Credit card surcharging: Your merchant obligations

Important rules you need to abide by if you choose to add a surcharge to your transactions

GET SURCHARGING: Enable surcharging on your EFTPOS terminal. Call 0800 338 767 to talk to Customer Services or contact us here.

The Commerce Commission oversees guidelines that govern surcharging in New Zealand, established under the Retail Payment System Act 2022. These guidelines are summarised below. For more detailed information about your merchant obligations if you choose to apply a surcharge, visit the Commerce Commission website here.

1. Charge a fair surcharge amount

Choose a surcharge rate that aligns with your cost of acceptance, typically this will be the merchant service fee associated with that payment method.
General business costs and operational expenses, like POS costs, staff wages, and electricity bills, are not directly related to specific payment types. Therefore, they should not be included in the surcharge amount.

How we can help: Our Surcharge solution allows you to apply different surcharge rates to match your cost of acceptance. Add optional minimum and maximum surcharge amounts and adjust the purchase amounts that trigger a surcharge.

NOTE: Contactless transactions are surcharged at the same rate you have set for the equivalent credit card rate. I.e. Visa contactless transactions are charged at the same rate as Visa card transactions.

**2. Display surcharge information before purchase**

You must have in-store signage and labels on or close to your EFTPOS terminal notifying your customers about your surcharge. Ensure your signage is visible and easy to read.
Customers should be fully informed of the surcharge fee amount, rate or method of calculation at the time of the purchase.
Provide your customers with at least one payment method that does not incur a surcharge.

How we can help: In addition to your instore signage, your terminal will display ‘Surcharge may apply’ on your present card screen. We provide a surcharge sign template and stickers. Learn more about signage here.

3. Collect the surcharge with the transaction

Process the surcharge as part of the total purchase amount. It should not be charged or collected separately.
Ensure the surcharge amount is clearly displayed on the customer's receipt.

How we can help: As part of our Surcharge solution, we have taken care of the receipt requirements for you. The transaction amount and surcharge amount are listed separately on the receipt.