Overview
A surcharge is a fee a law firm adds to the total payment amount when a customer pays with a credit card. For instance, if the processing fee is 3%, the company will include a 3% surcharge on the payment amount when a customer pays with a credit card.
Eligibility and Activation Process
To enable surcharges:
Submit a request to 8am support to activate the surcharge feature on your account by calling 800-459-5798 or emailing [email protected].
Confirm acceptance of the applicable terms and conditions.
Specify the surcharge percentage (up to 3% in most U.S. states, or lower where legally required). The percentage cannot exceed your actual cost of acceptance.
Once activated, the surcharge will appear on your secure payment page, Quick Bills, and invoices. It will be displayed in the subtotal after a valid credit card number is entered.
Viewing Surcharges
Surcharges will only appear once an invoice has been paid. You can view surcharge amounts on individual invoices, the Transactions tab, and the Electronic Payment Report. See examples below.
Invoicing → Invoices → Select invoice
Transactions
Electronic Payments Report
What will my client see?
If you have a surcharge set up, when clients pay their invoice, if they enter a Credit Card number, they will see the surcharge listed as a Credit Card Fee on their payment page.
Once a client makes a payment, they will receive a receipt that lists the surcharge and total amount paid.
Rules and Compliance
Maximum Surcharge: Typically capped at 3% in most states.
Exclusions: Surcharges cannot be applied to: - Debit card payments - Trust account transactions - Scheduled payments, Card Vault charges, or recharged payments - Payments made via the mobile app or integrated partners (unless supported by the partner)
Compliance: Ensure adherence to state laws, card brand rules, and professional regulations. Notification to card brands is handled by the payment processor.
FAQ
Who can use surcharge?
Anyone, except if your practice is in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New York, or Puerto Rico. There are laws against Surcharging in these states. To set up surcharge, call 800-459-5798 or email [email protected] to set up surcharge for specific processing accounts.
How does surcharge work?
Once surcharge is set up, whenever a client pays an invoice by Credit Card, the system charges a surcharge fee on top of the balance due. This passes on the processing fees to the client.
Will the surcharge be on the invoice?
Once payment is received from the client, a surcharge will be included on the invoice. If the invoice has a partial or full payment, the surcharge amount for the payment will appear in the payment history table at the bottom of the invoice.
Can surcharges be set up for eCheck payments?
Yes. eCheck surcharge is now supported, allowing firms to apply compliant surcharges without interrupting their billing workflows.
How can I disable the surcharge for when I don't want a client to pay a surcharge?
You can request that our support team create a "No-Surcharge Payment Page" that you can send out to clients for this specific situation. You can call or email us to complete this request.
How do surcharges appear on my monthly statement?
There is no separate line item on the monthly statement for surcharges. The surcharge is added to the original transaction total and the full amount is deposited to the bank account. The firm needs to set aside these funds when billing time comes, then we debit these fees from the firms operating account.
Does my client get billed for the surcharge?
Surcharge is not a pass through processing fee, as stated above you receive the full deposit amount plus the surcharge amount. Enabling the surcharge feature does not mean your client pays for your processing fees, it means that when a client pays via credit card into your operating account, you will receive an extra % to cover the cost.