When your small business is really small, with maybe just you and a family member or two, management is a breeze. To a certain extent, you can be sure that your employee(s) are on your side, and dedicated to your business. When it’s time to grow, there can be many avenues that will help you on your path to treating your employees right and also keeping your sanity, for example, choosing the best credit card processing company can actually make your business more receptive to technology that will up your employee management game!
Hiring your first employee should feel like a big deal—because it is! Along with this big deal comes the potentially big headaches, like tax status, health coverage, and more. You have to consider doing your part to win their loyalty, schedule them properly, and at the very least, pay them on time. In a sense, it can feel like opening up the door to your messy bedroom. Even if you know where everything is, your personal way of doing business will likely not work for the average employee. Well, cheer up. There are some amazing tools that can very quickly make your business and its operations presentable.
Take a breath and say it out loud, slowly: “you can manage payroll.” If you’ve just got one additional employee, almost any payroll method can seem justified, but take caution: growing organically, without much consideration for the next step can be a nightmare for you later on as you try to use the same time consuming ad-hoc methods for a growing number of employees. That’s why it may make sense to at least know what’s out there, and what it can do for you, so that you are able to make an informed decision about when the time has come to make the upgrade.
The same is true for scheduling. Naturally, if you only have one employee to schedule, it doesn’t make sense to pay a lot of money for a software-based solution to manage his or her schedule. However, it’s important to keep the next step in mind. If you are considering your next point of sale system, for example, keep in mind that some devices, like the Poynt POS, leave you more open to integrate new technologies than others. For the modern worker, cloud-based solutions work way better than the printed-out piece of paper taped to the wall, and with Poynt, you have all you need to become an integrated payments superstar, with payroll, scheduling and more taken care of in a civilized, cloud-based manner.
Naturally, this blog was written with the assumption that your business wants to grow. Certainly, there will be a number of small businesses that feel like they’ll never be in a place to need or want more employees. But if your operations can be streamlined, empowered, and strengthened by the best credit card processing company and the associated tools can come right along with it, you may just rethink how big your goals can be.
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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.