There are many possible barriers to customers making purchases at your business. One of the biggest ones can be the payment process. If you are a small business owner, the last thing you want is for the payment experience, whether it’s cash or a purchase with a point of sale unit like the Poynt Smart Terminal, to negatively affect customer experience. That’s why it is important to make an effort to improve the payment experience for your customers. Here are some tips to help you improve the payment process at your business.
Make the payment process simple for customers. Use a system that streamlines the payment process, making it easier for customers to complete their purchases. This may mean using an integrated payment system, like the Poynt Smart Terminal, that makes it easy for you to connect order information with payments to make the whole process easier and more efficient for customers and employees alike. However you do it, make sure you simplify the payment process.
Customers want to know that their payments are secure, and that their personal information is not going to be misused. Make it a point to offer secure payment for customers, so that they can rest easy when making their purchases. This is important for both in-person and online transactions. Make sure that if customers are shopping online, they know that their information is going to be kept secure. And of course, providing secure payment solutions to customers means working with a payment processor that prioritizes security. At Moolah, we take security seriously. We do our utmost to provide secure payment processing to our customers, and help you adhere to PCI-compliance standards that improve security and help you safeguard customer information. Make sure you offer secure transactions to customers.
Perhaps the biggest issue a customer might have with the payment process is not having their payment of choice accepted. That’s why it is important that your business accepts a variety of payments from customers. That means accepting credit cards, debit cards, NFC touchless payments like Apple Pay and Google Pay, and even gift cards. In order to do this, you will need the right card terminal. The Poynt Smart Terminal is a card terminal that accepts a wide variety of payments, including all those listed above, and makes the payment process easier. At Moolah we provide a Poynt Smart Terminal unit to all of our customers, free of charge, because we know how important having a trustworthy terminal that provides an array of payment options to customers can be. That is one of the many reasons why we hope that you will consider Moolah for your payment processing needs.
Thank you for scheduling. If you have any questions, please contact us at 800-625-1670.
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.