Merchant Group

• Our Merchant Services Agent Program offers relationships with various processors. 
• Able to offer your merchants most payment platforms across the globe. 
• Track all of the commissions and deals from your back office portal. 
• Commission structure is much higher than other credit card processors. 
• Online merchant agreement with "click here I agree" button.
• Big bonuses including fast start and production bonus. 
• $5000 signing bonus once you bring on 30 merchants.

Breakdown

Overall our Merchant Services Agent Program gives you a profitable compensation plan including high revenue sharing, free marketing materials, free website, high-risk merchant account experts, and much more. You also have access to many sales tools and in depth training in person, online and videos. Because we have relationships with multiple processing providers we also include marketing tools as well as appointment setting and lead programs from many of the top processing providers. From the back office portal, you are able to access an abundant amount of resources to assist in the training of sub-agents and sales staff. Want more? We also have a very profitable referral program where all you have to do is hand us your merchant's information and we take care of the rest then you get paid. We can also provide an opportunity for you to get compensations through our affiliate program. We will track your referrals automatically and without hassles you make bonuses.

Our Merchant Services Agent Program offers high-risk merchant solutions for you. Most payment processors don’t support businesses that are considered high-risk business types. You’ll get many choices for almost all types of businesses. We offer both local and offshore solutions for VERY high risk business types. In fact, Shaw Merchant Group will give you the ability to get accounts approved for these high risk business types: online gaming, e-book, auctions, tobacco, marijuana sales, credit repair companies and many others. Overall, you always need this kind of service in you back pocket. 

Shaw Merchant Group will take your paycheck to the next level. As you grow your merchant base we will be here to support you and merchants with only A+ BBB rated processors. This includes making sure you have the very best Merchant Services Agent Program. Basically, the industry of credit card processing will continue to grow at an amazing rate and you should take advantage of our program to achieve huge success and maximum profits. In summary, Shaw Merchant Group stands up as the most reliable program in the industry.

How Much Do Merchant Services Agents Make Selling Merchant Accounts?

Are you looking for a great business opportunity that gives you hundreds of dollars per month? If yes, then selling merchant accounts is the right choice for you!

Almost every other business in the world uses credit and debit cards as their primary tool for transactions, known as merchant services. Selling merchant services is an alluring and profitable business as it has the potential of gaining a large number of clients!

However, the answer to how much you can earn mainly relies on your hard work and passion for this work—keeping in mind that it requires hours of effort.

It also requires a strong knowledge of the credit card processing sales and its industry, along with the fact that you would have to keep at it even after being told 'No' many times.

Without any further ado, let’s get into details of the rewards you can bring home by a future in merchant services sales, which is estimated at around $100k of earning annually!

How Much Can Be Made?

The merchant services agents start earning the moment they sign up a new client and close the deal at a profit of about $500 for themselves. Luckily, these first bonuses are paid right after the closing of the deal!

Selling credit card processing is a 100% commission industry. Still, residual income fuels its profits, which is maintained by consistent efforts.

Residual income is the monthly bonuses a merchant services agent receives, varying from $30-$50. Therefore, depending on the number of clients, a profit of $1250-$3600 per month is guaranteed!

To learn more about residual income, keep reading!

What Is Residual Income?

The details of how the merchant services agent program works are quite simple.

As mentioned before, residual income is the primary source of earning in this business as long as the client keeps using his credit cards to accept payments.

• Whenever your customer receives payments through the credit card you signed them up for, the merchant services business also receives a specific percentage of that payment. 
• The good news is that the merchant services agent receives about 50-60% of the earned income! Each money transfer means more and more money for the agent! This is called residual income. 

That being said, let us take an example of how to earn more than $100k a year with your very own merchant services sales.

Don’t ever think that earning a few dollars from each client is not enough, because this simple math will prove you wrong. So, assuming that the merchant services agent can sign up to 15 new clients per month, $50 of residual income will add up to be $750 of earning per month.

After a period of thorough hard work and determination, the monthly income can rise to $9000, and that is equal to over $100,000 of annual revenue. With no limits to the number of clients, a $100k income can be further multiplied!

Common Pitfalls Of Selling Merchant Accounts 

As you start with your new business, here are some common pitfalls that you should avoid to keep your income steady and growing.

