The questions merchants actually ask before they switch — whether it’s legal, what it costs, how customers react, and what happens after you sign.
Dual pricing shows two prices on the same item: a cash price and a card price. The card price is the posted price, and customers who pay cash receive a discount from it. Because the customer paying by card covers the processing cost, you keep your full price either way. Both prices are shown before anyone pays.
Your terminal or point-of-sale screen displays both prices side by side and the customer chooses how to pay. Pay cash and they pay the lower price. Pay by card and the card price applies, with the processing cost already built in. Nothing is added at the end and nothing is a surprise.
Any business that accepts cards and is losing margin to processing fees. We work with retail shops, restaurants, auto repair, HVAC and service contractors, rental companies, landscapers, fuel suppliers and wholesale suppliers. It starts paying for itself once the percentage you are giving up each month is bigger than a small flat fee, which for most merchants is somewhere around $1,000 a month in card volume and up. We will run your numbers and tell you honestly if it is not worth it yet.
No. We also handle standard credit card processing, and we will beat most competitive pricing. If dual pricing is not the right fit for your business, we will quote you on straight processing and you can compare it against what you pay now.
Most merchants come to us with an existing account, and in most cases we can roll it over rather than start from scratch. One of our customers, an auto repair shop owner, moved his existing account across and is on track to save over $30,000 a year. We review your current statement first, so you see the difference before you change anything.
No. We have merchant accounts across the United States. Setup, training and support are handled remotely, so where you are located does not limit the program.
Yes. Dual pricing is legal in all 50 states. It is treated differently from surcharging because both prices are disclosed up front rather than a fee being added at the end of the sale. That is why it is permitted even in the states that restrict surcharging.
Yes. New York General Business Law Section 518, updated February 11, 2024, specifically permits a two-tier pricing system where the credit price is posted alongside the cash price. What New York prohibits is surprising the customer: the credit price must be posted in actual dollars and cents before the sale, not calculated at the register. Dual pricing is built that way by design. Violations carry fines of up to $500 each, which is why how you display the prices matters.
Surcharging starts from the posted price and adds a fee at checkout, and it is restricted in several states. A cash discount posts one price that already includes processing cost and takes a discount off for cash. Dual pricing posts both prices up front, with the card price as the base price.
The structure matters more than the label. If you post the cash price as the base and add a fee on top for card payments, auditors can reclassify your program as surcharging, which brings rules you never intended to take on.
As of 2026, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Puerto Rico restrict or ban credit card surcharging. Oklahoma’s ban was repealed. Dual pricing remains legal in all 50 states, which is exactly why it is the compliant route for merchants in those states.
Both prices have to be visible before the customer pays, and the receipt has to reflect what they actually paid. We set the display up with you so the program is compliant from the first transaction rather than something you have to fix later.
In practice, very few. Customers have seen two prices at gas stations for decades. Two things keep it smooth: show both prices up front instead of springing the card price at the register, and frame the lower price as a discount for paying cash rather than a penalty for paying by card. Most customers do not change what they do, and the ones who switch to cash cost you nothing.
“Our cash price is lower because card processing costs us a percentage of every sale. You will see both prices before you pay, so it is your choice.” That is usually the end of the conversation. We train your staff on the wording before you go live.
A short session, not a course. The terminal does the work, so the only thing your team needs is a consistent one-line answer when a customer asks why there are two prices. Our onboarding team can assist if needed as part of the setup.
No. American Express is treated the same as Visa, Mastercard and Discover in the program.
Usually not. Qualified merchants receive a free terminal. If you need a full point-of-sale system with inventory and labeling we can set that up as well, and if you already have equipment we can often reprogram it rather than replace it.
Two things: your monthly card volume and your type of business. As a general guide, merchants running about $25,000 a month or more in card volume qualify. Some business types are reviewed differently, so if you are close to that number it is worth asking rather than assuming.
Yes. Our development team can integrate with almost any billing or invoicing software, including QuickBooks. You invoice exactly the way you do today, the card price is applied automatically, and payments reconcile back into your accounting system. There is no second system and no double entry.
Tell us what you run. Our development team has built integrations for nearly every major billing and invoicing platform, and we will confirm yours before you sign anything.
The same program covers them. Customers receive a payment link and see what each payment method costs before they choose. Card payments add 3.95% and bank draft (ACH) adds 1%, while cash or check has no fee. You net your base price either way.
Yes, for online payments and recurring billing. ACH is not used for in-person sales — it is designed for invoices, payment links and automatic recurring charges. For customers on a recurring agreement it is usually the cheapest option for everyone.
Yes. Mobile terminals work for jobsites, deliveries, in-home service calls and farmers markets, and they run the same dual pricing display as a countertop unit.
It depends on your setup. A standalone terminal runs $25 to $50 per month depending on the terminal type. Online invoicing with billing software integration is $75 per month. That monthly fee is the whole cost of the program — your card processing cost goes to zero, because the customer paying by card covers it. The fee is flat, so unlike a percentage it does not grow as your sales grow.
Take your monthly card volume, multiply by your current processing rate, and subtract your monthly program fee. As an example, QuickBooks Online’s typical card rate is about 3.2%, so $25,000 a month in card volume runs roughly $800 a month in fees. Use the calculator on our home page for your own number, or text a photo of pages 1 and 2 of your merchant statement to (914) 440-3621 and we will tell you exactly.
No. No long-term contract and no early termination fee.
About a week, and very little falls on you. You sign the application, which takes about five minutes. You log into the payment gateway once to set your username and password. Then our onboarding team schedules your setup and training and connects everything to your billing software. After that you invoice the way you always have.
Fill out the form on our home page or call (914) 440-3621. We will review your current statement, give you a straight answer on what you would save, and tell you if the program is not worth it at your volume.
Tell us what you run and we will give you a straight answer — including whether the program is worth it at your volume.
Check If My Business Qualifies →Or text a photo of pages 1–2 of your merchant statement to (914) 440-3621 and we will tell you your exact number.
This page is general information about payment processing programs, not legal advice. Card network rules and state laws change. We will confirm the requirements that apply to your business and your state before you go live.