What this tool does
- Calculates monthly recovery from a compliant credit card surcharge program based on your volume and credit/debit mix
- Applies the real constraints: 3% practical network cap, actual-cost limits, mandatory debit exclusion
- Flags state restrictions — bans, caps, and display rules — via our state-by-state law guide
- Compares surcharging against a cash discount structure so you can pick the right program, not just a program
What it never does
- Never asks for contact information to show results
- Never requires a statement upload
- Never triggers a sales call
Why surcharge math is never just 3%
The number every merchant hears is 'add 3% and processing is free.' The real math has three haircuts. First, debit and prepaid cards can never be surcharged — federal rules, every state — and debit is often 30–50% of small-business card volume, so you keep paying full freight on that share. Second, your surcharge legally can't exceed your actual cost of acceptance, and in Colorado it can't exceed 2% regardless. Third, several states ban or restrict the practice entirely. The calculator applies all three so the recovery number you see is the one you'd actually experience.
That honest number is still often worth it — but sometimes a cash discount structure or a straightforward rate renegotiation recovers more with less compliance surface. The point of running the math first is knowing which one that is for your business before a program salesperson decides for you.
Common questions
How much can I legally surcharge?
Is surcharging legal in my state?
Why doesn't a surcharge make processing free?
Surcharge or cash discount — which should I choose?
Get your real surcharge recovery number, not the sales-pitch version.
Volume, ticket, card mix — 30 seconds, anonymous.
Open the surcharge calculator100% anonymous · Nobody will call you