Surcharging is becoming a more common business practice, including within the beauty industry. Surcharging means you are passing on the card processing fees from the business to your client. It is usually only a small additional amount, but can add up to significant savings for the business over time. This is why Timely has built a surcharge feature!
In this article you will see an overview of questions frequently asked about the surcharging feature. For an introduction to this feature, see our help guide Feature Introduction: Surcharging.
Important note: It is crucial to be aware of your local legislations, for example: On 28 July 2025, the New Zealand Government announced plans to ban payment surcharges. In anticipation of the ban taking effect and other upcoming changes in the payments system, there are resources available to support businesses. You can take a look at this article from the NZ Commerce Commission for more information.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
-
Can I add surcharging to my online payments?
No, surcharging is only available for transactions made using TimelyPay terminals or Tap to Pay.
-
Can I use the new surcharge feature to charge for public holidays and weekends?
Our surcharge feature just covers terminal card processing fees at this stage, so you wouldn’t be able to do a customised seasonal surcharge for a higher percentage amount right now. However, there is a workaround where you simply create a product called 'surcharge' and then manually calculate the 20% and edit the product price.
-
Can I turn off surcharging for certain customer groups friends/family/VIP clients?
We don’t have particular settings to not surcharge particular clients right now, but you can quickly remove the surcharge from any transaction by turning it off in the settings, processing the transaction, and then turning it back on again.
-
Is surcharging legal in my region? Are there any restrictions on surcharging?
There are regulations and guidelines by respective governments and payment providers to ensure fairness and transparency. It’s important that business owners familiarise themselves with these regulations and guidelines before they start surcharging. To ensure you remain up to date with any changes, we recommend bookmarking your regions official guidelines, such as:
-
How much can a business surcharge?
If you are surcharging through Timely, the amount you pass on to your client will be the exact amount of the card processing fees for the transaction. However, this may vary; so ensure you are speaking with a registered accountant to confirm this for your business.
-
Why do businesses surcharge card transactions?
While a card processing fee is a small additional cost for your client, overall they can add up to be a significant expense for businesses over time, particularly for small transactions. Including a surcharge allows businesses to partially or completely cover this fee.
-
How do taxes work with surcharges?
TimelyPay fees and surcharges can have different tax treatments, we suggest speaking with a registered accountant as they will be able to give you the most accurate information based on your unique business needs.
-
Do I need a TimelyPay terminal or Tap to Pay on iPhone to use Timely’s new surcharge feature?
Yes, Timely’s surcharge feature is only available on a TimelyPay terminal and Tap to Pay on iPhone. It works on both a mini and touchscreen terminals.