Surcharging with ChiroSpring Pay

Surcharging is a great way to lower your processing fees by passing much of this cost onto your patients. This practice is becoming more and more accepted. Almost everywhere you go customers are being charged a fee to use their credit card. With ChiroSpring Pay, you have the option to surcharge.

Surcharging allows you to pass a 3% transaction fee for customers paying with credit cards (debit/HSA cards cannot be surcharged). This lowers the amount the practice owes at the end of the month for their processing.

When surcharging is enabled in ChiroSpring

• All credit cards (there are no exceptions) will be surcharged at 3% (where applicable by your state laws. We check this on our end to ensure you are compliant).
• The 3% fee will not be put into the provider's bank account. Instead, this fee is paid to Visa/MasterCard.
• There is also a 1% surcharge fee to the provider (this effectively lowers your rate from about 3% to 1%, saving you money). This fee covers our costs related to the integration.

CLICK HERE to enable surcharging with ChiroSpring Pay.

If you are not a ChiroSpring Pay customer, CLICK HERE to sign up for ChiroSpring Pay.

To enable Surcharging using ChiroSpring Pay, CLICK HERE and fill out this form. Our team will get this enabled for you in 1-2 business days. When enabled, you will start seeing the surcharge calculations when you take credit card payment.

When surcharging is enabled, everything is 100% automated. The software will display the surcharge amount in ChiroSpring (when using a stored credit card). Here is an example of a checkout process with surcharging enabled.

Here is the receipt.

When using the terminal, the software will display the surcharge amount to the patient. You will see the message (as shown below) in ChiroSpring ("will appear on terminal"). This lets your patient be aware of the surcharge forcing them to YES/NO when that appears. If they select "NO" the transaction will be canceled. Remember, you can recommend your patient pay with debit/HSA, cash or check if they want to avoid the surcharge.

The receipt from the terminal transaction will display "Surcharge: printed on terminal.". See below example.

Because the surcharge amount is technically a "credit card fee" you will not see it in your payment history as part of the gross payment. As an example, if the payment were $1.00 and the surcharge amount were $0.03, you would only see $1.00 in the payment history. See below.

Should you issue a refund, the full amount that was originally charged to the credit card will be displayed and refunded. See below.

This report does allow you to see the surcharge amounts should your patients ever inquire about them.

This really depends on a few factors. Will your patients accept the fact that you are surcharging? If yes, and you want to save on your credit card processing, then surcharging can be a good business decision. Keep in mind, your patients will always have the option of paying with debit/HSA, cash or check allowing them to avoid the surcharge should they want to.

Surcharging is becoming more and. more accepted and is used by over 30% of small businesses. Explain to your patients that by offering surcharging you are able to keep your prices competitive (as one example on how to justify why you enabled this).

To get started with Surcharging, CLICK HERE. We will get everything configured on the back end. You will start seeing the surcharge appear on your checkout screen/terminal in about 5 business days after filling out this form.

One common issue with surcharging is in relation to virtual credit cards. Insurance companies are eager to send your payment using a virtual credit card. BEWARE.

• You will not be able to enter these payments as a surcharge will be applied which will be more than what is on the card.
• Insurance companies actually make money WHEN YOU USE credit card. They also save money in postage and check creation fees. You already take a cut from negotiated insurance prices. Do not take an even bigger hit by accepting VCC.
• You do NOT need to accept VCC. Notify your insurance company to have your payment type changed to check or direct deposit.

You can expect to see a reduction (on average) of about 2% lower fees when your patients surcharge. Depending on your credit card volume, this can save you hundreds, if not thousands, per month.

CLICK HERE to get started with surcharging.

As a ChiroSpring Pay surcharge customer, we want to inform you that your practice is required to show signage with the below text.    

We impose a surcharge of 3%, which is not greater than our cost of acceptance.  We do not impose a surcharge on payments by debit card, cash, gift card, or check.

If Your Practice is in Colorado use this text instead:

To cover the costs of processing a credit or charge card transaction, and pursuant to section 5-2-212, Colorado revised statutes, a seller, or lessor may impose a processing surcharge in an amount not to exceed the merchant discount fee that the seller or lessor incurs in processing the sales or leas transaction.  A seller or lessor shall not impose a processing surcharge on payments made by use of cash, check or debit card or redemption of a gift card. 

Can I charge a percentage for accepting credit card payments?

Yes, in most states you can, provided you follow the applicable card brand rules and state laws.

Key requirements include:

• The surcharge can only be applied to credit card transactions (not debit cards, with limited exceptions).
• The surcharge cannot exceed your actual cost of acceptance and is generally capped at 3%.
• Your payment processor must configure surcharging before you begin using it.
• Patients must be notified of the surcharge before completing their payment.
• The surcharge must appear as a separate line item on the receipt.

Note: Surcharging is prohibited in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, and Puerto Rico. California and Texas have had legal challenges to previous restrictions, so practices should verify current local requirements before enabling surcharging.

Can I surcharge debit cards?

No. In general, debit card transactions cannot be surcharged.

ChiroSpring Pay automatically identifies whether a card is a credit or debit card based on the card's BIN (Bank Identification Number) and only applies a surcharge when permitted. While there are a few limited card-brand exceptions, most debit card transactions will never receive a surcharge.

How does ChiroSpring Pay know whether a card is credit or debit if the patient isn't asked?

ChiroSpring Pay determines the card type automatically using the card's BIN (Bank Identification Number).

This allows the system to distinguish between eligible credit cards and debit cards without requiring the patient to select "Credit" or "Debit." If the card is a debit card, no surcharge is applied (subject to applicable card-brand rules).

Can I surcharge HSA or FSA cards?

In most cases, no.

Most HSA and FSA cards are issued using a debit BIN, making them ineligible for credit card surcharges. ChiroSpring Pay automatically identifies these cards and will not apply a surcharge when the card is recognized as a debit card.

How does surcharging work with CareCredit cards?

Whether a CareCredit transaction is eligible for surcharging depends on how the specific CareCredit card is issued.

Some CareCredit cards operate on traditional credit card networks, while others are issued differently. ChiroSpring Pay can determine eligibility based on the card's BIN. If you're unsure about a specific CareCredit card, our payment partner can test the BIN to determine whether surcharging is permitted.

Are there different surcharge rules for in-person payments versus stored cards?

No.

The card-brand surcharging rules are the same regardless of whether the payment is:

• Made in person,
• Processed using a stored card on file, or
• Entered through another supported payment method.

The same eligibility requirements and surcharge rules apply across all supported payment channels.

How should I explain a credit card surcharge to patients?

The simplest approach is to be transparent and consistent.

You might say:

"A small surcharge is applied to payments made with a credit card. If you'd like to avoid the surcharge, you're welcome to pay using another accepted payment method, such as a debit card, ACH, or cash."

It's also important that required disclosures are displayed:

• At the payment terminal or checkout page.
• On invoices (when applicable).
• On the final receipt, where the surcharge appears as a separate line item.

Clear communication helps minimize confusion and sets appropriate expectations.

Is it legal for chiropractors in New York to surcharge credit card payments?

Yes.

New York allows businesses, including chiropractic practices, to apply credit card surcharges provided they comply with applicable disclosure requirements and card-brand rules.

Practices should ensure all required signage and patient disclosures are in place before enabling surcharging. If you have questions about your state's requirements, we recommend consulting your legal advisor.

These FAQs are intended to provide general information about ChiroSpring Pay surcharging. Because state laws and card-brand rules can change, practices should ensure they remain compliant with all applicable regulations.