1. Not signing a contract: Always make sure to sign up and agree on a contract with your client. Not signing up a contract can lead to a cut in the earned income anytime the client stops using its account, leaving you further behind in achieving your goals. 
2. Upfront cash programs: Yes, upfront cash programs can be an excellent way of getting an instant return. But make sure that you seriously understand the conditions of upfront cash programs as they are advance payment of what income you have coming in the future. 
3. Price wars: One of the most common mistakes of the agents is to get into price wars with other companies. Don't let this affect your service because that is what bidding wars result in. Your customers will then always look for the lowest cost possible, so stay competitive and hold a steady price!

Tips To Earn Over $100k Annually By Selling Merchant Services

Merchant services sales are based upon innovation and hard work! In order to succeed in this industry, take notes of these tips and tricks so that you make over $100,000 per year!

1. Understand your product Remember that you, as a credit card processing agent, should have all the details about credit cards and credit card processing sales to gain more leads and prove to be one of the best in your industry. 
2. Set the right goals Business goals keep you consistent and focused on what you do and what you aim to achieve. They work to keep you motivated and give you your wanted result, so, as a beginner, seek $1000 a month to $9000 soon, with the right effort! 
3. Invest in referrals Referrals play a significant role in the expansion of various businesses around the world. They are also the key to successful sales of merchant accounts! If you offer exceptional services, make sure that your customers know them! This results in an increased number of leads and sales! 
4. Manage your time Like all other businesses, selling merchant accounts requires you to stick to a schedule and stay committed to your aims and daily tasks! Split your time for each area of attention, such as following leads, finding new leads, and dealing with your current customers!

Final Words

Nothing is impossible: not even earning $100k a year! With the proper understanding of residual income and how much you can make, follow the dos and don'ts for a steady income. Keeping in mind that there is no limit to what you can earn. So, get ready, set your strategy, and go!

North American Bancard Cash Discount Program

North American Bancard (NAB) is a well-known credit card processing company. It is a merchant account provider. This means that you can collect and process debit and credit card payments from your customers. Your money will be deposited into your bank account after the processing fee deduction. North American Bancard’s merchant account was created primarily for face to face retail transactions but now they also allow e-commerce transactions.

The North American Bancard Cash Discount Program is a way for you as a business owner to offset the charges of some or all commercial services without increasing the current rates. This is an efficient way of charging service fees to all customers and providing attractive discounts to those who pay with cash. With the help of this program, your published rates will become the actual rates for those who pay cash. Cash paying customers will avoid service fees and everyone else will see an item on the line included in the receipt. It is an advanced technology that enables it to be and maintains this program in accordance with Visa, Master Card, and processor standards.

North American Bancard provides their precious customers with the:

• Free hints that will explain this program to your customers 
• A well developed and free 
• EDGE Cash Discount Software Free Equipment Options 

Why North American Bancard Cash Discount Program is the Best?

As you know that there are many discount programs available to retailers around the world but there are some reasons that have helped this merchant cash discount program to be in number one position. Here are some of the best advantages that will be provided by this Cash Discount Program.

• No Price to the Merchant 
• No Agreement 
• Cash Payment 

No Price to the Merchant:

The main attractive benefit of this cash discount program is that it will help you to put more money in the pockets of your business and companies you are working with. Your merchants will be able to gain more profit as the EDGE cash discount program is designed to eliminate merchant processing fees which can range from 2% to 4%. This percentage doesn’t seem big but when it comes to dozens of transactions a day then this percentage will definitely increase your profit and savings.

With this cash discount program, merchants do not have to worry about these fees as they will be transferred to the customers. This is a great point of sale for your business as it eliminates the cost that has to pay. You don’t have to pay in order to enroll in this program. So when you join this program you will only earn money without any spending.

No Agreement:

The second major benefit to the trader is that there is no agreement on this NAB cash discount program. This provides the merchants with the benefit that if they want to experiment for a few months to see the impact of this program on their business, they can do so without fear of getting stuck in a long term deal. As an agent, it enables you to build trust with your merchants quickly and easily. You can show them the power that without signing an agreement or putting some pressure on them they can avail the services of this free program, without any cost. This will make your merchant more comfortable to work with you.

Cash Payment:

Cash payment has made all the process very simple and easy. Customers will simply see the advertised price of the item, will go to the cash register, deliver it to the cashier, and will be the item. No additional fees or charges will apply to the client. The merchant will not have a processing fee for this transaction and the customer will be able to save money.

What NAB EDGE Cash Discount Program Eliminates?

