⚠️ October 2026 Update: Transaction Fees Are Being Phased Out

New Transaction Fees cannot be created. Your existing Transaction Fee(s) still apply and can be edited, but if you deactivate it, it cannot be turned back on. Contact Dash support if a Transaction Fee was deactivated unintentionally.

✅ Use Compliant Surcharging via Stripe Instead

We recommend migrating to Surcharging with DaySmart Payments on Stripe. Unlike Transaction Fees, it automatically passes card processing costs to customers within the rules card networks and state laws require, so you stay compliant without manual tracking. It applies only to credit cards, adjusts rates automatically, and keeps your pricing transparent at checkout.

Explore Surcharging with Stripe

💡 Important Compliance Information

While Dash includes a Transaction Fee feature, it does not currently enforce card-network or regional surcharging rules. Using Transaction Fees to pass credit card fees to customers should be avoided if at all possible.

👉 Review the Surcharging Compliance Considerations section below before using this feature.

📝 Overview

Transaction Fees allow you to add a percentage-based fee to purchases paid by credit or debit card. The fee is automatically calculated at checkout, appears as a separate line item, and is tied to a Transaction Fee product you configure in the system. This feature can help offset processing costs but requires careful review before use.

⚠️ Surcharging Compliance Considerations

Surcharging is heavily regulated and subject to strict requirements. Review these critical compliance considerations before using Transaction Fees.

Click the arrow to review important compliance info

Surcharging (passing credit card processing costs directly to the customer) is regulated and subject to strict requirements that vary by:

Country and state or province
Card network (such as Visa or Mastercard)
Payment method (credit vs. debit vs. cash)

While Dash includes a Transaction Fee feature, it does not automatically enforce several critical compliance rules, including:

Preventing surcharges on debit cards or cash transactions
Applying different rules based on customer location or card network
Ensuring surcharge caps are met (such as the 3% maximum in the U.S. and Canada)
Automatically enforcing refund and reversal behavior

Because these safeguards are not fully enforced, transaction fees may be applied in situations where surcharging is not permitted. This can expose merchants to customer complaints, penalties, or card-network action.

What This Means

Dash does not recommend using Transaction Fees as a method for surcharging
When used for surcharging, this feature should be considered non-compliant in its current form
Merchants are responsible for understanding and complying with all applicable laws and card-network rules

💡 How It Works

⚠️ Transaction Fee Card Type and Refund Behavior

The Transaction Fee feature does not distinguish between debit and standard credit cards. Any credit card transaction, including debit cards processed as credit, will receive the fee.

When a refund is processed as a reversal to the original credit card, staff can choose whether to reverse:

The entire transaction, including the transaction fee, or
Only the original cart items, leaving the transaction fee in place

Dash does not apply an additional transaction fee during reversals.

Click the arrow to learn how Transaction Fees behave at checkout

Once a customer adds items to their cart and selects Credit Card as the payment method, the Transaction Fee is automatically calculated based on the configured percentage.

The fee:

Appears as a separate line item in the cart
Displays on the customer’s invoice and receipt
Applies only when credit card is selected as the payment type

Because the calculation is automatic, staff do not manually add or remove the fee during checkout.

🛠️ Managing Existing Fees

⚠️ New Transaction Fees Cannot Be Created

This section applies only to existing accounts with active Transaction Fees already in place. You can edit rates and settings on existing fees, but new Transaction Fees cannot be created as part of the feature phase-out.

📋 Accessing Your Transaction Fees

Click the arrow to learn how to access your Transaction Fees

Use the global search and type Transaction Fees
- You must have the Product Management authorization
The Transaction Fees page displays all your existing fees in a table showing the fee name, rate percentage, and minimum amount
Click on the fee name to open the edit modal and modify settings

✏️ Editing an Existing Transaction Fee

Click the arrow to learn how to edit an existing Transaction Fee

✍️ Note: Changes to Transaction Fees take effect immediately for new transactions.

When you click a fee name, the edit modal opens. You can modify these settings:
- Name: Internal reference (for your records only)
- Product: The product associated with this fee
- Rate: Percentage to apply to credit card transactions
- Minimum Fee (optional): If the percentage rate for the cart is below this minimum fee amount, this amount will be charged instead
- Active toggle: Enable or disable the fee
  - Enabled = Fee is active and applies to transactions
  - Disabled = Fee is inactive; note that disabled fees cannot be reactivated
After making changes, click Save New Fee to update and save your changes.

💳 Refunding a Transaction Fee from a Booking

When a booking is edited or an event is removed, the associated transaction fee may remain on the invoice. Unlike standard transactions, individual line items in a booking cannot be reversed individually. This means if a customer removes an event, the event charge is reversed but the transaction fee stays. A separate refund process is needed to credit the fee back.

Click the arrow to learn how to refund a transaction fee from a booking

💡 Tip: Add a negative fee adjustment to the booking to offset the transaction fee the customer originally paid, then refund the credit to their card via the invoice.

Step 1️⃣ : Before You Start

You must have a Transaction Fee Adjustment product already created in your system. This is a one-time setup.

Step 2️⃣: Open the Booking & Access the Fees Section

Open the customer's booking
In the left sidebar, click Fees (you may see a count badge next to it)
The Fees section expands, showing any existing fees and an + button

Step 3️⃣: Add a Negative Fee Adjustment

Click the + button to open the "Add Fee" modal
In the Product field, search for and select Transaction Fee Adjustment
In the Price field, enter the negative amount of the original transaction fee
- Example: If the transaction fee was $6.25, enter -6.25
Leave Quantity set to 1
Click Save Cost

The negative fee creates a credit on the booking. You'll see the booking's Balance update to reflect the credit (displayed as a negative amount).

Step 4️⃣: Refund the Credit to the Customer's Card

Navigate to the booking's invoice page
Scroll to the Add Payment section (at the bottom right of the invoice)
Enter the negative amount from the credit you just created
- Example: Enter -6.25 to refund $6.25 to the customer's card
Click Add
Complete Checkout

The refund is now processed to the customer's original payment method (their credit or debit card).

💡 Pro Tips

🧠 Train staff on refund options so they understand when to reverse fees versus cart items only.
📊 Review reports regularly to track total fee amounts collected.
⚠️ Communicate clearly with customers about how transaction fees and refunds are handled.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Find answers to common questions or additional details that may not be covered in the main instructions.