Payment fees
Credit card surcharge calculator.
Enter your price, your processing cost and the surcharge you plan to apply. See what the customer pays, what you keep, and whether you are over a cap you enter.
On a $100.00 price with a 2.9% + $0.30 processing cost, covering the fee exactly takes a surcharge of 3.30% ($3.30). A 2.4% surcharge brings in $2.40, the customer pays $102.40, and you keep $99.13, which is $0.87 below the pre-surcharge price.
Your numbers
Result
Worked example
Price $100.00, processing 2.9% + $0.30, surcharge 2.4%. The surcharge is $100.00 x 2.4% = $2.40, so the customer pays $102.40. Your fee is $102.40 x 2.9% + $0.30 = $3.27, leaving $99.13. To cover the fee exactly you would need S = (0.029 x $100.00 + $0.30) / (1 - 0.029) = $3.30, or 3.30% of the price, which is above a 2.4% cap: at the cap you absorb $0.87 of the fee.
How it works
Surcharge to cover the fee = (processing % x price + fixed fee) / (1 - processing %). The surcharge is itself charged on the card, so it carries its own processing fee, which is why the divisor is 1 - rate. The page then checks your surcharge against the cap you enter and against your actual cost on the sale.
Surcharging is regulated differently by country, province or state, and card networks and processors add their own rules. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada page, opened 2026-10-08, says Canadian merchants may add a surcharge to credit card transactions except in Quebec, lists network requirements such as a maximum surcharge cap of 2.4%, not applying a surcharge higher than your actual cost to accept the card, advance written notice to your acquirer and point-of-sale disclosure, and says to check debit rules with your processor. It does not cover every jurisdiction or network. Treat the cap field as something you must confirm, and get advice before you start surcharging. This tool is not legal advice. See also the gross-up calculator.
Estimates only, from numbers you enter. Not legal, tax or financial advice. Rates and rules change: verify them with your provider.
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Sources
- Merchant surcharges, service and convenience fees, and discounts - Canada.ca (Financial Consumer Agency of Canada) (opened 2026-10-08): surcharges allowed on credit cards except in Quebec; network requirements including a maximum cap of 2.4% and not exceeding actual cost to accept the card; disclosure; debit rules depend on the network.
FAQ
Is a credit card surcharge legal?
It depends on where you are and which card networks you accept. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada page opened 2026-10-08 says merchants may surcharge credit cards except in Quebec, subject to network requirements. Other places differ. Confirm your local rules; this is not legal advice.
What cap should I enter?
The one that applies to you. The FCAC page lists a maximum surcharge cap of 2.4% among network requirements; other jurisdictions and networks set their own limits. Type your own figure and confirm it with your processor.
Why is the surcharge that covers my fee larger than my processing rate?
Because the surcharge is added to the amount charged and is also processed. At 2.9% + $0.30 on a $100.00 price it takes 3.30% of the price to cover the fee exactly.
Can I surcharge debit cards?
The FCAC page says to contact your payment processor about debit surcharging, because some networks do not allow it. Do not assume it is allowed.
Does the surcharge have to be shown to the customer?
The FCAC page lists displaying surcharge information at the point of sale, in store and online, and on every receipt, among network requirements. Confirm your own obligations.