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Card Payment Surcharges

Touch POS - What To Consider

This provides a starting point for Card Payment Surcharges in Touch POS, as well as an overview of what is needed when considering its implementation.

 

Subjects      ▲ ▼

 

About      ▲ ▼

 

What Is It?      ▲ ▼

It is an additional fee added to a transaction when a patron pays using a credit card, debit card, or other electronic payment method.

The surcharge is intended to help Venues recover some or all of the costs charged by the payment provider for processing card transactions.

Example
  • Purchase amount: $100.00
  • Card surcharge: 1.5%
  • Surcharge amount: $1.50
  • Total charged to patron: $101.50
Common types of surcharges
  • Credit card surcharge: Applied only to credit card payments.
  • Debit card surcharge: Less common and subject to local regulations.
  • Percentage-based surcharge: A percentage of the transaction value.
  • Fixed surcharge: A flat fee per transaction.

 

What Is Required?      ▲ ▼

  • Confirmation of whether the payment provider already applies a surcharge.
  • Ensure a surcharge PLU/Product exists and is active in every applicable Location with the required tax and reporting configuration. Refer HERE for more information.
  • Confirm whether EFT Card Media Links or Pay at Table are being used.
  • Confirm the permitted rate and patron disclosure requirements with the payment provider or an appropriate professional adviser.

 

What To Consider?      ▲ ▼

 

IMPORTANT

 

Use one card payment surcharge for each card transaction. A Merchant Fees value on the EFTPOS Finalise (#2-30) POS Key and a surcharge applied by the payment provider or PC-EFTPOS card rules can both apply. This may charge the patron twice. 

 

  • Merchant Fees options

    Option

    Behaviour

    % of Total

    Applies the entered percentage to the amount being tendered.

    $ Value

    Adds the entered fixed value to the tender.

    Conditional Charge

    Uses the first saved fee band whose inclusive Min and Max values contain the amount being tendered. Each band can apply a Percentage or Value.

    Display merchant fees before Finalising

    Displays a Yes or No confirmation showing the subtotal, fee and total when a fee will be added. Selecting No abandons that tender attempt.

 

When Is It Used?      ▲ ▼

Venues may pay fees for:

  • Card processing
  • Merchant service fees
  • Payment gateway fees
  • Bank transaction fees

A surcharge helps offset these costs rather than having the Venue absorb them.

In Australia

Venues can generally apply a card surcharge, but it must not exceed the actual cost of accepting that payment method. Different card types may have different surcharge rates because their processing costs differ.

In Swiftpos

A card surcharge is typically configured so that when a patron selects a specific payment type (for example, Visa, Mastercard, or Amex), the Touch POS automatically calculates and adds the surcharge to the sale before finalising the transaction.

Example in a POS environment:

  • Sale total: $50.00
  • EFTPOS surcharge: 1%
  • Surcharge added: $0.50
  • Patron pays: $50.50

This allows the surcharge amount to be tracked separately in reporting and accounting.

 

How To GET STARTED?      ▲ ▼

 

Choose Where The Surcharge Will Be Applied?      ▲ ▼

 

Applied With

Use with

How To Configure?

Result

Payment provider or pinpad

Oolio Pay, Verifone Cloud, Linkly and Tyro

Refer HERE

Configure the rate on the provider side. Configure Touch POS to record the returned surcharge amount.

EFT Surcharges By Card

EFT14 - PC-EFTPOS and EFT27 - PC-EFTPOS (TCP/Cloud)

Refer HERE

Configure card groups or BINs, percentage or fixed value, card-read type and prompt method in the Touch POS EFTPOS peripheral.

Merchant Fees on Finalise POS Key

Finalise (#2-30) POS Keys where Merchant Fees is available

Refer HERE

Touch POS calculates the fee before EFT authorisation. The PLU assigned to the media is used to record the fee. Ensure another card surcharge rate is not also configured unless both charges are deliberately required.

 

How To Configure A Payment Provider Or Pinpad?
  • Configure the surcharge rate through the payment provider, terminal or provider portal.
  • In Touch, open Touch Settings > Peripheral List and edit the EFTPOS peripheral.
  • Set Card Surcharge PLU to the dedicated surcharge product.
  • Set Surcharge Media to the media that will record the additional payment amount.
  • Review Back Office > Administration > Price Level and Media Set-up > EFT Card Media Links. A matching card prefix or card type can override the peripheral surcharge PLU and media.
  • If Pay at Table is enabled, review its separate Surcharge PLU and Surcharge Media settings.
  • Save the settings and complete the test checklist below.

 

IMPORTANT

 

Card Surcharge PLU and Surcharge Media do not set the surcharge rate. They determine how Touch POS records a surcharge amount returned by the EFTPOS integration.

 

How To Test The Configuration?      ▲ ▼

  • Use a small test sale with an amount that makes percentage and fixed-value errors easy to identify.
  • Test credit, debit and contactless payment where supported.
  • Confirm the customer or clerk prompt appears in the intended place.
  • Confirm the amount displayed and charged by the pinpad.
  • Confirm one surcharge product line is added to the Touch sale.
  • Confirm the product and media values balance and the sale finalises without an outstanding amount.
  • Confirm the Touch receipt and EFTPOS receipt agree.
  • Confirm that no unintended second surcharge has been applied.

 

Troubleshooting      ▲ ▼

 

Issue

Action To Be Taken

No Merchant Fees line or prompt

Confirm the PLU assigned to the media and that a non-zero Merchant Fees value is configured.

Customer charged but no Touch surcharge line

The provider rate may be active but Card Surcharge PLU, Surcharge Media or the applicable EFT Card Media Link may not be correctly configured.

Sale does not balance

Review Card Surcharge PLU, Surcharge Media and any applicable EFT Card Media Link. Confirm the surcharge product is active at the location.

Unexpected product or media

A matching EFT Card Media Link may be overriding the peripheral settings.

Two surcharge amounts

Review Merchant Fees, provider settings and PC-EFTPOS card surcharge rules for multiple active surcharge methods.
 

End of article      ▲