Overview
Credit card surcharging lets you pass the cost of credit card processing fees directly to your clients at checkout, rather than absorbing them as a business expense. When enabled, a small percentage-based fee is added to credit card payments — and your clients see it transparently before they confirm. Debit cards, bank transfers, and Buy Now Pay Later payments are never surcharged.
Surcharging is available exclusively for Elite members whose business is legally registered in an eligible region of the United States or Canada.
Why event vendors use surcharging
Wedding and event vendors process large transactions — venue deposits, full photography packages, catering invoices — and credit card processing fees add up quickly. On a $10,000 invoice, standard processing fees cost you roughly $320. Surcharging shifts that cost to the client, preserving your margins without raising your base prices.
Some vendors enable surcharging across all documents. Others use it selectively, waiving the surcharge for VIP clients or specific projects. Wedy Pro supports both approaches — you can enable surcharging globally and waive it on individual invoices when needed.
How surcharging works on Wedy Pro
Once you enable surcharging, Wedy Pro handles the details automatically:
Automatic card detection: When your client enters their payment method at checkout, Wedy Pro detects whether the card is a credit card or a debit card. The surcharge applies only to credit cards — federal law prohibits surcharging debit cards.
Transparent disclosure: Your client sees a disclosure banner on the payment page explaining that a surcharge applies to credit card payments. The surcharge amount appears as a separate line item in the payment breakdown before they click Pay.
Separate line on receipts: The surcharge is shown as a distinct line in the client's email receipt, separate from the payment amount.
No surcharge on other methods: Debit cards, bank transfers (ACH), and Buy Now Pay Later payments (Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay) are never surcharged. If your client pays with a debit card, they see a note confirming no surcharge applies.
Surcharge rates
Wedy Pro applies a fixed surcharge rate based on where your business is legally registered:
United States: 3% on credit card payments.
Canada: 2.4% on credit card payments.
These rates are set at the maximum permitted by card network rules in each jurisdiction and are applied automatically. You do not set or adjust the rate yourself. The surcharge offsets but does not fully replace your standard processing fees (2.9% + $0.30 per credit card transaction, or 0.8% capped at $5 per bank transfer).
Where surcharging is allowed
Credit card surcharging is regulated by state and provincial law. Wedy Pro checks your registered business address during setup and determines your eligibility automatically.
Eligible regions:
All US states except the restricted list below.
All Canadian provinces.
Restricted regions (surcharging is prohibited by law):
Connecticut
Maine
Massachusetts
Puerto Rico
If your business is registered in a restricted region, you will not be able to enable surcharging. This is a legal restriction, not a Wedy Pro limitation.
State-specific compliance
Some states have additional surcharging requirements beyond the general rules — such as specific disclosure language or how the surcharge must be presented at checkout. Wedy Pro detects your state during setup and automatically displays the correct legal disclosures on your payment pages. You do not need to configure anything state-specific yourself. If regulations change, Wedy Pro updates the disclosures accordingly.
What you are responsible for
While Wedy Pro automates the surcharge calculation, card detection, and payment page disclosures, there are responsibilities that fall to you as the vendor:
Disclose at your point of entry: You must disclose your surcharge policy wherever your accepted payment methods are first presented to clients — including your website, proposals, contracts, and booking materials. The disclosure must be in Arial font at a minimum of 10 points, no smaller or less prominent than the surrounding text. Example disclosure: We impose a surcharge on credit cards that is not greater than our cost of acceptance.
Do not stack fees: You cannot combine the surcharge with any other convenience fees, card-acceptance fees, or administrative fees.
Keep your address current: If your legally registered business address changes, update it in your surcharge settings immediately. A change in state could affect your eligibility or rate.
Requirements to enable surcharging
An active Elite subscription on Wedy Pro.
A connected payment account with submitted business details.
A legally registered business address in an eligible US state or Canadian province.
Acceptance of the surcharging terms and conditions.
Time to complete: 2–5 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Does surcharging apply to debit cards?
No. Federal law prohibits surcharging debit cards. Wedy Pro automatically detects the card type at checkout and only applies the surcharge to credit cards. If your client pays with a debit card, they see a note confirming no surcharge applies.
Does surcharging apply to bank transfers or Buy Now Pay Later?
No. Surcharges apply only to credit card payments. Bank transfers (ACH), Klarna, Affirm, and Afterpay are never surcharged.
Can I set my own surcharge rate?
No. The rate is fixed at 3% for US businesses and 2.4% for Canadian businesses. These rates are determined by card network rules and are applied automatically by Wedy Pro.
Does the surcharge eliminate my processing fees?
Not entirely. The surcharge offsets the majority of your credit card processing cost, but standard processing fees (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) still apply to the base payment amount. The surcharge reduces your net cost significantly but does not eliminate it completely.
Can I waive the surcharge for specific clients?
Yes. You can waive the surcharge on individual invoices using the payment page settings within any smart document. This lets you keep surcharging enabled globally while making exceptions for specific projects or clients.
What if my business moves to a restricted state?
If your business relocates to a restricted state (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, or Puerto Rico), update your business address in your surcharge settings. Surcharging will be disabled automatically for your account. You can re-enable it if you relocate to an eligible region.
Is surcharging available on the Pro plan?
No. Credit card surcharging is an Elite-exclusive feature. If you are on the Pro plan, you will see the option to upgrade when you attempt to set up surcharging.