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Texas Surcharge Calculator

See the surcharge on any sale and whether it's compliant in Texas, plus the cleaner alternative most merchants prefer.

Surcharge on this sale
$3.00
added to the card price
Card total$103.00
Visa / Mastercard cap3% / 4%
Legal in Texas?Yes, within caps
Prefer compliant dual pricing? Get a Texas quote →
Texas allows credit-card surcharging within Visa (3%) and Mastercard (4%) caps, with proper signage, a receipt line item and no profiting. Debit cards may not be surcharged.
The rules

Surcharging credit cards in Texas: what's allowed

Texas businesses may add a surcharge to credit card payments to offset processing costs, within the card-brand caps (Visa 3%, Mastercard 4%). Debit cards can never be surcharged, and you can never charge more than your actual cost of acceptance. Get any of it wrong and you risk fines from the card networks.

Step by step

How to use this calculator

1

Enter the sale amount

The base price of the transaction before any surcharge.

2

Set your surcharge rate

Up to 3% for Visa and 4% for Mastercard in Texas.

3

See the surcharge and total

The calculator shows the fee added and the final card price.

The rules

Texas credit card surcharge rules explained

Texas businesses may pass the cost of credit card acceptance to the customer through a surcharge, as long as it follows the card-brand rules. The surcharge is capped, must be disclosed up front, and can never be applied to debit cards. Get any of it wrong and you risk fines from Visa and Mastercard.

What the rules require

  • Surcharge only credit cards, never debit or prepaid debit.
  • Stay within the caps: 3% for Visa, 4% for Mastercard.
  • Never charge more than your actual cost of acceptance.
  • Post clear signage at the entrance and the point of sale, and show the surcharge as a separate line on the receipt.

A compliant setup keeps you on the right side of these rules. ProTech handles the configuration, signage and receipts as part of your in-store payments setup.

The math

How to calculate a credit card surcharge

The surcharge is the sale amount multiplied by your surcharge rate, capped at your cost of acceptance and the card-brand limit. The calculator above does this for you, but here is the math.

The formula

  • Surcharge = sale amount × surcharge rate
  • Card total = sale amount + surcharge
  • Rate cap = 3% Visa, 4% Mastercard

A worked example

On a $100 sale at a 3% surcharge, the surcharge is $3.00 and the customer pays $103.00 by credit card. A debit card customer pays $100.00, because debit can never be surcharged.

Compare

Surcharging vs dual pricing in Texas

Both models move the card cost to the customer, but they feel very different at checkout, and that difference changes how customers react.

  • Surcharging adds a visible fee to credit cards only, within the Visa 3% and Mastercard 4% caps. Some customers read a fee as a penalty.
  • Dual pricing shows a cash price and a card price side by side, with no fee line. Customers see a price and choose, which feels fair and familiar.

Many Texas merchants choose dual pricing because it avoids the word fee and is simpler to keep compliant. See the full program on our dual pricing page, or compare your savings.

Why ProTech

How ProTech Payments helps

Compliant programs

We set up surcharging or dual pricing to the rules, with proper signage and receipts so you stay compliant.

Lower your costs

Recover most of your processing fees without adding a fee your customers resent.

Local expertise

A Katy, TX team that knows the surcharge rules and your market.

Get a free quote →
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Everything US merchants ask before switching their online payments to ProTech.

Still have questions?

Talk to a real ProTech specialist, no call centers, no scripts.

Talk to a specialist →
or call (888) 255-0425
Is it legal to surcharge credit cards in Texas?
Yes. Texas businesses may surcharge credit cards within the Visa (3%) and Mastercard (4%) caps, provided they post proper signage, show the surcharge as a separate line on the receipt, and never charge more than their actual cost of acceptance.
Can I surcharge debit cards in Texas?
No. Surcharging debit cards and prepaid debit cards is prohibited under federal rules. Only credit cards may ever be surcharged.
What is the maximum surcharge in Texas?
The lesser of your actual cost of acceptance or the card-brand cap, which is 3% for Visa and 4% for Mastercard. You can never profit from the surcharge.
What signage and receipts do I need?
You must post a clear notice at the entrance and at the point of sale stating that a surcharge applies to credit cards, and the surcharge must appear as a separate line item on every receipt.
What happens if I surcharge incorrectly?
Non-compliant surcharging can trigger fines from Visa and Mastercard and chargebacks from customers. A compliant setup, like the one ProTech provides, removes that risk.
Is dual pricing better than surcharging?
Many merchants think so. Dual pricing shows a cash and card price instead of adding a fee, which customers accept more easily and is simpler to keep compliant. Compare the two with the dual pricing calculator.
Do I need special equipment to surcharge?
You need a terminal or POS that can apply and itemize the surcharge automatically. ProTech provides compliant equipment and configuration as part of the setup.