Choosing Your Payment Processing Pricing

At Best Side Payments, we believe business can be a force for good in the communities we serve. We personally support the causes and organizations that matter most to us. We have built our company around the idea that the work we do every day can also help strengthen the communities around us.

Our business model is designed to support both local businesses and local nonprofits. When merchants choose dual pricing, it allows our company to generate additional revenue, which increases our ability to give back. That means more support for the causes you care about and more resources flowing into the communities we all share.

Together, everyday transactions can create meaningful impact.

Customers using a card will pay an additional 3.5% of the total sales price before tax.

It is the most fair pricing model for your customers, as unintuitive as that may seem.

At Best Side Payments we are passionate about converting businesses to dual pricing. We are in alignment with consumer advocacy groups who promote what is best for those members of our community who are unbanked or underbanked.*

Each year, the credit card companies (VISA/MC/DISC/AMEX) raise the fees they charge to process credit cards. As these costs go up, it becomes one more expense businesses have to cover. Just like rent, supplies, or payroll, higher processing fees can eventually lead to higher prices for customers.

When the cost of products or services increases due to increasing cost of accepting credit card payment, the unbanked or underbanked customers effectively subsidize the credit card points and airline miles for those who have more banking freedom and opportunity.

Making the mindful choice to transition to dual pricing, you will no longer have to raise prices due to rising processing costs. This will ultimately protect those who are most vulnerable in the financial ecosystem.

*Unbanked or underbanked individuals do not have easy access to a regular bank account or credit cards. Some may not have a bank account at all, and others may have one but still rely on cash most of the time. Because they have fewer financial options and resources, they are often more affected by extra fees and costs than people who have full access to banking services.

Under the dual pricing model, businesses advertise the standard price of their goods or services with the cost of card processing already included. In compliance with Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover guidelines, there is no requirement to disclose processing costs in signage.

Customers who choose to pay with cash simply receive a discount at checkout.

If you choose to adjust your pricing slightly when implementing dual pricing, some regular customers may notice, but small incremental price changes are a normal part of doing business and typically do not create significant customer pushback.

The simple answer is yes.

You may hear several terms for passing card processing costs to customers, including dual pricing, surcharging, and cash discounting. While each follows slightly different compliance rules, they all serve the same purpose: helping businesses offset the cost of accepting card payment.