Do You Pass Along Credit Card Fees to Your Customers?

question:

Any retailers currently charging a surcharge for credit card processing? — Ellyn Montag, Shop Dog Boutique, Sioux Falls, SD

• • • We don’t and won’t. We have a great rate, and it’s rolled into the price just like delivery fees, rent, heat, etc. We don’t want customers who use credit to feel punished — we’ve won them as loyal customers who chose us over the big-box and online stores! — Karen Conell, The Bark Market, Delavan, WI
    • We do not, but instead entice our customers with double loyalty points if they pay cash or by check. Our cash/check sales have doubled! — Samantha Youngblood, Youngblood’s Natural Animal Care Center and Massage, Wilkinson, IN
    • Yes. It’s 3% for credit card, or we give you 5% off for cash. After 20-plus years of eating the credit card fee and realizing how much money I’d lost, we jumped on the bandwagon and have had no blowback. We thought it would bring more cash in, but it’s been minimal. The new generation just flashes the credit card. — Doug Staley, Pet Palace, New City, NY
    • Fees are a part of doing business. Penalizing the customer for wanting to give you money is bad business. Make it as easy as possible for your customer. If that means you adjust prices to allow folks to pay with either cash or credit, so be it!” — Carly Patryluk, House of Paws Boutique,
      Regina, SK
    • I do for an under $10 purchase before tax. It eliminated the 99 cents purchase (cat cans/dollar items) on credit cards. — Sue Fitz, The Scottish Dog Pet Supplies, Metuchen, NJ
    • Started doing this during COVID, and it went across without any bumps. Customers understood, and many surprisingly didn’t realize that the business ate the fee from the credit card companies. Jessica Cooke, Yuppy Puppy, O’Fallon, MO
    • No. 3% cash discount works great, and it has increased cash sales quite a bit. Esther Foster, PAWsitively Sweet Bakery, San Antonio, TX

Editor’s note: All answers printed with permission, edited for clarity and length. Join the private PETS+ Facebook Community for retailers and service providers at facebook.com/groups/petsplusmagcommunity.