As a field service business, you know every dollar counts.
For years, credit card processing fees have quietly eaten into your profit margins. Each time a customer paid with a credit card, you absorbed the transaction fees. On a $1,000 credit card purchase, that can look like $30 gone. Multiply that by hundreds of transactions, and thousands of dollars vanish annually from your bottom line.
Many business owners want to reclaim these lost profits while staying competitive. With a new credit card surcharges feature launching on February 3, 2025, ServiceBridge makes this possible. Now, you can reduce credit card processing fees by adding a surcharge onto a customer’s bill, keeping your hard-earned revenue where it belongs—in your business.
Why Credit Card Processing Fees Hurt Your Bottom Line
For years, small businesses like yours have shouldered the burden of credit card transactions, watching hard-earned profits dwindle. Every swipe fee, tap, or online payment comes with a cost. These seemingly small interchange fees balloon into thousands of dollars annually, especially for retailers and field service businesses handling high-value transactions.
This financial drain isn’t just about lost revenue; it’s a competitive liability. While many competitors have long passed these fees to customers, businesses using traditional payment systems have been forced to absorb the cost, inadvertently putting themselves at a pricing disadvantage. You know this money lost to fees could otherwise fund critical investments like hiring skilled technicians, upgrading equipment, or expanding service offerings. ServiceBridge clients made it clear this status quo was unsustainable, and we listened.
How Credit Card Surcharging Works
ServiceBridge’s new Credit Card Surcharge feature integrates seamlessly with Fiserv, our trusted merchant service provider, to streamline how you manage transaction fees. Here’s how it transforms your payment workflow.
When customers choose credit card payments (whether online, through the Pay Now portal, or in-person via point of sale systems), ServiceBridge automatically adds a fee to their total. For example, a $1,000 invoice becomes $1,030, ensuring you retain the full invoice amount while the customer helps covers the actual cost of credit card processing fees. This automation eliminates manual calculations and guarantees accuracy, whether payments are processed digitally or over the phone.
Transparency and compliance are also prioritized at every step. The surcharge fees are clearly displayed to customers during checkout, and if your team processes payments over the phone, the system prompts representatives to notify customers about the fee upfront. To further simplify compliance with surcharging laws, ServiceBridge automatically restricts surcharging in states where it’s prohibited, such as Connecticut and Massachusetts, so you never have to worry about regulatory missteps.
Activating the feature is straightforward. Your business will need to transition from your current Fiserv account to a surcharge-enabled Fiserv account. This is a simple process our Support and Customer Success teams will guide you through seamlessly. Once the switch is complete, ServiceBridge instantly recognizes your upgraded account and activates the surcharge feature, requiring no additional setup or technical effort on your end.
Why This Matters: Three Ways Surcharging Benefits Your Business
The ability to reduce credit card expenses for your business is a strategic shift that strengthens your business’s financial health and competitive edge. First and foremost, surcharging directly boosts your profit margins by reclaiming the percentage you previously lost to credit card companies. These newfound savings can be reinvested into growth initiatives, whether that’s hiring additional technicians, upgrading your fleet with cutting-edge GPS tools, or expanding into new service areas.
Second, surcharging closes a critical competitive gap. Many of your competitors already charge these transaction fees to their customers, which means absorbing the cost has likely put you at a pricing disadvantage. By adopting this industry-standard practice, you level the playing field, ensuring your pricing remains both fair and competitive while preserving your ability to offer transparent, customer-friendly service.
Finally, surcharging removes a key barrier to payment adoption. When your team no longer hesitates to promote credit card payments for fear of eating the entire fee, customers enjoy faster, more convenient ways to settle invoices. This leads to quicker payments, improved cash flow, and fewer delays in revenue collection, transforming how efficiently your business operates.
How to Get Started in Three Simple Steps
Activating ServiceBridge’s Credit Card Surcharge feature is quick and hassle-free. It’s designed to get you up and running with minimal effort.
First, reach out to our Support or Customer Success team to initiate the process. They’ll guide you through the transition from your current Fiserv account to a surcharge-enabled Fiserv account, ensuring a smooth and seamless switch. Once your new account is in place, ServiceBridge automatically detects the upgrade and activates the surcharge feature without requiring any additional setup on your end. This means no technical headaches or complicated configurations, just instant access to the benefits of surcharging.
Finally, as you begin using the feature, our system ensures transparency and compliance every step of the way. Whether customers pay online, through the Pay Now portal, or over the phone, the surcharge is clearly displayed, and your team is prompted to notify customers of the fee upfront. With ServiceBridge handling the heavier lifting, you can focus on what matters most (like running your business). This feature will be available for ServiceBridge customers on February 3.
Here are the steps to set your business up for the Credit Card Surcharge in ServiceBridge:
- Submit a request to our Support or Customer Success team to switch your Fiserv account.
- Once upgraded, ServiceBridge detects your surcharge-enabled account and activates the feature automatically.
- Use our built-in prompts and compliant disclosures to ensure transparency.
What’s the catch?
You may have questions about how surcharging works and what it means for your business.
First, many clients ask whether surcharging is legal everywhere. The answer is yes, in most states, but ServiceBridge automatically enforces compliance in regions where surcharging is restricted, such as Connecticut and Massachusetts, so you never have to worry about regulatory issues.
Another concern is whether customers will push back on the fee. The key is transparency. When customers are informed upfront about the surcharge they generally understand and accept it as a small cost for the convenience of paying by credit card.
Some clients wonder if surcharges apply to debit cards. The answer is no. This feature is designed exclusively for credit card transactions, in line with Fiserv’s guidelines, ensuring you stay compliant while maximizing your revenue recovery.
Stop Leaving Money on the Table
ServiceBridge’s Credit Card Surcharge feature is about empowering your business to operate smarter.
By aligning with industry standards and automating compliance, you gain a fairer, more profitable way to manage payments and make profits. Don’t let credit card processing fees cut into your profits another quarter. Contact our team on February 3 to activate surcharging and keep your earnings, or join ServiceBridge’s platform to take control of your bottom line.