Overview
When credit card surcharging is enabled, customers may occasionally ask why a surcharge was not applied to a particular transaction. In most cases, the surcharge eligibility decision is determined by the payment processor based on the card type and card brand rules, not by the method used to enter the card.
How Surcharge Eligibility Is Determined
Global Payments uses a BIN lookup process to identify the type of card being used. A BIN (Bank Identification Number) is derived from the card number and is used by the card brands to identify whether the card is eligible for surcharging.
The surcharge determination is based on information provided by the card brands and is evaluated during the transaction process.
Does the Method of Entry Matter?
No.
The method used to enter the card does not affect surcharge eligibility. The same eligibility rules apply regardless of whether the card is:
- Inserted (chip)
- Swiped
- Tapped (contactless)
- Keyed in manually
- Processed over the phone
Surcharge eligibility is determined by the card itself, not by how the card information is entered.
Cards That Are Not Eligible for Surcharging
According to card brand rules, surcharging cannot be applied to:
- Debit cards
- FSA (Flexible Spending Account) cards
- HSA (Health Savings Account) cards
- Prepaid cards
If a surcharge was not added to a transaction, it generally indicates that the card was identified as one of the non-eligible card types above or was otherwise determined to be ineligible by the card brands.
MicroBiz's Role
Global Payments determines whether a card is eligible for surcharging. Once eligibility is determined, MicroBiz handles how the surcharge is managed within the software, including:
- The configured surcharge rate
- When the surcharge is calculated
- How the surcharge is displayed during the transaction
- How the surcharge appears on receipts
Because card eligibility is determined by the payment processor and card brands, MicroBiz cannot override surcharge restrictions on cards that are not eligible.
Frequently Asked Question
Why wasn't a surcharge applied to my customer's card?
If a surcharge was not applied, the most likely reason is that the card was identified as a debit card, FSA/HSA card, prepaid card, or another card type that is not eligible for surcharging under card brand rules. The determination is made automatically by the payment processor based on the card's BIN information and not by the method used to enter the card.