Credit and debit card processing fees continue to rise across service-based industries—cutting directly into margins for franchise and multi-location brands. For operators managing 5, 50, or 200+ locations, these costs compound quickly, often forcing tough decisions around pricing, staffing, or profitability.
Most POS systems address this pressure with simplistic surcharge settings or manual workarounds.
MyTime’s new Surcharging feature gives franchises a smarter option: automatically recover processing fees without increasing service prices or complicating the client experience.
This guide explains what surcharging is, why more franchises are adopting it, and how MyTime implements a scalable, compliant solution that works at every location.
Surcharging is the practice of adding a small, clearly disclosed fee to a transaction when a client pays with a credit or debit card. The fee offsets the card processing cost that businesses otherwise absorb.
Processing fees have risen industry-wide due to several converging trends:
For single-location businesses, fee increases are painful.
For franchises and multi-location operators, they are exponential.
Without surcharging, operators face:
Surcharging protects margins at scale without forcing price increases.
MyTime treats surcharging as a configurable payment feature that applies automatically at checkout based on how rules are set per location. Once enabled, surcharge behavior is handled by the system across POS and online payments, rather than by staff at the counter.
Operators can define surcharge behavior across key dimensions that determine how fees are applied at checkout, giving brands precise control without adding operational complexity.
Define which card types are eligible for surcharges:
Apply surcharge rules based on how the payment is taken:
Choose how surcharge amounts are calculated:
This flexibility allows brands to align surcharge configuration with local requirements , franchise agreements, and margin goals.
One of the biggest risks in surcharging is confusing clients.
MyTime prevents this by showing surcharge details before payment across:
Clients see exactly what they’re being charged, why, and how it works—reducing confusion, callbacks, and chargebacks.
Transparency is a competitive advantage, not a cost.
Once enabled, MyTime:
No manual intervention.
No staff scripting.
No risk of inconsistency across locations.
This is essential for franchise brands where front desk workflows must stay clean and predictable.
Surcharging isn't just a payment tactic — it's a strategic tool that protects margins and improves financial clarity at every location.
Instead of raising service prices across the board, operators recover the processing fee associated with the payment method used.
At scale, the savings are substantial:
MyTime allows surcharge rules to be configured by location and standardized using templates, helping brands apply the same approach across their network.
This ensures:
Finance teams get clear visibility into surcharge activity by location.
MyTime automatically:
This is especially valuable for operators managing complex multi-state books.
When guests see surcharge details upfront:
In a world where price sensitivity is rising, transparency matters more than ever.
Once surcharge rules are configured for a location, they are applied automatically at checkout.
No complex training required.
No manual steps for staff
No inconsistent application during payment
This makes surcharging a repeatable, location-level configuration rather than a manual, staff-driven process.
MyTime supports surcharge compliance requirements, but operators should understand the basics:
MyTime provides the tools for compliance, but operators remain responsible for confirming and meeting local compliance requirements.
MyTime’s surcharging feature helps multi-location brands:
For brands facing margin pressure, rising interchange fees, or inconsistent fee handling across locations, surcharging is one of the simplest high-impact levers available.
Whether you’re evaluating MyTime or already using the platform, enabling surcharging is straightforward.
👉 Contact Support or your account manager to enable surcharging and configure location-level rules
👉 Book a demo to see how surcharging works alongside MyTime’s payments, POS, and financial automation tools