Surcharging sounds simple. Staying compliant is anything but.

In this special webinar edition of the Payments Experts Podcast, James Huber, Managing Partner of Global Legal Law Firm, and Jessica Walsh, Transactional Associate, break down the increasingly complicated world of credit card surcharging, dual pricing, and cash discounting.

The discussion moves beyond the basics and into the issues merchants, ISOs, agents, processors, and payments professionals are actually confronting: Visa and Mastercard surcharge rules, state-by-state restrictions, junk fee laws, disclosure requirements, debit card pitfalls, MDR calculations, and the potentially significant consequences of getting a program wrong.

James and Jessica also examine why a program that appears compliant under state law may still create problems under card brand rules, and why the details of how prices and fees are presented to consumers matter.

Topics include:
Surcharging vs. dual pricing vs. cash discounting
Visa and Mastercard surcharge rules and caps
Why debit and prepaid cards create compliance risks
MDR and determining permissible surcharge amounts
Required consumer and acquirer disclosures
State-by-state surcharging restrictions
California and other state junk fee laws
Secret shoppers, consumer complaints, and potential fines
Common disguised-surcharge mistakes
Practical examples of compliant and noncompliant pricing models

The central takeaway is simple: disclose, disclose, disclose. What merchants call a fee matters less than how the pricing program actually operates.

If you are a merchant, ISO, agent, processor, PayFac, fintech professional, or anyone advising businesses on payment acceptance, this episode provides a practical overview of one of the most misunderstood compliance areas in the payments industry.

This presentation is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship.

**Matters discussed are all opinions and do not constitute legal advice. All events or likeness to real people and events is a coincidence.**

PEP Links:
https://www.globallegallawfirm.com/podcasts/
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2176695

A payments podcast of Global Legal Law Firm