This guide explains how Surcharging works, how to set it up, and how it helps your business offset the costs of credit and debit card transactions.
Feature Availability
This feature is currently only available in Australia and only applies to card-present transactions on a PhorestPay Card Terminal.
In this Article
Video Guide
What is Surcharging?
Surcharging allows you to pass on your PhorestPay Card Terminal processing fees to clients by applying a surcharge to card payments at checkout. This means that clients who pay by card will cover the associated transaction fees, ensuring fee-free processing for your business.
How Does it Work at Checkout?
Once surcharging is enabled, it applies automatically at checkout with no extra steps. When you present the terminal, a message notifies the client of the surcharge.
After they tap or insert their card, Phorest calculates the exact surcharge based on the transaction amount and your processing fees. The final screen displays the total amount, including the surcharge, with a breakdown shown separately.
Is Surcharging Compatible with Self-Employed Staff Using PhorestPay?
Yes, if any of your staff have their own PhorestPay account, surcharging will also apply to their sales.
Are There Any Limits on Surcharging?
When passing on card processing fees, it's important to keep in mind that a 4% maximum surcharge is enforced by card schemes (Visa, Mastercard etc.).
This means that for lower-value sales, the standard 30c EFTPOS surcharge may be reduced to comply with the 4% limit. PhorestPay automatically adjusts the surcharge where needed in order to ensure compliance.
For example:
- On a $6 transaction, 4% equals 24c, so only 24c will be surcharged rather than the full 30c.
- For transactions equal to or exceeding $7.50, the full 30c EFTPOS fee is applied, but never exceeded, as doing so would exceed the 4% limit enforced by card schemes.
Where is the Surcharge Amount Displayed?
The total Surcharge amount will be visible in multiple areas in your Phorest system.
The Sales Screen
You can see it on a transaction under Manager > Sales.
On Receipts
It will be listed on the client's receipt.
A4 Receipt:
Printed Receipt:
Email Receipt:
The Sale Edit Screen
The Surcharge total will be listed when editing a sale.
You cannot change the value of a surcharge when editing a sale.
Refunding a Surcharge
Surcharge refund amounts are automatically calculated when refunding the card used in the original transaction.
To refund a sale, go to Manager > Sales > Click on the sale > Refund > Edit the refund items if necessary > Pay. When you select the original card in the refund, you will see the relative surcharge amount being calculated automatically.
Voiding a sale will also automatically result in the total surcharge amount being refunded.
Reporting on Surcharges
Surcharges are visible in the following reports:
The Finance Report (Manager > Reports > Finance)
A separate line item will also display the total GST for surcharges.
The Financial Totals Report
The PhorestPay Report (Manager > Reports > Insights)
The PhorestPay Payouts Export
For more information on how to export your PhorestPay payouts, click here.
Your PhorestPay invoice includes a detailed breakdown of surcharge amounts categorized by Eftpos, Amex, and Other, accessible through the Invoice Portal.
The Sales Transactions Report
How Can I Enable Surcharging?
If you're interested in enabling surcharging, please fill out the form below, and we'll get back in touch to get everything set up!