Credit Card Surcharges Explained: What Businesses Need to Know

Imagine this scenario: A customer is about to complete a ₹1,000 online purchase when they notice an additional ₹20 fee listed as a “credit card surcharge.” Confused and frustrated, they abandon their cart.

As a business owner, you may be considering implementing credit card extra charges to offset rising payment processing costs. However, it’s crucial to understand the implications of this decision. In this article, we’ll dive deep into what credit card additional charges are, how they work, and more.

At Razorpay, we understand the challenges businesses face when managing payment costs. Our goal is to help you optimise your transactions while staying compliant with regulations. By the end of this guide, you’ll have a clear understanding of credit card surcharge and how Razorpay can support you in handling these fees effectively.

What Are Credit Card Surcharges?

A credit card surcharge is an additional fee that a merchant charges customers who pay with a credit card. This fee is separate from the purchase price and is typically a percentage of the transaction amount, ranging from 1.5% to 3% in India.

Surcharges differ from convenience fees, which are flat charges for the privilege of using a certain payment method or channel (like online or over the phone). While convenience fees are applied across all payment types, surcharges specifically target credit card transactions.

Merchants apply surcharges to recover the costs they incur when accepting credit cards, including:

• Interchange fees paid to the card-issuing bank
• Assessment fees charged by card networks like Visa and Mastercard
• Payment processor fees for handling the transaction

Why Do Businesses Apply Credit Card Surcharges?

For many businesses, especially those with thin margins, absorbing credit card fees can significantly impact profitability. Industries like retail, travel, and utilities often operate on low margins, making it challenging to shoulder the additional 1.5% to 3% cost per transaction.

In competitive markets where raising prices across the board may not be feasible, surcharging provides a way for merchants to recover these costs without losing their edge. By passing on the fee to customers who choose to pay by credit card, businesses can maintain their pricing strategy while offsetting processing expenses.

Razorpay Advantage: Our Analytics Dashboard gives you deep insights into how surcharges impact customer behaviour and your bottom line. You can track metrics like cart abandonment rates, payment method preferences, and more to make data-driven decisions about your surcharging strategy.

Rules of Credit Card Surcharges (in India)

Before implementing a surcharge, it’s essential to understand the legal and regulatory landscape in India. Here are the key guidelines to keep in mind:

1. RBI Guidelines: The Reserve Bank of India requires merchants to clearly disclose any surcharges applied to credit card transactions. The surcharge amount must be displayed separately from the product price.
2. Card Network Rules: Visa and Mastercard have specific requirements for merchants who surcharge. For example, the surcharge percentage cannot exceed the merchant’s actual cost of accepting credit cards. Merchants must also provide clear disclosures to customers.
3. Separation of Fees: Merchants cannot bundle the surcharge into the base price of a product or service. The surcharge must be a separate line item on the customer’s receipt.

Stay compliant with Razorpay’s transparent billing and reporting features. Our platform ensures that your surcharges are properly disclosed and itemised, keeping you on the right side of RBI regulations.

Pros and Cons of Credit Card Surcharges

As with any business decision, applying credit card extra charges has its advantages and drawbacks. Let’s explore both sides of the coin:

Pros:

• Cost Recovery: Surcharges allow merchants to recoup the fees they pay for credit card processing, which can add up to significant amounts over time.
• Encouraging Alternative Payments: By applying a surcharge, businesses can incentivise customers to choose lower-cost payment methods like UPI or debit cards.
• Pricing Flexibility: Surcharging gives merchants more flexibility in their pricing strategy. They can maintain competitive prices while still recovering processing costs.

Cons:

• Cart Abandonment: Customers may be put off by unexpected fees at checkout, leading to higher cart abandonment rates.
• Customer Perception: Some customers may feel penalised for using their preferred payment method, which can negatively impact brand perception.
• Trust Issues: If surcharges are not communicated clearly and transparently, customers may lose trust in the merchant.

How Do Credit Card Surcharges Work?

