Odds are that if you own a franchise, your location is already set up with a functioning point of sale. Still, maybe you find yourself somewhere in between. For the small-to-medium-sized business owner that is in the position of considering the leap into becoming a franchisor, one of the many considerations should be what kind of POS solution to implement in order to provide you with the right balance of ability to monitor a location on one hand, and ability to grant freedoms to the franchisee to make adjustments as needed—the best mobile POS system will do both. It’s a tough balance, but there are many tools out there to come to your aid.
As for Moolah, we strike our own balance between working with as many POS systems out there and favoring providers that mesh well with us. Moolah integrates with one such provider that is pretty popular (and for good reason): Lightspeed. It is perfectly disposed to a small business that wants a convenient, easy-to-use POS; still, it has the power and flexibility to take care of a retailer on into franchising—and is even used by big-box retailers. Here’s what it can do.
Your ability to get inventory right represents a constant hurdle to effective business, and a constant opportunity for those with the tools to do it right. With Lightspeed, you have an easy way to get efficient fast. The essentials of inventory management—adding descriptions, category management, and reorder points, where items are automatically sent for order fulfillment—are all present and easy to be implemented. This goes the same for multiple locations. From there, the benefits continue, with the ability to transfer inventory between locations and provides full visibility of all inventory from stores and warehouses.
An individual looking to start a franchise will be looking for the ability to customize. Lightspeed allows for this in a variety of ways. Pricing can either be standardized across locations, or be changed based on individual location. This comes in handy if a location is in a dramatically different location, and pricing needs to be changed to reflect that. Additionally, the user experience also has broad abilities to be customized, based on the individual needs of the location, its management, and its employees.
It can be hard to definitively declare that any one provider offers the best mobile POS system. Still, Lightspeed does a very nice job offering anything or everything a business may need to get set up for franchising. When a system as robust and customizable as Lightspeed is offered, it adds incentive and value proposition to the franchisee who is essentially investing their time and money in your enterprise. Lightspeed—and Moolah—is proud to be there for you.
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A credit card surcharge is an additional fee added to a transaction when a patient chooses to pay with a credit card. The surcharge is intended to help offset the cost of credit card processing and applies only to eligible credit card transactions.
No. Debit card transactions may not be surcharged under any circumstances, even if the debit card is processed as a credit transaction or entered manually.
Yes. Credit card surcharges may not exceed the merchant’s actual cost of accepting credit cards and are capped at a maximum of 3% of the total transaction amount, in accordance with card-network rules and applicable law.
Yes. Card networks require clear and transparent disclosure of any credit card surcharge. Practices must notify patients through appropriate signage at the practice entrance, point of sale, and anywhere payments are accepted. If payments are accepted online, the surcharge must also be clearly disclosed on the practice’s website.
Yes. Some U.S. states and territories prohibit or restrict credit card surcharging. Practices are responsible for understanding and complying with their state’s specific requirements before implementing a surcharge.
No. While Moolah provides tools and general guidance to support credit card surcharging, compliance with all applicable laws and card-network rules is the responsibility of the merchant. Moolah does not provide legal advice and assumes no liability for a merchant’s compliance.
Most major credit card networks permit surcharging when done in accordance with their rules, but additional requirements or restrictions may apply. Practices should ensure they have completed all required network notifications and disclosures prior to enabling surcharging.
Failure to comply with surcharging rules may result in card-network fines, required refunds, or other enforcement actions. Practices should ensure they fully understand all applicable requirements before applying a surcharge.
Flex does not currently offer built-in support for credit card surcharging. If a practice chooses to enroll in a surcharge plan, payments would need to be processed through Moolah’s payment platform, which is designed to support surcharging and integrates directly with Open Dental.
If you are considering introducing a credit card surcharge for your patients, it is important to understand that there are specific rules and regulations that must be followed when enrolling in and operating under a surcharge plan.
This article provides a general overview of common surcharging requirements. This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is the responsibility of each merchant to review, understand, and comply with all applicable laws, card-network rules, and regulatory requirements, including notification timeframes, signage requirements, surcharge percentage limits, and jurisdictions where surcharging is prohibited.
If you are unsure about the laws or regulations applicable to your practice, you should consult with qualified legal counsel. Moolah assumes no liability for a merchant’s compliance or non-compliance with credit card surcharging rules or regulations.
Transparent Communication
Card networks, including Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express, require merchants to clearly and transparently disclose when a credit card surcharge is applied.
Practices must clearly notify patients of a credit card surcharge through appropriate signage placed at the practice entrance, at the point of sale or terminal, and anywhere payments are accepted. If payments are accepted online, surcharge disclosures must also be clearly visible on the practice’s website. All disclosures must inform patients that the surcharge applies only to credit card transactions.
Surcharge Limits
Credit card surcharges must comply with both card-network rules and applicable law. The surcharge amount may not exceed the merchant’s actual cost of accepting credit cards and may not exceed 3% of the total transaction amount.
Card-network rules cap credit card surcharges at 3%, meaning that if a merchant’s processing costs exceed this amount, the excess portion cannot be passed on to the patient.
Network and State Restrictions
The major credit card networks, such as Visa and Mastercard, impose specific requirements related to surcharge limits, advance notification, and disclosure.
In addition, several U.S. states and territories regulate or prohibit credit card surcharging. At the time of writing, credit card surcharging is prohibited in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and Puerto Rico. Other states, including Colorado, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, and New York, impose restrictions on surcharge amounts or require specific disclosures.
If your practice operates in a state that restricts or prohibits credit card surcharging, you must fully understand and comply with those requirements before implementing a surcharge.
Debit card transactions may never be surcharged, even if the debit card is processed as a credit transaction.
Applicability
Credit card surcharges may be applied only to credit card transactions. Other payment types, including debit cards and alternative payment methods, are not eligible for surcharging.
Regulatory Compliance
Merchants are responsible for maintaining ongoing compliance with all applicable card-network and legal requirements. This includes meeting advance notification obligations, using compliant signage and disclosures, adhering to surcharge percentage limits, and respecting jurisdiction-specific restrictions.
By following these guidelines, dental practices can implement credit card surcharging in a way that aligns with card-network rules and promotes transparency with patients. Clear and upfront communication helps maintain patient trust and supports a positive payment experience.