Compare all three
Cash discount, dual pricing or surcharging?
All three put the cost of card acceptance on the people who pay by card. They differ in what your tags say, how debit is handled, and which states allow them. Answer four questions and we will pick one for you.
Side by side
The whole comparison on one table.
| Cash discount | Dual pricing | Surcharging | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The tag shows | The card price | Card price and cash price | The cash price |
| Card buyers pay | The tag | The card price | Tag + up to 3% on credit |
| Debit buyers pay | The tag | The card price | The tag (no surcharge, ever) |
| Cash buyers pay | Tag minus the discount | The cash price | The tag |
| Covers your debit costs | Yes | Yes | No |
| Fee line on card receipts | None | None | Yes, required |
| Notice before you start | Signs | Signs | 30 days to your processor, plus Mastercard registration |
| Retagging | None | Both prices on tags or signs | None |
| States that limit it | Puerto Rico; notice rules in CT, MA, NY | Puerto Rico; notice rules in CT, MA, ME | Banned in CT, ME, MA, PR; avoid in CA; caps in CO and OK; NY and NJ rules |
| How it feels | "Cash saves you money" | "Your choice" | "Cards cost extra" |
| Best for | Hand-priced, color-tag and charity stores | Printed tags, fixed-price categories, New York | Big tickets, mostly-credit buyers, tags that must not change |
Or none of the above
Standard pricing, sharpened for small tickets.
Some stores don't want two prices or a fee line, and in Puerto Rico you may not have a choice. You can still pay less: the biggest leak in a thrift store is usually the fixed cents on small sales, not the headline rate.
- Pricing built around your average ticket
- Every fee on your statement explained, and the junk ones questioned
- The same free PIN pad and as-is receipt setup
Can I switch programs later?
Yes. Moving from a cash discount to dual pricing is a terminal setting and new signs. Starting a surcharge needs the 30-day notice first. Plenty of stores begin with a cash discount and stay there.
Can I run different programs at two stores?
Yes, if they are separate locations. That is common for multi-state operators, for example a cash discount in Massachusetts and surcharging in a state that allows it.
Still deciding? We will run all three.
One statement gets you all three numbers side by side, for your store, in writing.