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  3. Merchant Services Surcharge Program

What are my responsibilities if I want to implement a surcharge?

As a merchant, you’re required to clearly and prominently display the surcharge rate at the point-of-sale (POS) and point of entry, notifying all customers that this fee will be applied if they pay by credit card. You are responsible for creating your own signage that complies with surcharging requirements by the card brand rules and any relevant state laws. Some states may have additional requirements.

Here is some suggested language for signage based on card brand rules: "We add a surcharge of up to 3% on the transaction amount when paying with a credit card, which is not greater than our cost of acceptance. We do not surcharge debit cards."

Are there other requirements? 

Yes. The card brands and your state may have other requirements. By enrolling in the Hancock Whitney Merchant Surcharge Program, some of these requirements will be fulfilled on your behalf, including, but not limited to, notifying the card brands and registering your participation in the Merchant Surcharge Program with them, itemizing the surcharge on customer receipts, preventing surcharges on applicable debit and prepaid card transactions, and refunding surcharges on returns.