This amazing cash discount’s major elimination include: 

• No Statement Fee 
• There is no Payment Card Industry (PCI) Compliance Fee 
• No need for Contract 
• No Monthly or Annual Fees 

POS Solutions and Cash Discount Software: 

North American Bancard Cash Discount Program works on many Point of Sale (POS) solutions to meet the needs of your business, they also provide free Point of Sale devices if needed. When your customer inspects at the Point of Sale, the EDGE cash discount software knows how to adjust the transaction in real-time at office cost. This arrangement is known as Cash Discount Adjustment. This cash discount adjustment ensures that your customer is paying the same profit margins while they are paying with cash or not. This software values all its products by assuming cash payments.

If you are charging more from your customers because you know that a lot of people will pay with cards then you can now offer a small cash price as a discount on all advertised prices. This will make advertised prices more competitive and attractive to consumers without spending a penny.

Why is NAB Cash Discount Right for you? 

Card issuers charge you for accepting cards and then usually refund a portion of the money received from customers in the form of vouchers, such as a refund program. Your customers are forced to make payments through cards even if they want to pay cash. But the NAB cash discount program makes it fair for everyone. With this cash discount program, you have the option to protect your business. They can offer different choices to the cardholders and it will not cost you a penny. That’s why thousands of people across the country are embracing this EDGE Cash Discount Program.

The Bottom Line: 

If you are tired of having to pay thousands of dollars for your monthly processing costs then this is the best solution. When this program is providing you with these amazing benefits then what are you waiting for? It is the right time to control your stamps and reap the benefits of this ultimate cash discount program. Contact the North American Bancard today to get more information about this cash discount program and to determine if this program is right for your business.

North American Bancard Agent ISO Program - Merchant Services ISO Programs

There are tons of merchant services ISO programs in the United States that offer good benefits to their agents and merchants. However, there is always someone or something, an uncrowned king that tops everything that others do. North American Bancard Agent Program is that king! They offer loads of benefits to their agents who are out in the field, working hard to win in this cut-throat competitive environment.

And then they also have several benefits for merchants to help them save as much as they can in monthly profits. Both of these things come together in making North American Bancard ISO program the leader in merchant services. If you want to get more information about them or perhaps join the program, we suggest you read this detailed guide until the very end.

About North American Bancard Program: 

North American Bancard or NAB, for short, has been working as a merchant services ISO program for around 28 years now. What started as a small merchant services reseller program in 1992 has now grown into a behemoth with its attractive offers and value provision to both big and small merchants. The North American Bancard program is backed by Bancorp Pank, Pennsylvania, BMO Harris N.A, Illinois, and Wells Fargo Bank, California.

They are a giant ISO that focuses on providing merchants with credit card processing services supplied by Global Payments and First Data. And with headquarters in Michigan, they have employed an in-house team of customer support representatives that directly manage their merchant customers.

They are the parent company of Argus Payments, which is now called Inovio and also Electronic Payment Exchange. Furthermore, they purchased Total Merchant Services in May 2017, but the amount of transaction is not made public. The company also has a mobile point-of-sale (POS) app and a card reader named ‘PayAnywhere.’

Why Should You Consider North American Bancard ISO Program? 

Free POS Equipment:

One of the top benefits of working with the North American Bancard Agent Program is that they offer FREE POS equipment. This makes it easy for you to sell the processing plan to businesses. You don’t have to tell your potential customers that the equipment comes for free.

You can use it as a hook to grab their attention because everybody likes free stuff. Once they are listening to you, you can then make your sales pitch.

Lifetime Income Opportunity: 

By partnering up with the Merchant Services Reseller Program, you will be getting 50% to 70% residual income depending on the pay structure you choose. Plus, the income will be shared on every revenue stream available, isn’t it great? The best thing about working with the NAB credit card processing agent program is that you will get the true split on interchangeable revenue.

Unlike many merchant partnership programs, there are no hidden losses. As a sales partner of NAB, you will make more in residual income with their 50/50 partnership than you would with any other service provider.

Unparalleled Signup Bonus: 

The company takes a result-oriented approach where they provide the agents with a performance-based bonus. Anyone who has brought clients to them who have been working for more than the standard threshold of 4 months will receive the bonus accordingly.

The program is specifically designed to reward experienced salespersons who join the NAB team and quickly learn the ropes of the product and how to sell it. The amazing thing about the program is that its bonus can go up to $20,000 depending on your performance, making it of the most agent-friendly programs.

