Dual Pricing Program
Display a cash price and a card price side by side at checkout. Customers choose their payment method with full cost transparency, and card users cover the processing fee.
Two prices. One choice. Complete transparency.
Dual pricing shows two prices on every item at the point of sale: a lower cash price and a slightly higher card price. The difference between the two equals your card processing cost. Customers see both prices before they pay and choose the method that works for them. No fee is added at checkout and there are no surprises.
Unlike surcharging (which adds a fee at the end), dual pricing puts both options in plain view from the start. There are no surprises at checkout.
Rules vary by state and card network, and GoPayhawk confirms requirements during setup. Dual pricing can be applied to both credit and debit card transactions depending on your configuration.
See If Dual Pricing Works for YouFull Transparency Before Payment
Both prices are shown before the customer commits. No fees added after the fact. The customer always knows exactly what they'll pay.
Simple at the point of sale
Set your cash price
Your cash price is your base price: what you want to net from each transaction. This is the price you would have charged before card processing costs were a factor. It appears on shelf tags, menus, and price lists as the lower of the two displayed prices.
System calculates the card price
Your payment terminal or POS automatically calculates the card price by adding your processing cost percentage to the cash price. Both prices display simultaneously on the customer-facing screen before payment is initiated.
Customer selects their payment method
The customer sees both prices and chooses how to pay. If they tap their card, they pay the card price. If they hand over cash or enter a PIN for debit, they pay the cash price. The decision is entirely theirs, made with full information.
Correct amount charged automatically
The terminal charges the appropriate price based on the payment method selected. The receipt reflects the price paid and the payment type. No manual calculations, no adjustments. The system handles it end to end.
How dual pricing compares to other cost-offset models
All three programs offset card processing costs, but they differ in structure and disclosure. Rules vary by state and card network, and GoPayhawk confirms requirements during setup.
Surcharging
Posts a cash/base price. Adds a fee when the customer pays by credit card. Debit cards are not surcharged.
Cash Discounting
Posts a card price. Reduces it for cash or PIN debit customers. Discount framed as a reward rather than a fee.
Dual Pricing
Displays both prices simultaneously before payment. Maximum transparency: customer chooses knowingly. Applies to credit and PIN debit configurations.
What a dual pricing program looks like day to day
Rules vary by state and card network, and GoPayhawk confirms requirements during setup. Here's how a typical program runs.
Both Prices Shown Before Payment
The cash price and the card price are both visible to the customer before they start payment, so nobody sees the card price for the first time at the terminal.
- Both prices are labeled in plain language, such as "Cash Price" and "Card Price"
- The prices appear on the customer-facing display before the payment method is selected
- The difference between the two prices equals your card processing cost
- The program runs the same way across all transactions of the same type
Point-of-Sale and Signage
Along with the customer-facing terminal display, a typical program explains dual pricing at the point of entry and at the point of sale:
- Store entrance or menu: Notice that two prices are displayed (cash and card) and an explanation of the difference
- POS or customer-facing terminal: Both prices shown simultaneously before payment selection
- Online checkout (if applicable): Both prices clearly labeled on the payment page before the customer enters card details
GoPayhawk provides pre-configured signage and terminal screen layouts.
Debit Card Handling
Dual pricing can be configured to treat debit cards similarly to cash (charging the lower price) or similarly to credit (charging the card price). The configuration that is right for your business depends on your processing costs and customer mix.
- PIN debit: Typically treated as cash, processed through debit networks at lower interchange rates, so the cash price applies
- Signature debit: May be treated as a card transaction (runs on the Visa/Mastercard network at higher interchange rates)
- Your GoPayhawk terminal is configured at setup to apply the correct price based on how each transaction routes
- Customers are shown which price applies for their payment method before they confirm
Receipts
Receipts for dual pricing transactions show what the customer paid and which price applied:
- The price charged is itemized on the receipt
- The payment method (cash, debit, credit) is shown
- If the card price was charged, the receipt shows the card price, not the cash price with a fee listed separately
This keeps the receipt clean and easy to read.
How GoPayhawk Helps With Card Security
Every GoPayhawk terminal is PCI PTS certified. If you have a question about card security, GoPayhawk support is available 24/7.
Common questions about dual pricing
How is dual pricing different from surcharging?
With surcharging, you post one price (the cash/base price) and add a fee at the end when the customer pays by credit card. The customer often doesn't know the final total until after they've committed to a card payment. With dual pricing, both the cash price and the card price are displayed upfront, before the customer selects a payment method. The customer chooses knowingly. Rules vary by state and card network, and GoPayhawk confirms requirements during setup.
Do customers react negatively to seeing two prices?
Generally, no, and often the reaction is more positive than with surcharging. Because dual pricing is fully transparent before payment, customers feel in control of the decision. They aren't surprised by a fee at the end; they choose the price they're comfortable with. Gas stations have used this model (cash vs. card price per gallon) for decades with broad consumer acceptance. The key is clear, friendly signage that explains the program without making customers feel penalized.
Do dual pricing rules vary by state?
Yes. Rules vary by state and card network, and GoPayhawk confirms requirements during setup. The program itself works the same way: both prices are shown before the customer pays.
What does GoPayhawk handle for setup?
We handle everything: terminal programming to display both prices on the customer-facing screen, POS configuration for automatic price selection based on payment method, point-of-entry and point-of-sale signage, receipt formatting, and ongoing support. We also confirm state and card network requirements during setup. Most merchants are live within a few business days of approval. We also provide a free statement analysis upfront so you can see exactly what your card price would be and what your net savings would look like.
Ready to give customers full transparency and cut your processing costs?
Send us your current processing statement. We'll show you what your dual pricing structure would look like and how much you'd save.
