⚠️ Important: Transaction Fees Are Not Recommended for Surcharging
While Dash includes a Transaction Fee feature, it does not currently enforce card-network or regional surcharging rules. Using this feature to pass credit card fees to customers should be used with extreme caution due to liability considerations.
👉 Review the Surcharging Compliance Considerations section below before enabling 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
Click the arrow to review important compliance info before using this feature
Click the arrow to review important compliance info before using this feature
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
✅ Want compliant surcharging support?
If surcharging via Stripe is something you want Dash to support, please vote for the feature request below.
*Note: To vote on this feature you'll be prompted to enter and verify your email.
💡 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
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.
🛠️ Setup
This setup is a two-step process where you first create a Transaction Fee product, then configure the Transaction Fee settings using that product.
Click the arrow to learn how to configure a Transaction Fee
Click the arrow to learn how to configure a Transaction Fee
Step 1️⃣ : Create a Transaction Fee Product
Navigate to Cash Register > Products
Click + Add Product
Set the product type to Normal Product
Enter a clear name (for example, Transaction Fee or Credit Card Transaction Fee)
Assign a category (optional but recommended)
Set a GL Code if needed for reporting
Save the product
💡 The product price itself does not matter. The fee amount is calculated dynamically based on the transaction total. Entering 1.00 is fine here.
Step 2️⃣ : Configure the Transaction Fee
Use the global search and type Transaction Fees
You must have the Product Management authorization
Click + to add a new Transaction Fee
Enter the following:
Name: Internal reference only
Product: Select the Transaction Fee product you created
Rate: Percentage to apply to credit card transactions
Minimum Fee: (optional): If the percentage rate for the cart is below your minimum fee amount, this will be charged instead.
Click Save New Fee
💳 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
Click the arrow to learn how to refund a transaction fee from a booking
💡 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.
Does Dash automatically manage surcharging laws or card network rules?
Click the arrow to see the answer
Click the arrow to see the answer
No. Dash does not enforce surcharge caps, card-type exclusions, or regional requirements.
Does the Transaction Fee apply to debit cards?
Click the arrow to see the answer
Click the arrow to see the answer
Yes. Debit cards processed as credit are not excluded from the fee.
What happens to the Transaction Fee when a refund is issued?
Click the arrow to see the answer
Click the arrow to see the answer
When issuing a refund as a reversal to the original credit card, staff can choose to reverse the entire transaction or reverse only the original cart items and leave the transaction fee in place. Dash does not apply a new transaction fee during the reversal.
