Credit card surcharging on Relay invoices lets you pass part of the card processing cost to customers who choose to pay by credit card, up to a maximum of 2.9%. It is available on the Grow Plan and Scale Plan.
What you need before you start
A Relay account on the Grow Plan or Scale Plan (surcharging is not available on the Starter Plan).
Card payments enabled on your Relay account.
A registered business address outside the prohibited jurisdictions listed below.
Your surcharge disclosure acknowledgment on file (Relay prompts you for this the first time you enable the setting).
What is a credit card surcharge on a Relay invoice?
A credit card surcharge is an additional fee that appears on top of the invoice total when your customer chooses to pay by credit card, designed to help offset card processing costs. Key features:
Applies only to credit card payments.
Does not apply to debit cards, prepaid cards, ACH, Pay by Bank, or wire transfers.
Is disclosed to the customer before they complete payment.
Is set as a percentage, capped at 2.9%.
How do I add a credit card surcharge to an invoice?
Follow these steps to enable a surcharge on a new invoice:
Sign in to your Relay account.
Go to the Invoices tab.
Click Create an Invoice.
Choose manual entry or upload an existing document.
Enter the Invoice ID, then select the Customer, Issue Date, and Payment Due Date.
Review and edit the line items.
Select Card Payments and toggle Offset Fees with Surcharging on.
Enter your surcharge percentage, up to 2.9%.
Choose email delivery or a direct payment link.
Customize the payment reminders.
Review the invoice preview, confirm the surcharge line is visible, and click Send Invoice.
Surcharges are also available on Quick Requests when card payments are enabled on the request.
What does my customer see when a surcharge is applied?
When your customer selects the credit card payment option, the payment page shows three lines:
The original invoice amount.
The additional surcharge amount, disclosed as a separate line.
The final total that will be charged to their card.
If the customer chooses ACH, Pay by Bank, or wire, the surcharge is not applied and only the original invoice amount is charged.
Where is credit card surcharging not allowed?
Relay blocks surcharging for businesses registered in these jurisdictions, and applies lower caps in two states:
Prohibited (surcharging cannot be enabled): Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Puerto Rico.
Capped at 2%: Colorado.
Capped at 1%: Illinois.
Prohibited-state detection is based on your registered business address. If you move your business, update your address in Relay before enabling surcharging.
How does Relay make sure debit and prepaid cards are not surcharged?
Relay uses a BIN (Bank Identification Number) lookup on every card payment attempt to identify the card type. If the card is a debit or prepaid card, the surcharge is automatically removed from that transaction and only the original invoice amount is charged. This protects you from surcharging card types that are not eligible under card network rules.
Best practices for using invoice surcharges
Offer a surcharge-free alternative on every invoice (ACH or Pay by Bank).
Mention your surcharge policy in the invoice memo, your contract, or your engagement letter.
Preview the invoice before sending to confirm the surcharge line displays correctly.
Keep your surcharge rate consistent across customers to avoid customer-relationship friction.
Common issues
The surcharge toggle is greyed out. Your account is on the Starter Plan, or card payments are not enabled on the invoice. Upgrade to the Grow Plan or Scale Plan and enable card payments before toggling surcharging.
The surcharge did not apply to a specific payment. The customer paid with a debit card, a prepaid card, or a non-card method. Only credit card payments are eligible.
You cannot enable surcharging at all. Your registered business address is in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, or Puerto Rico.
The rate you entered was rejected. Your business address is in Colorado (2% cap) or Illinois (1% cap). Enter a rate at or below the state cap.
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