1. Does your signage match requirements?
Your signage should clearly explain how pricing works at entry and checkout.
Are you currently compliant?
Be compliant with 3 Simple Steps:
Signage, Receipts, Menu/Pricing
2. Are your receipts compliant?
Receipts should reflect the program correctly and list any applicable fees clearly.
3. Do your menus reflect your prices?
Posted prices should align with program rules and match what appears at checkout.
Proprietary process
See exactly how we review compliance
Follow our step-by-step process for signage, receipts, and pricing checks built around source-based card-brand requirements.
Primary-source summary
What the published rules say
Cash discount
The regular price cannot be increased later.
Federal law defines a discount as a reduction from the regular price and excludes methods that increase that regular price.
15 U.S.C. § 1693o-2Price display
Show the card price, or both prices.
Visa says cash-discount pricing should show the card price alone or card and cash prices side-by-side.
Visa U.S. Merchant Q&ASurcharge controls
Notice, card type, rate, and disclosure matter.
Visa requires 30-day acquirer notice, credit-card-only treatment, applicable rate limits, and disclosure at entry, checkout, and on the receipt.
Visa U.S. Merchant Q&AEnforcement
Visa describes active enforcement.
Visa cites consumer complaints, yearly mystery shopping, and an immediate US $1,000 fine to the acquirer of a merchant identified as surcharging improperly.
Visa U.S. Merchant Q&AProgram comparison
Cash discount and surcharge are not interchangeable
You can run either model, but each one has different pricing, disclosure, and transaction requirements.
| Program | Pricing display | Card-brand focus | Operational risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash discount | Regular displayed price is the card price, or card and cash are shown side-by-side. Cash payer receives a reduction. | Must not be structured as adding a card fee to a lower posted regular price. | Risk rises when implementation is mislabeled or posted prices are inverted. |
| Surcharge | Fee is added to credit card transactions and disclosed at entry, POS, and on receipt. | Credit-only, capped by cost-of-acceptance logic and network framework, with advance notice obligations. | High if notice, debit controls, signage, or receipt logic are incomplete. |
| Dual display pricing | Card and cash prices are both displayed to the buyer before payment. | Still requires accurate POS behavior and clear customer-facing presentation. | Medium when labels and system math remain synchronized over time. |
Federal definition to keep in view
Federal law defines a lawful discount as a reduction from the regular posted price, not as an added amount after the regular price is displayed.
15 U.S.C. 1693o-2Deep dive
What a clean implementation looks like in real operations
Cash discount program structure
A cash discount is framed as a reduction from a regular posted price. That means staff, menus, and receipts should reflect one coherent logic: either card price only, or card and cash side-by-side pricing.
- Regular posted price should align with card price presentation.
- Discount language should be consistent from entry signage to receipt output.
- Operational training should match what customers see at checkout.
Surcharge program structure
Surcharge treatment follows stricter card-network controls. The program should include advance notice, correct card-type logic, and clear, repeated customer disclosure at entry, checkout, and receipt.
- Apply only to eligible credit transactions.
- Set fee logic at or under cost-of-acceptance and card-network caps.
- Keep documented notice and configuration records for audit review.
Implementation rhythm
A practical review cadence for merchants
Pre-launch
- Validate signage and menu language before go-live.
- Confirm POS logic for debit/prepaid treatment.
- Capture screenshots and sample receipts.
First 30 days
- Run live transaction checks across lanes and device types.
- Reconfirm configured fee against current acceptance cost data.
- Collect manager signoff per location.
Ongoing monthly
- Audit at least one receipt sample per lane.
- Spot-check signage placement and wording.
- Re-review when processor pricing or hardware changes.
Frequently asked
Quick answers teams ask before rollout
Can we surcharge debit if a customer presses the credit button?
Program logic should still identify actual card type and exclude debit/prepaid from surcharge treatment.
Visa sourceCan surcharge fees be used as extra margin?
Surcharge programs are framed around cost-of-acceptance limits and should not be treated as a profit center.
Mastercard sourceCan we call it cash discount if card totals are created by adding a fee?
That pricing behavior aligns with surcharge mechanics, not discount-from-regular-price framing.
Federal discount definitionTestimonials
What merchant teams typically report
“Our team finally understood the difference between true cash discount and surcharge behavior.”
“The checklist format helped us catch receipt and signage mismatches quickly.”
“Having source links in one place made owner review much easier.”
Reference desk
Need deeper context?
Review the full source library and page-by-page compliance references when you need deeper implementation detail.
Open source libraryCore topics