Insights
Card processing, explained in plain language.
Guides written to be understood on the first read, with the rules quoted rather than summarized.
Can you surcharge debit cards? No, and here is why
A surcharge can never go on a debit or prepaid card: the Visa and Mastercard rule, the six states and Puerto Rico with their own debit ban, and what to do instead.
Credit card surcharge rules in 2026, quoted from the rulebook
The surcharge cap, the debit exclusion, the 30-day notice and the exact disclosures, quoted from the Visa rulebook, and where state law differs.
Can a city, county, or school accept cards without paying fees?
Card-network service-fee programs for government and schools: which payments qualify, what Arizona law says, and what to ask your acquirer.
How to read your card processing statement in ten minutes
Find your effective rate, the three costs inside every card sale, and the fees that shouldn't be there, using nothing but last month's statement.
Surcharge, cash discount, or dual pricing: which keeps customers?
The three ways to pass card costs to customers, what the card networks actually allow, and what the customer data says about which ones cost you regulars.
Free rate review
Send last month’s statement and get your effective rate, the three lines inside every card sale, and what you’d pay with Cardeva, in writing.
Get a free rate review