Programs
Three ways to get the fee off your books.
All three move the card cost off your margin. They differ in what the customer sees and what the receipt says.
Cash discount
One posted price that already covers the card. Cash customers get the difference back. No fee is added at checkout and none appears on the receipt.
Dual pricing
Two prices printed, cash and card, so nobody is surprised at the register. Menus and price boards use this. The receipt states which price was charged.
Card surcharge
The posted price stays and a fee is added only on cards. Illinois caps it at your cost of acceptance, debit is excluded, and the networks cap it at 3 percent.
A surcharge pays about half of what a discount pays, which is why most Illinois businesses use a discount or dual pricing.
What owners ask.
Is this legal in Illinois?
All three are. Illinois does not cap a cash discount or dual pricing. A surcharge is capped at your cost of acceptance, cannot touch debit, and has to be posted at the door.
Will customers be angry?
What upsets people is a fee added after they agreed to a price. A posted sign or two printed prices avoids that.
What happens to my old terminal?
Usually nothing useful, and it may still be under a lease. We read the lease before you sign anything new.