For Merchants
For DevelopersTired of Visa &
Mastercard taking
a chunk of your profits?
Save Money
Customize a service fee to offset the costs of your card payment transactions.
Stay Compliant
Our industry experts navigate the legal intricacies of setting up your program for you.
Easy Upgrades
We’ll help you with any necessary equipment upgrades to ensure compliance with state regulations.
when they pay cash
Reward yourself
when they pay credit
How Does it Work?
Once you are set up to offer a cash discount, your payment processing equipment is upgraded to automatically add a small service fee on transactions that are made with credit cards.
Special signage must be displayed, either in the store window or at the checkout counter, so that customers can clearly see the additional price they must pay if they use their card. Accordingly, this fee is waived if the customer chooses to pay with cash or check.
Why do I need Fidelity to get started?
Cash discount programs are often difficult to implement because the lines between cash discounting and credit card surcharging are very blurry—and, while cash discounting is legal nationwide, credit card surcharging has been ruled unlawful in many states to protect consumers from unfair practices. Even in states where card surcharging is permitted, payment networks such as Visa and MasterCard have specific rules for surcharges.
Our team of industry experts will guide you through the setup process so that you are compliant with all state and card company regulations, without any hassle. Since laws and regulations are always changing, Fidelity will maintain constant vigilance to help you stay compliant.
How do I know
if a Cash Discount
is right for me?
While implementing a cash discount program can be very effective in helping you offset credit card processing fees, they’re not the best solution for every business. A cash discount program may be right for your business if:
You want to incentivize customers to pay by cash or check
Cash discounts are offered at other businesses in your area (and customers would expect it of you, too)
You don’t rely heavily on repeat customers for whom the fee would pose a larger financial burden over time
Your product is a mandatory (as opposed to discretionary) purchase (e.g. rent, taxes, utility bill), in which customers may appreciate having more options to pay, regardless of the added fees.
