SellerFeeCheck

Credit card surcharge calculator

Card rates checked against Stripe, Square and PayPal's pricing pages on October 19, 2026 · Not affiliated with Visa, Stripe, Square or PayPal.

To keep the full price after a 2.9% + $0.30 card fee, charge (price + $0.30) ÷ (1 − 2.9%): $103.30 on a $100 sale. Visa limits a US credit card surcharge to the lower of your card fee rate and 3%, so a surcharge can cover the fee on the price, but not the fee on the surcharge itself.

Charge the customer

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Enter a price to see the result.

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What to charge to keep $50, $100 or $500

The card payment that leaves you the full price after the processor's fee:

PriceStripe onlineSquare in personPayPal card
$10$10.61$10.42$10.81
$25$26.06$25.82$26.28
$50$51.80$51.49$52.05
$100$103.30$102.82$103.59
$250$257.78$256.83$258.21
$500$515.24$513.50$515.92

Stripe online card 2.9% + $0.30, Square in person 2.6% + $0.15 (Free plan), PayPal standard card 2.99% + $0.49. Each amount is rounded up to the cent so you keep at least the price. Most of these are above Visa's surcharge limit; the calculator shows the limit for your sale.

How it works

Charge = (price + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − percentage fee), rounded up to the cent so you keep at least the price. With a set surcharge, the customer pays price + surcharge and the processor takes its fee on that total. Visa's limit on a US credit card surcharge is the lower of 3% of the price and your card fee on the price; the calculator shows that limit and flags a surcharge above it.

Worked examples

  1. Stripe online card, 2.9% + $0.30, $100 sale: charge $103.30. Stripe takes $3.30 (2.9% of $103.30 is $3.00, plus $0.30), so you keep $100. Visa's limit on that sale is $3.00, so a $3.30 surcharge is over it.
  2. Square in person, 2.6% + $0.15, $50 sale with a 3% surcharge: the customer pays $51.50, Square takes $1.49 (2.6% of $51.50 is $1.34, plus $0.15) and you keep $50.01.
  3. PayPal standard card, 2.99% + $0.49, $40 sale: you would need to charge $41.74 to keep $40, a $1.74 surcharge. Visa's limit on a $40 sale is $1.20 (3%), so on small sales a full pass-through is well over it.

Common questions

Can I add a credit card surcharge in the US?

In most states, on credit cards, with conditions. Visa's merchant Q&A says you must tell your card processor at least 30 days before you start, surcharge credit cards only, keep the surcharge at or below the lower of your card fee rate and 3%, and show it where customers enter, at checkout and on every receipt. Visa lists Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Oklahoma and Puerto Rico as prohibiting surcharges, and Colorado, Minnesota, New Jersey and New York as having extra requirements (Visa's list as of 15 February 2024). This is not legal advice: check your state's current law.

Can I surcharge debit cards?

No. Visa does not allow a surcharge on debit or prepaid cards, even when the customer chooses "credit" on the terminal. A discount for paying another way is treated differently: Visa's rules let you show the card price and offer a lower price for other payment methods.

Why is the pass-through amount more than the fee on the price?

Because the processor charges its percentage on the whole payment, including the surcharge. On a $100 sale at 2.9% + $0.30 the fee is $3.20, but adding $3.20 raises the payment to $103.20 and the fee to $3.29, so you need $103.30 to keep $100.

Does a 3% surcharge cover the card fee?

Not on small sales. On a $20 sale at 2.9% + $0.30, a 3% surcharge adds $0.60, but the fee on $20.60 is $0.90, so you keep $19.70. The fixed fee is what makes the difference.

Which card rates does the calculator use?

Stripe, Square and PayPal's published US card rates, the same data as our Stripe, Square and PayPal calculators, with the date we checked each. Choose "Your own rate" to enter the rate from your processor's statement.

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