12x Bonus Based on Profitability:

The stream of bonuses doesn’t just end at signing up. You also get profitability-based bonuses with a multiplier of 12. This means the amount of profit you generate for a month will be multiplied by 12, and that will be your bonus, which is separate from signing up bonus. For instance, if the company gets $100 in residual income for a month, then it will be multiplied by 12, so your total bonus will be $1,200.

The max cap of the profitability bonus is $5,000 per merchant at a given location. This makes it a lot easier to make a killing selling merchant services ISO program by NAB. You can easily make $5,000 in just a bonus by selling the program to a merchant processing $45,000 per month.

They Care For Our Customers: 

One of the best things about the North American Bancard Agent program is that they do not eat up the profits of their customers. They know their customers are their assets. This means they have devised some strategies to save the money of their customer, which is done by shifting the processing fee to the end-users.

This makes total sense too. If an end-user wants to use the facility the credit card instead of cash, then they should at least pay something to the merchant for providing that option to them. So when they make transactions, the fee is automatically deducted from the customer’s credit card, saving the merchant tons on monthly fees.

Convenient Dashboard: 

NAB has a simple and easy to navigate dashboard called Sales Partner Portal. The agents can keep tabs on their portfolio, track their residuals, bonuses, and transactions. Agents can even see minute details like what their merchant paid for any specific transaction, what the expense was, and how much they earned.

You can also look at the statement provided by the merchant for a detailed comparison. This kind of clear transparency makes it easier for agents to know their progress so they can improve their sales game.

Different Processing Platforms: 

Though NAB is still using First Data and Global Payments as their processing platforms, they have partnered up with the EPX platform as well. With the help of EPX, they can optimize the interchange, allowing them to process a transaction for a lesser fee than other processors.

This is great news for both agents and their merchants as you can help your merchant save loads of money on monthly transactions, which will ultimately make you more money.

Free Website for Lead Generation: 

NAB has made it its mission to provide its partners (agents) with any kind of resources they need to make their sales process easier. This includes their conversion-optimized landing page filled with the benefits of getting their payment processing system. The website will display their range of products along with their features and help you generate leads while you are sleeping.

Having this kind of lead generation website is an asset that takes months to develop and hundreds of dollars in web development agency fees. But as the partner of the program, you will get this website readily available to be shown to your potential clients.

Cash Advance Options for Merchants: 

North American Bancard looks after its merchants, and one of the ways it does so is with its merchant cash advance lending program. They lend the cash that merchants need for the growth of their business ad then return when they are making a killing.

The program allows funds of up to 1 million dollars, depending on the processing volume of the merchant. This is one of the most lucrative features of this merchant services agent program, allowing you to get more merchants onboard.

Medical Benefits:

Many of the sales job done even provide the options for medical coverage. North American Bancard Partner program, on the other hand, offers ample resources to its agents so they can have adequate healthcare coverage for themselves and their families at very affordable rates.

This is another feature of the NAB program because they don’t just partner up in profits; they take care of you like a partner really should.

North American Bancard Sales Partner Features in a Nutshell: 

• Their merchant accounts are powered by First Data and Global Payments 
• They have terminals for debit and credit cards that support EMV as well as NFC based payment methods 
• Their PayAnywhere technology allows mobile payments 
• PayAnywhere technology also supports the storefront POS system 
• Automated chargeback mitigation 
• Web-based terminals for agents to access their specifics without the need for downloading any software 
• Detailed reporting and analytics on the portal 
• Lucrative signing up bonuses along with profitability bonuses 

Parting Words:

One of the best ways to make a killing being a merchant cash program seller is by working with the North American Bancard Agent Program. They have great bonuses, excellent software infrastructure in place, health benefits, detailed reporting on dashboards, and FREE POS equipment for merchants. 

All of these benefits attract both the agents and the merchants, and that makes NAB one of the most successful merchant cash programs in the U.S. So if you also want to get on board, feel free to visit their website and get started from there.

Credit Card Surcharges vs. Cash Discounts: What’s the Difference?

Credit card processing can be expensive for merchants, and it is harder for them to allow the customers to pay with a credit card. On the contrary, customers want some flexibility as they prefer to pay with a credit card. The merchants are looking for ways to save money on credit card processing. Because the credit card processing companies impose processing fees to the merchants that cut their profit margins. They implement surcharges onto the customers. According to the rules of the credit card brands, the surcharges had been outlawed that were modified after the settlement agreement. What is the difference between the credit card surcharges and cash discounting program, and how do merchants and card associations deal with surcharging? Here you will learn everything you need to know about Cash Discount Credit Card Processing and surcharges.

