Configure Surcharging
Surcharging lets you pass card processing fees to the customer as a separate line item on their receipt. Whether you can surcharge, and by how much, depends on your jurisdiction. BayWise auto-detects your location’s jurisdiction, checks the legal rules, and constrains the settings to keep you compliant.
This guide covers enabling surcharging, setting credit and debit card rates, understanding jurisdiction rules, editing disclosure text, and handling jurisdiction overrides.
Who can do this: Account Owner, Org Admin, and Location Manager.
Surcharging regulations vary by country and, in some countries, by state or territory. BayWise provides jurisdiction detection and rate caps as a tool — it is not legal advice. Consult your legal or compliance team before enabling surcharging, especially if you operate across multiple jurisdictions.
How jurisdiction detection works
When you open Settings → Surcharging, BayWise reads the country and state from your location’s address. It then looks up the matching jurisdiction rules to determine:
- Whether surcharging is permitted in your jurisdiction
- The maximum credit card surcharge rate (if a cap exists)
- Whether debit card surcharging is banned
- The reason for any restrictions (e.g., regulatory reference)
The result appears in the Compliance panel at the top of the Surcharging settings tab.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Permitted (green) | Surcharging is allowed. Rate caps may apply. |
| Not Permitted (red) | Surcharging is prohibited by law. The enable toggle is disabled. |
If your jurisdiction shows as Not Permitted, you cannot enable surcharging through the UI. The toggle is locked. If you believe the jurisdiction detection is incorrect — for example, because your business address is in a free zone with different regulations — use the jurisdiction override (described below).
Enable surcharging
Open Settings → Surcharging
From the main navigation, go to Settings → Surcharging. The Compliance panel loads automatically with your jurisdiction status.
Check the Compliance panel
Verify that your jurisdiction shows as Permitted. If it shows Not Permitted, surcharging cannot be enabled unless you apply a jurisdiction override.
Toggle Surcharging on
Switch the Surcharging Enabled toggle to the on position. The rate input fields become active.
Set credit card surcharge rate
Enter the rate
In the Credit Card Rate field, enter the surcharge percentage you want to apply to credit card transactions. The field accepts decimal values displayed as a percentage (e.g., enter 2.5 for 2.5%).
Observe the jurisdiction cap
If your jurisdiction has a maximum rate cap, the field enforces it. You cannot enter a value above the cap. The cap is displayed next to the field label — for example, “Max: 4.0%” for Australian jurisdictions.
At Tanaka Auto Service in Osaka, the workshop might set a 3.0% credit card surcharge rate, staying under the jurisdiction’s maximum permitted cap.
Save
The rate saves automatically. A confirmation appears briefly.
Setting the rate to 0% while surcharging is enabled means the feature is technically on but no surcharge is added. This can be useful during a transition period where you want to test the disclosure text flow without actually charging customers extra.
Set debit card surcharge rate
Debit card surcharging is subject to separate rules. In many jurisdictions, debit card surcharging is banned outright even where credit card surcharging is permitted.
Check if debit surcharging is available
If your jurisdiction bans debit card surcharging, the Debit Card Rate field is disabled and shows the ban reason from the jurisdiction rules.
Enter the rate (if permitted)
If debit surcharging is allowed, enter the percentage in the Debit Card Rate field. The same jurisdiction cap logic applies.
Save
The rate saves automatically alongside any other changes.
Edit the disclosure text
When surcharging is enabled, BayWise generates a default disclosure message that appears on customer receipts and payment confirmations. The default reads:
A surcharge of up to
{rate}% applies to credit card payments to cover processing costs. This amount will be shown separately on your receipt.
The {rate} placeholder is replaced with the actual surcharge percentage at display time.
Locate the Disclosure Text field
Below the rate inputs, find the Disclosure Text text area. It contains the auto-generated default.
Edit the text
Modify the text to match your brand voice or to meet specific regulatory wording requirements in your jurisdiction. The {rate} placeholder is optional — if you remove it, the message will not include the specific percentage.
Santos Body Works in Sao Paulo might adjust the disclosure to include their Portuguese-language legal notice alongside the English default.
Save
Changes save automatically. The updated disclosure text is used on all future receipts and payment links for this location.
Some jurisdictions require specific wording in surcharge disclosures. Check your local regulations to ensure the text meets any mandatory phrasing or placement requirements.
Override the detected jurisdiction
In rare cases, the auto-detected jurisdiction may not reflect the correct regulatory environment for your business — for example, if your location is in a special economic zone, free trade zone, or if the registered address does not match the operational jurisdiction.
Locate the Jurisdiction Override field
At the bottom of the Surcharging settings tab, find the Jurisdiction Override input field.
Enter the override code
Enter the jurisdiction code that matches your actual regulatory environment. This is typically a country code (e.g., US) or a country-state combination (e.g., US-CA for California).
Verify the updated rules
After entering the override, the Compliance panel refreshes to show the rules for the new jurisdiction. If the override jurisdiction permits surcharging, the toggle becomes available. If it does not, the toggle locks.
Save
The override is stored in your surcharge configuration for this location. It persists until you clear the field, at which point auto-detection resumes.
A jurisdiction override changes which rate caps and restrictions apply to your location. Use it only when you are confident that the auto-detected jurisdiction is incorrect for your business. The override does not exempt you from the laws of your actual jurisdiction.
How surcharge data is stored
Each location has its own surcharge configuration. The key settings are:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Surcharging enabled | Whether surcharging is active |
| Credit card rate | The percentage applied to credit card payments (e.g., 2.5%) |
| Debit card rate | The percentage applied to debit card payments, if permitted in your jurisdiction |
| Disclosure text | The customer-facing surcharge notice |
| Jurisdiction override | Manual override code, if auto-detection does not apply |
When a payment is processed, the system checks your surcharge configuration at transaction time. The surcharge amount, if any, appears as a separate line on the receipt and in the transaction record.
Common questions
What happens if I enable surcharging and then my jurisdiction changes the rules? BayWise checks jurisdiction rules at settings load time. If the rules change and your current rates exceed the new cap, you will see a validation warning the next time you open the Surcharging tab. Existing transactions are not retroactively modified.
Can I surcharge bank transfers or cash payments? No. Surcharging applies to card payments only — credit and debit cards processed through your payment processor. Cash, bank transfers, cheques, and wallet payments are not subject to surcharges.
Is the surcharge shown to the customer before they pay? Yes. When surcharging is enabled, the surcharge amount is calculated and displayed on payment links and at the point of sale before the customer confirms payment. The disclosure text is shown alongside the surcharge amount.
Can I set different surcharge rates for different processors? No. The surcharge rate is per location, not per processor. The same credit card rate and debit card rate apply regardless of which processor handles the transaction.
What if I operate in multiple jurisdictions? Each location has its own surcharge configuration and its own jurisdiction detection. A workshop in Dubai and a workshop in Sydney will have different compliance panels, different rate caps, and independent enable/disable toggles.
Related pages
- Configure Payment Processors — set up the processors that will process surcharged payments
- Configure Tax Settings — tax and surcharge are separate line items on receipts
- Record a Card Payment — see how surcharges appear at payment time
- Configure Payment Preferences — set your base currency and default payment method