Credit card surcharging lets you add a fee to eligible credit card payments to help offset the cost of accepting credit cards. This article explains how it works in Housecall Pro, where it applies, what you and your customers will see, and how to communicate it clearly.
Overview
What is credit card surcharging?
Credit card surcharging allows you to add a fee to eligible credit card payments to help offset the cost of accepting credit cards.
When surcharging is turned on, Housecall Pro automatically determines when a surcharge can be applied, calculates the surcharge, and displays surcharge information to customers in supported checkout flows before they pay.
Surcharging rules vary by card type, location, card-network rules, and payment flow, so it's important to understand how surcharging works and communicate clearly with your customers.
How surcharging works
⚠️ Do not manually add a surcharge line item to invoices once surcharging is enabled in your invoice settings. With automatic surcharging on, Housecall Pro calculates and applies the surcharge for you — adding a manual surcharge on top will result in your customer being charged twice.
When credit card surcharging is turned on, Housecall Pro applies a surcharge to eligible credit card payments accepted through supported payment flows.
If a transaction is not eligible for surcharging, Housecall Pro will not apply the surcharge. This may happen based on the payment method, card type, location, or other surcharge rules.
Surcharging does not apply to debit cards due to federal laws and card-network rules.
State-level surcharge rules
Credit card surcharge rules vary by state. The maximum credit card surcharge in Housecall Pro is 3%. This ceiling comes from card-network rules (e.g., Visa), not from Housecall Pro.
Where a state requires a lower cap, Housecall Pro automatically applies the lower amount, so you don't need to calculate or manage this yourself.
Housecall Pro does not currently support surcharging for businesses located in:
Connecticut
Maine
Massachusetts
New York
Canada
In some of these locations, surcharging is prohibited by law. In others, it is permitted under specific conditions that Housecall Pro’s current offering does not yet support.
If your business is located in one of the above states or Canada, you won't have access to surcharging in Housecall Pro.
If your business operates in multiple states, surcharging may apply to some transactions but not others. For example, if you're based in a state where surcharging is allowed but perform work or take payment where it isn't, Housecall Pro may not apply a surcharge to that transaction.
See surcharging rules by state below:
State | State surcharge cap |
Alabama | 3% |
Alaska | 3% |
Arizona | 3% |
Arkansas | 3% |
California | 3% |
Colorado | 3% |
Connecticut | Surcharging not available |
Delaware | 3% |
Florida | 3% |
Georgia | 3% |
Hawaii | 3% |
Idaho | 3% |
Illinois | 3% |
Indiana | 3% |
Iowa | 3% |
Kansas | 3% |
Kentucky | 3% |
Louisiana | 3% |
Maine | Surcharging not available |
Maryland | 3% |
Massachusetts | Surcharging not available |
Michigan | 3% |
Minnesota | 3% |
Mississippi | 3% |
Missouri | 3% |
Montana | 3% |
Nebraska | 3% |
Nevada | 3% |
New Hampshire | 3% |
New Jersey | 3% |
New Mexico | 3% |
New York | Surcharging not available |
North Carolina | 3% |
North Dakota | 3% |
Ohio | 3% |
Oklahoma | 2% |
Oregon | 3% |
Pennsylvania | 3% |
Rhode Island | 3% |
South Carolina | 3% |
South Dakota | 3% |
Tennessee | 3% |
Texas | 3% |
Utah | 3% |
Vermont | 3% |
Virginia | 3% |
Washington | 3% |
West Virginia | 3% |
Wisconsin | 3% |
Wyoming | 3% |
What payment methods are eligible (and why debit cards aren't)?
Surcharges apply only to credit card payments. They do not apply to debit cards, prepaid cards, ACH, Klarna, PayPal, cash, check, or other non-credit payment methods.
ℹ️ Debit cards cannot be surcharged. Federal law and card-network rules prohibit surcharging debit cards. A surcharge will therefore never apply to payments made with a debit card.
⚙️ In some places today, Housecall Pro uses the label "credit card" for both credit and debit cards. Because debit cards can't be surcharged, a payment labeled "credit card" that is actually a debit card will not receive a surcharge. If you see a card payment that wasn't surcharged, this is a likely reason. We're actively working to update this.
Supported Payment Flows
Surcharging supports the following payment flows:
Any payments taken on Invoices or Estimates through the Customer Portal or Pro-facing payment dialogs in Housecall Pro web
Mobile payment flows
Card on File payments
Service Plans
Deposits taken through online booking
Surcharging does not currently support Apple Pay and Google Pay. Housecall Pro automatically disables these digital wallets when you enable surcharging.
Getting Started
How do I enable surcharging?
Surcharging is controlled by a global setting in Housecall Pro. Once turned on, Housecall Pro will automatically apply a surcharge to any eligible credit card payment. Surcharging does not apply to debit cards, and is not configured separately by customer, invoice, job, or payment.
