What's a Convenience Fee?

What Is a Convenience Fee? A convenience fee is a fee charged by a seller when a consumer pays with an electronic payment card rather than by a standard form of payment accepted by the business. Standard payments include cash, check, or an Automated Clearing House

Automated Clearing House
The automated clearing house (ACH) is an electronic funds-transfer system that facilitates payments in the U.S. The ACH is run by the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA). Recent rule changes are enabling most credit and debit transactions made through the ACH to clear on the same business day.
(ACH) transfer.

How can convenience fees be avoided?

How to Avoid Paying a Credit Card Convenience Fee or Surcharge. For the most part, getting around a convenience fee is easy. Since only certain types of merchants charge them, you can simply use a different payment method and continue using your credit card for other everyday purchases.

How do you charge a convenience fee?

Convenience fees can be a fixed dollar amount or a percentage of the transaction amount (usually 2 to 3 percent) and must be disclosed to the customer in advance. Ways to charge credit card fees to your customers: Add a line item for credit card surcharge to the invoice and add a standard amount to each invoice.

David Miller

David Miller

Executive Financial & Market Analyst

David Miller brings 15 years of experience in global economics, personal finance strategy, and market dynamics. He specializes in turning complex economic trends into actionable insights for everyday readers.