What EU law says about surcharges
PSD2, Article 62, sets the rules. A payee may ask the payer for a charge for using a given payment instrument, but the charge may not exceed the direct costs the payee bears for that instrument (paragraph 3). A payee may not request any charge for instruments whose interchange fees are regulated under Chapter II of Regulation (EU) 2015/751, or for payment services covered by Regulation (EU) No 260/2012, on credit transfers and direct debits in euro (paragraph 4).
Chapter II of that regulation does not apply to commercial cards or to cards of three-party schemes, so the ban does not reach them. Member States may prohibit or limit surcharges further (paragraph 5), so the answer can differ by country.
What UK law says about surcharges
The Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012 carry the UK's rule, in regulations 6A and 6B, inserted on 13 January 2018. A payee must not charge a payer any fee for paying with a card or other payment instrument that is not a commercial card, where the payment service providers of both payer and payee are in the United Kingdom. Where a fee is allowed, it may not exceed the costs the payee bears for that instrument.
Surcharges in card scheme rules
The Visa Core Rules of 18 April 2026 (1.5.5.2) bar a merchant from adding any amount over the advertised or normal price, unless law expressly requires that the merchant be permitted to surcharge. In Visa's Europe Region, the merchant clearly communicates any surcharge to the cardholder, who agrees to it before the transaction is initiated. A checkout that serves several countries therefore holds surcharge logic by card type, by country and by scheme.
Surcharge, discount or convenience fee?
- Discount for another method
- A lower price for paying by a preferred method. PSD2 lets a payee offer a reduction, or otherwise steer the payer towards a given payment instrument.
- Convenience fee
- A charge for paying through an alternative channel, such as by phone, and not for the choice of card. Visa's rules set separate conditions for it in some regions.
- Dynamic currency conversion
- A margin on converting the amount into the cardholder's currency at the terminal. It is a currency service the cardholder chooses, not a fee for the payment method.
Where a surcharge shows up in a platform
Modules that do the work
- CheckoutA hosted checkout for cards, wallets, bank payments and crypto, routed to the best provider.
- Card acquiringCard acceptance on the phone, in store and online, through the acquirer you choose.
- LedgerThe double-entry book of record behind every balance, fee and transfer.
Platforms that need it
Where it is written
The laws and standards this page's facts come from.
- Directive (EU) 2015/2366, PSD2, Article 62 (EUR-Lex)
- Regulation (EU) 2015/751, the Interchange Fee Regulation, Article 1(3) and Chapter II (EUR-Lex)
- The Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012, regulations 6A and 6B (legislation.gov.uk)
- Visa Core Rules and Visa Product and Service Rules, 18 April 2026: 1.5.5.2 and 5.5.2 (Visa)
General information, not legal advice: what applies to you depends on your services and your market.