Can a U.S. fuel dealer add a surcharge to a Visa card payment?
Visa permits some U.S. credit-card surcharges, subject to its rules and applicable law. That is not permission to add the same fee to Visa debit or prepaid cards.
Confirm the rule before configuring checkout
Visa’s U.S. merchant guidance limits a credit-card surcharge to the lower of the applicable merchant discount rate or 3%. It also requires advance notice to the acquirer and customer disclosures. Debit and prepaid cards remain excluded, even when a debit card is processed using the “credit” option.
Have your acquirer confirm the current network requirements and have qualified counsel check the laws that apply to your business. Do not use an older state-by-state list as a current legal opinion.
For an office review, prepare the proposed customer notice and a sample receipt before changing a setting. Check the card type, fee calculation and disclosures with the parties responsible for approval. This page does not authorize a charge or claim that a particular product automatically makes it compliant.
FAQ
Does the 3% ceiling mean we should charge 3%?
No. It is a ceiling in Visa’s guidance, further limited by the applicable merchant discount rate and law.
Can calling it a processing fee change the rules?
The label does not settle the treatment. Have the actual payment flow reviewed before using it.
Primary source: Visa U.S. Merchant Surcharge Q&A.
Review Blink with your approved payment policy and ask how the proposed checkout would be demonstrated before activation.