Compliant surcharging for dental practices.

Yes, in most US states, on credit cards only. Card brand rules cap the fee at your actual processing cost or 3%, whichever is lower, and it can never be added to debit or prepaid cards. A few states ban or limit it, and some insurance contracts restrict it, so check your state and payer agreements before you start.

Arizona, Utah, Kansas, New Mexico, Wyoming, Nebraska, Idaho, Nevada, Montana, South Dakota and North Dakota allow credit card surcharges under card brand rules. Kansas requires advance notice of the amount at the entrance or point of sale. Colorado and Oklahoma set their own limits, and Texas law is unsettled. Look up any other state in our state rules checker.

Under C.R.S. 5-2-212(1)(c)(II), Colorado practices can add a credit card surcharge up to their actual processing cost (the merchant discount fee). Card brand rules then cap it at 3% for offices that take Visa. Most offices take both cards, so in practice the fee stays at 3% or less. Colorado also requires an exact posted notice and a separate receipt line.

Oklahoma dental practices can add a credit card surcharge of up to 2% or their actual processing cost, whichever is less, since November 1, 2025. A 3% fee is not allowed there. The amount must be posted at the entrance and point of sale, shown on the home page and checkout page online, and read aloud on phone payments.

Texas law on credit card surcharges is contested. The statute bans them, a 2018 federal court ruling blocked enforcement for the plaintiffs in that case, and the Attorney General says the ban can still apply in some contexts. Texas separately bans surcharges on debit and stored value cards. Talk with a Texas attorney and our team before adding any fee.

Yes. Arizona has no state law that bans or caps credit card surcharges, so card brand rules set the limits: no more than 3% or the practice's actual processing cost, whichever is lower. The practice must notify its processor at least 30 days before starting, post notice at the entrance and front desk, and show the fee on every receipt.

Card brand rules require notice at the entrance, at the point of payment, and on every receipt, with the fee amount shown. Online and phone payments need the fee shown before the patient pays, with a chance to cancel. Colorado and Oklahoma also require specific posted notices. Summit Payments supplies signage and receipt formatting that match your state.

No. Card brand rules ban surcharges on debit and prepaid cards in every state, even when the patient presses credit on the terminal. Colorado and Texas law also ban debit surcharges. Patients who would rather not pay the fee can use a debit card, cash or check, and Summit Payments never surcharges debit.

A practice can surcharge credit cards on the major networks when it follows card brand and state rules. American Express allows a surcharge only at a rate no higher than the practice charges on other credit cards. Debit and prepaid cards are never surcharged, and Summit Payments applies the fee only to eligible credit cards.

They can. We found no state surcharge law written just for dental practices, but payer contracts often set limits. Medicare and Medicaid rules can bar charging more than the allowed patient share for covered services, and many PPO agreements cap what a patient pays. Check your payer agreements before you add a credit card fee.

Kelly Shibilski, a practice owner, said: "No regrets. 98% of patients don't bat an eye." Some patients happily switch to debit, which is never surcharged. Practices that hide the fee do get pushback, so the fee has to be on the screen before the patient pays.

An undisclosed or oversized surcharge can lead to chargebacks, patient complaints, state consumer protection action, and fines. Visa runs yearly mystery shopping and can fine the processor when a merchant surcharges improperly. Summit Payments sets up disclosure on every transaction, so the fee is always shown before the patient pays.