To turn on credit card surcharging:
Go to Settings.
Select Invoice settings.
Find the Credit Card Surcharging setting.
Review the information shown.
Click Enable.
Once enabled, Housecall Pro automatically determines when a surcharge can be applied. Surcharges apply only to credit cards — never to debit cards, prepaid cards, ACH, cash, check, or other non-credit methods, regardless of this setting.
We don't recommend toggling surcharging on and off for one-off exceptions. Keeping it consistent creates a clearer experience for customers and reduces confusion.
When and where the surcharge appears
The surcharge does not appear on the invoice you send to your customer. When you send an invoice, it shows your line items, tax, and total with no surcharge, which is expected. That's because your customer has not chosen how they will pay yet, and they must always be able to pay by a non-credit method (ACH, debit, cash, check) with no surcharge.
The surcharge is determined and shown only at the moment of payment, once the customer chooses to pay by card and enters their card details. Housecall Pro reads the card to determine whether it's a credit card (versus a debit card) before it can apply or display a surcharge. Until that happens, there's no surcharge amount to show.
Customers must always have the option to pay with a non-surcharged payment method.
Where your customers will see surcharging applied
Customers will see the surcharge in:
The Customer Portal / Online checkout payment breakdown
Invoice receipt
Invoice summary after payment completed with a credit card.
Customers will not see a surcharge:
In the invoice as originally sent (before payment)
when they pay with any non-credit method (ACH, debit, cash, check).
for payments you take on their behalf — over the phone, in person, or with a saved card — there may be no customer-facing disclosure screen, so you're responsible for telling them before payment (see "Communicating surcharges clearly”). Surcharges will appear after a credit card payment is made in the payment receipt.
Where you will see surcharging applied
If you are charging a credit card on the Job Details page, entering a valid credit card number will automatically apply a surcharge to the payment. If a debit card is entered, the credit card surcharge will not apply.
If your customer pays an invoice with a credit card, you will receive a copy of the customer’s receipt in your email, listing that a credit card surcharge was applied.
You can also view the applied surcharge by going to your Invoice List view and clicking on the specific invoice.
Communicating surcharges clearly
Housecall Pro helps support compliant credit card surcharge experiences by automatically applying surcharges only where supported and showing surcharge disclosures in customer-facing payment flows.
To help support a clear and compliant payment experience, make sure your customers understand when a credit card surcharge may apply. This is especially important for payments taken outside of a customer-facing checkout flow, such as over the phone, in person, or using a saved card.
A good rule of thumb: customers should know a credit card surcharge may apply before their card is charged. Customers must also have an option to pay with a payment method that’s not surcharged, such as paying via ACH/bank transfer.
We recommend including surcharging information in places like:
Your terms of service or notes displayed on invoices
Your website or booking flow
In-person or phone payment conversations
Customer payment instructions
Saved-card authorization language
If you're unsure how surcharge rules apply to your business, we recommend consulting your legal, tax, or compliance advisor.
Additional questions
Can I surcharge debit cards?
No. Surcharging is for credit card payments only. Due to federal law and card-network rules, debit cards and prepaid cards are not allowed to be surcharged.
Do surcharges get taxed?
When the job's services or materials are taxable, the surcharge is typically taxed at the same rate. There are exceptions (for example, Colorado doesn't tax surcharges), and rules vary by location.
Housecall Pro will apply tax handling where supported, but we recommend consulting your tax or compliance advisor if you have questions about your specific obligations.
Does Housecall Pro charge a fee for surcharged transactions?
Yes. Housecall Pro assesses a fee of 0.50% on surcharged credit card transactions. This fee only applies when a credit card surcharge is collected.
Why does the payment type say “credit card”, but there’s no surcharging applied?
In some places today, Housecall Pro uses the label "credit card" where the card may actually be a debit card. We're actively working to update this.
Because debit cards can't be surcharged, a payment labeled "credit card" that is actually a debit card will not receive a surcharge. If you see a card payment that wasn't surcharged, this is a likely reason.
How does surcharging work with QuickBooks?
QuickBooks Online: Surcharge data syncs to QuickBooks Online. For how it's recorded, see QuickBooks Online: How Surcharges are Sent from Housecall Pro.
QuickBooks Desktop: Surcharging is not supported for businesses connected to QuickBooks Desktop. If you use the QuickBooks Desktop integration, we don't recommend enabling surcharging, as surcharge amounts won't sync correctly.
How do I disable surcharging?
To disable surcharging, go to your Settings > Invoices > Toggle surcharging off
Who should I contact with questions?
For questions about enabling or using surcharging in Housecall Pro, contact Housecall Pro Support using the Blue Chat Bubble.
If you’re unsure how surcharge rules apply to your business, we recommend consulting your legal, tax, or compliance advisor.
Need help?
We're here for you! Chat with Support using the Blue Chat Bubble in your Housecall Pro account, or give us a call at (858) 842-5746.