What is CARDZ3N and who is it for?

CARDZ3N is a merchant services and gateway platform built for high risk ecommerce, large ticket B2B, and growing local retailers. It connects your online store, invoices, and in person terminals into one unified payments stack so you can control approvals, fees, and reporting from a single place.

How hard is it to get approved if I’m high risk or sell large tickets?

You complete a standard application, but underwriting is more detailed for high risk and large ticket models. CARDZ3N gives you a clear checklist of documents, policies, and processing history and works with banking partners to help you get approved on terms that fit your risk profile and growth plans.

When will I receive my funds, and will there be reserves?

Most CARDZ3N merchants receive next day deposits, while high risk merchants typically receive funds within two business days of settlement. Some high risk and large ticket accounts may use rolling reserves or slightly longer payout windows to manage exposure, and CARDZ3N explains those terms up front.

How does CARDZ3N price processing for ecommerce, B2B, and local retail?

Pricing combines interchange, assessments, and a markup that depends on risk, channels, and ticket sizes. High risk ecommerce typically has higher base rates, large ticket B2B can reduce effective costs through enhanced commercial data strategies, and local retail often benefits from lower card present rates.

Can CARDZ3N help lower my processing costs over time?

Yes. CARDZ3N helps merchants improve data quality, reduce fraud and chargebacks, optimize payment settings, and identify changes that may lower effective processing costs over time.

What integrations and support does CARDZ3N provide as I grow?

CARDZ3N offers APIs and integrations for major ecommerce platforms, subscription tools, B2B invoicing, ERP and CRM systems, plus certified EMV contactless terminals and support for underwriting, chargebacks, integrations, and hardware.

Surcharge Services with CARDZ3N

Who Benefits Most from Surcharging?

Surcharging delivers the highest ROI for high-ticket sectors like automotive, medical, dental, home services, and legal. It's also ideal for high-volume retail and high-risk verticals facing rising interchange costs. Any merchant who wants to offset card fees without alienating card-preferring customers is a strong candidate.

How Surcharging Protects Margins:

The surcharge fee is applied directly to card transactions rather than spread across all buyers. This means merchants recover processing costs automatically, on every card sale. By encouraging low-cost payment methods, surcharging improves net margin, improves cash flow, and reduces reliance on credit card revenue.

What to Know Before Launching Surcharging:

Merchants in card-centric industries may need thoughtful customer messaging before rolling out surcharging site-wide. CARDZ3N helps you test surcharging in pilot locations or segments — refining your rollout strategy before full implementation to minimize friction.

Not sure if surcharging is the right fit for your business? CARDZ3N will analyze your processing volume, industry, and payment mix to recommend the best cost-reduction strategy.

Where Surcharging Is Allowed & Not Allowed in the US

Allowed in Most States:

Surcharging is permitted in 45+ states, including Nevada, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, and Georgia, when proper disclosure and receipt requirements are followed.

Strictly Prohibited:

Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Puerto Rico ban credit card surcharges outright, regardless of disclosure — merchants must use cash discount or dual pricing instead.

Allowed With Restrictions:

Colorado and Oklahoma cap surcharges at 2%, while New York and Texas require the surcharge to be clearly disclosed and capped at your actual processing cost.

Debit Cards Treated Differently:

Federal and card network rules prohibit surcharging debit and prepaid cards nationwide, even in states where credit card surcharging is allowed.

Rules Change Often:

State surcharge laws are evolving every year. CARDZ3N continuously monitors legislation and updates your program to keep you compliant nationwide.

Visa & Mastercard Surcharge Compliance Rules

Beyond state law, Visa and Mastercard impose their own network rules on surcharging. CARDZ3N builds every program around these requirements so your merchant account stays in good standing and never risks fines or surcharge privileges being revoked.

Surcharge Caps: 3% Visa, 4% Mastercard

Your surcharge can never exceed 3% for Visa or 4% for Mastercard, and it can never exceed your actual cost of acceptance, whichever is lower. CARDZ3N calculates the correct ceiling for your account so you never overcharge.

Mandatory Disclosure Requirements

Surcharges must be clearly disclosed to customers before a transaction is completed, on receipts, invoices, signage, and at the point of sale. CARDZ3N ensures your disclosure language and placement meet Visa and Mastercard's exact wording and visibility standards.

Debit Cards & State-Level Restrictions

Federal and network rules prohibit surcharging debit and prepaid cards nationwide. Surcharging is also strictly banned in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Puerto Rico, while states like Colorado, Oklahoma, New York, and Texas impose their own caps or specific requirements. CARDZ3N configures your program to stay compliant everywhere you operate.

If you want to reduce card fees, protect margins, and keep pricing transparent with a compliant surcharge program, contact CARDZ3N today to implement Surcharge Services and turn your payment strategy into a competitive advantage.

Frequently Asked Questions

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What is a Surcharge Program?