What is a Surcharge?

A surcharge is a fee that merchants add to the customer’s every credit card transaction to cover the costs associated with credit card processing. Every credit card brand and credit card processing company has its own guidelines for applying the surcharges. Surcharging is prohibited in four states, including Massachusetts, Connecticut, Kansas, and Colorado. The card association is a group of banks that set the transaction terms and process transactions for card brands like Master Card, American Express, Visa, and Citi. If the merchant wants to apply the surcharges, it should not be exceeded 4% of the transaction value. But many merchants likely to charge a flat surcharge fee e.g., a small business owner might charge a $0.40 surcharge on a $10 ice-cream, which is 4% of the transaction.

How to Register

If a merchant wants to register with a card association to permit them to apply the surcharges, it is not a hassle-free process. First off, every state has its own law and regulations, and you must know which states permit credit card surcharges and where it is banned. Then, you need to look at the credit card brand that you accept like MasterCard, Citi, and Visa and check their guidelines for a surcharge. They have several requirements that the merchants should meet before applying. The credit card companies generally ask you to provide the business name, contact info, business locations where you want to apply, business type( e-commerce or crick or mortar), and the surcharge types (product or brand).

Compliance Requirements

The card associations don’t ask you to discourage the customers when they want to pay with credit cards.

Almost all the card associations have the same guidelines for surcharging.

• Maximum transaction limit is 4% 
• Post notice at the point of sale about the credit card options. 
• Surcharge should be listed as a separate line on the receipts. 
• You can choose either brand surcharges or product surcharges. You can’t choose both. 
• Notify the credit card processor and card associations in writing at least one month in advance that you are going to surcharge transactions. 
• Also, comply with your state laws in terms of surcharges.

What is a Cash Discount?

If you are in one of these states where surcharging is banned, then offering the Cash Discounting might be a practical way for your business. As its name suggests, merchants offer discounts to their customers when they pay with cash. The main concept of Cash Discount Merchant Processing is that when the customers pay with cash, they receive a discount off the advertised sale price of the product. At the time of sale, when the customer preferred other payment methods than cash, he does not receive any transaction discount.

Pros of Cash Discounts 

Cash discount comes with a lot of benefits e.g., a merchant is giving the customers the incentive to save money when he pays with cash. When you offer a cash discount, most of the customers save money that makes them happy. For smaller stores or small businesses, cash discounts can make a big difference in offering cash discounts to help you get more sales. Moreover, the merchants don’t need to any requirement or follow the guidelines to set up a cash discount. You can set cash discounts on your own, and it only depends on your discretion.

Cons of Cash Discounts 

While there are numerous benefits to offering cash discounts to the customers, but there are some disadvantages that you need to take into account. The main drawback of the cash discount program is that people are likely to shop more when they don’t pay with cash and use credit cards. People are likely to add more items onto their purchases because they can’t see the money physically leaving their wallets.

Cash Discounts Compliance

For a cash discount, you need to provide the notification; you can display it around your shop, on your store’s door, and with the POS system. Also, give the detailed recipient to your customers that should have the complete information for cash discount transaction. Moreover, you should know about the laws of your state you are in because most of the states encourage the cash discount rather than surcharging as it is illegal. It is recommended that you check your state’s law if you are planning to start cash discounting.

Difference Between Surcharges and Cash Discount: 

One of the significant differences between cash discounts and surcharges is that with a cash discount, you provide the discount off the regular sales price to the customer when he pays with cash while with surcharges, you add around 4% fee to the credit card transaction. Moreover, the surcharging is regulated and required authorization with the credit card associations. On the other hand, cash discount programs require fewer laws and rules.

Bottom Line: 

Before setting up the cash discount program and surcharges for your business, check your record books. Do you have a lot of customers who pay with cash? How many customers pay with a credit card? How much fee do you need to pay to the credit card company? Also, consider your customer’s behavior. Would your customer react positively or negatively to the surcharge? Either cash discount helps you to get more sales or cut your profit margins? Ask all these questions to yourself before deciding to set up the surcharges or cash discount program. You can consult with consultants and business owners that help you to make the best decision.