Now that you understand the basics of surcharging, let’s break down how it works in practice:

1. Customer Chooses Credit Card: At checkout, the customer selects a credit card as their payment method.
2. Razorpay Gateway Processes Transaction: The payment is securely processed through Razorpay’s Payment Gateway.
3. Bank Deducts Interchange Fee: The card-issuing bank deducts an interchange fee from the transaction amount before settling funds to the merchant.
4. Merchant Passes Fee as Surcharge: The merchant may choose to pass this fee on to the customer as a surcharge.
5. Razorpay Ensures Transparency: Our platform makes it easy to itemise surcharges and provides clear settlement reports for reconciliation.

If you are left wondering, “Are credit card surcharges taxable?”, rest assured that the amount is usually part of the total sale value, and tax is applied accordingly. The Razorpay platform takes care of the complexities, so you can focus on running your business.

What Are Some Alternatives to Credit Card Surcharging?

While surcharging can help recover costs, it’s not the only option available to merchants. Here are some alternatives to consider:

1. Promote UPI Payments: Encourage customers to pay via UPI, which has zero Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) fees. Razorpay makes it easy to accept UPI payments alongside other methods.
2. Offer Wallets and Net Banking: Digital wallets and net banking often have lower processing fees compared to credit cards. By promoting these options, you can reduce your overall cost of acceptance.
3. Use Convenience Fees: Instead of singling out credit cards, consider applying a flat convenience fee for all online or phone payments. This can help offset costs without targeting a specific payment method.
4. Optimise with Smart Routing: Razorpay’s Smart Routing feature automatically directs transactions to the most cost-effective payment gateway. By optimising your payment stack, you can reduce processing fees without passing them on to customers.

Razorpay offers smarter alternatives to credit card surcharges. Accept UPI, cards, wallets, and more with Razorpay Payment Gateway. Our platform gives you the flexibility to design a payment experience that works for your business and your customers.

Best Practices for Businesses Handling Surcharges

If you do decide to implement a surcharge program, follow these best practices to ensure a smooth rollout:

1. Be Transparent at Checkout: Clearly disclose any surcharges early in the checkout process. Use prominent signage and website notices to inform customers about the fee.
2. Provide Payment Alternatives: Give customers the option to avoid the surcharge by paying with alternative methods like UPI, debit cards, or bank transfers.
3. Track Customer Preferences: Use Razorpay Analytics to monitor how surcharges impact customer behaviour. Track metrics like payment method mix, cart abandonment rates, and customer feedback to optimise your approach.
4. Explore Cost Optimisation: Before resorting to surcharges, look for ways to reduce your payment processing costs. Razorpay offers tools like Smart Routing and Payment Links to help you optimise your payment stack.

In conclusion, credit card surcharges can be a complex topic for businesses to navigate. While surcharging can help recover processing costs, it’s important to weigh the potential impact on customer experience and trust. By understanding the rules and best practices around credit card additional charges, you can make informed decisions that balance your bottom line with customer satisfaction.

At Razorpay, we’re here to help you streamline your payment processes while staying compliant with regulations. Our platform offers a range of tools to optimise costs, improve transparency, and enhance the customer experience. Whether you choose to implement credit card extra charges or explore alternative cost-saving strategies, Razorpay has you covered.

FAQs

1. What is the difference between a convenience fee and a surcharge?

A convenience fee is a flat charge for using a certain payment method or channel, like online or phone payments. A surcharge is a percentage fee added to credit card transactions to recover processing costs.

2. Are surcharges allowed on debit cards too?

No, surcharges can only be applied to credit card transactions. Debit cards and prepaid cards are exempt from surcharging.

3. How can I disclose surcharges without affecting conversions?

Be upfront about surcharges early in the customer journey. Use clear signage, website notices, and checkout messages to inform customers about the fee. Provide alternative payment options to give customers a choice.

4. Can Razorpay help me reduce processing costs?

Yes, Razorpay offers several tools to optimise your payment costs. Our Smart Routing feature directs transactions to the most cost-effective gateway, while our Analytics dashboard helps you track and reduce fees.

5. Do all banks and card networks allow surcharges?

Most major card networks like Visa and Mastercard allow surcharges within certain limits. However, some banks may have additional restrictions. It’s important to check with your payment processor and review your merchant agreement before implementing a surcharge.