The short answer
There are two ways to price card sales differently:
- A discount takes money off the normal price when a customer pays another way, such as cash.
- A surcharge adds money on top of the normal price when a customer pays by credit card.
Visa’s rules for the US allow both, with conditions. This page sets out those conditions, from Visa’s rules dated 18 April 2026.
What this page does not cover. State laws on surcharges, discounts or price displays are not covered yet. Neither are the rules of Mastercard, American Express or Discover. Visa’s own rules say a surcharge is allowed “subject to applicable laws or regulations”, and its discount rule applies “except where prohibited by applicable laws or regulations”.
Discounts for paying another way
Visa’s US rule is called “Discount Offer – US Region and US Territories”. It says a merchant “may request or encourage a Cardholder to use a means of payment other than a Visa Card or a Visa Card of a different product type”. Visa lists ways to do this, including:
- “an immediate discount from the Merchant’s list, stated, or standard price, a rebate, a free or discounted product or service, or any other incentive or benefit”,
- “Expressing a preference for the use of a particular general purpose payment card or means of payment”,
- promoting another way to pay “through posted information, through the size, prominence, or sequencing of payment choices”, and
- “Communicating to consumers the reasonably estimated or actual costs incurred by the Merchant”.
A separate rule says an acquirer (the company that processes the merchant’s card sales) “must not adopt, maintain or enforce any rule” that stops its merchants from doing this.
Visa also has a rule that a merchant “must process Transactions with all Cardholders in exactly the same manner”. It says this “does not apply to discounts, promotional offers, or in-kind incentives offered by the Merchant to a subset of Visa Cards.”
Why the “normal price” matters
Visa’s general surcharge rule says a merchant “must not add any amount over the advertised or normal price to a Transaction”, unless laws expressly require that surcharges be allowed. In the US, Visa says this “does not apply to Credit Card Transactions”, which have their own surcharge rules, below.
So under Visa’s wording, money taken off the list, stated or standard price is a discount. Money added over the advertised or normal price is a surcharge, and the surcharge rules apply. Visa’s rules do not use the term “dual pricing”.
Credit card surcharges
1. Credit cards only, subject to the law. “A Merchant may assess a fixed or variable Credit Card Surcharge on a Visa Credit Card Transaction, subject to applicable laws or regulations.”
2. Brand level or product level, not both. The surcharge can apply to all Visa credit cards, or to all cards of one Visa credit product type. It must be the same for every card in that group, “regardless of the Card’s Issuer”.
3. The maximum. “In the US Region or a US Territory: The Credit Card Surcharge maximum amount is 3.00%.” It also cannot be more than the merchant’s Visa Credit Card Surcharge Cap: the average merchant discount rate the merchant pays for Visa credit cards, worked out over the past 12 months or from its most recent statement. At product level, the cap is reduced by the merchant’s debit card cost of acceptance.
4. Notice to the acquirer. The merchant must notify its acquirer “in writing at least 30 calendar days before publicly announcing its intention to impose a Credit Card Surcharge, or 30 calendar days before first assessing a Credit Card Surcharge, whichever is earlier.”
5. Other card brands. Visa’s rules say a merchant must not surcharge Visa credit cards in a payment channel where another credit card brand stops or limits surcharging, unless one of several exceptions applies. One exception is where the other brand costs the merchant less to accept.
6. In the sale amount. The surcharge “must be included in the Transaction amount and be identified within the Transaction data.”
7. Refunds. Visa’s rules say the merchant “must refund any surcharge” on a refunded sale, and pro-rate it on a partial refund.
Telling customers about a surcharge
Visa’s rules say the merchant must “clearly and prominently disclose” the surcharge at the point of entry (such as the main entrance or the first page of a website) and at the point of sale. At the point of sale, the notice must include:
- “The exact amount or percentage of the Credit Card Surcharge”,
- a statement that it is assessed by the merchant and “is only applicable to credit Transactions”, and
- in the US, a statement that the surcharge “is not greater than the applicable Merchant Discount Rate for Visa Credit Card Transactions”.
Visa gives minimum sizes. For an in-store sale: 32-point Arial at the main entrance and 16-point at every checkout, “but in any case no smaller or less prominent than surrounding text”. For online sales: 10-point on the first page that lists card brands and on the checkout page.
For online, mail and phone orders and unattended terminals, Visa says the customer “must be provided the opportunity to cancel” after the surcharge is shown.
Debit cards. Where a terminal offers “credit” and “debit” buttons, Visa says the merchant must make sure debit cards “are not assessed a Credit Card Surcharge”, and that “it is made clear to the Cardholder that surcharges are not permitted on debit Transactions regardless of whether a Cardholder selects the ‘credit’ or ‘debit’ button.”
Visa’s US fees page repeats: “Merchants must notify their acquirer 30 days before they begin surcharging.” It links to sample signs.
Convenience fees and service fees
Visa treats these as different from surcharges.
| Surcharge | Convenience fee | Service fee | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is, per Visa | Added to a credit card sale for accepting the card | For “a bona fide convenience”, such as an alternative payment channel, “not charged solely for the acceptance of the Card” | A fee for paying by card “in a permitted Merchant category” |
| Where it applies | Credit cards only | Card-absent sales only, and not if the merchant only sells card-absent | Only in Visa’s listed categories |
| Amount | Up to 3.00% and the merchant’s own rate | “A flat or fixed amount, regardless of the value of the payment due” | “A reasonable reflection of the costs” of the sale |
| Stacking | — | “Not charged in addition to a surcharge” | “Not charged in addition to a surcharge or Convenience Fee” |
Visa says a convenience fee must also apply “to all forms of payment accepted in the payment channel”, must be disclosed before the sale with a chance to cancel, and is “Not charged on a Recurring Transaction or an Installment Transaction”.
For service fees in the US, Visa lists categories such as utilities, schools and colleges, court costs, fines and government services.
A minimum purchase for credit cards
Visa’s US rules let a merchant set a minimum sale amount for credit cards issued in the US, and not for debit cards. The minimum “must not be greater than USD 10”.
Where to go from here
The surcharge cap depends on what Visa credit cards cost you now, which is on your statement. See Reading a US Merchant Statement and Visa Interchange Rates in the US, Explained. Canada has different rules: Surcharging Credit Cards in Canada and Dual Pricing and Cash Discounts in Canada. Want a partner to review your statement? We will put you in touch. Start the free statement review.