What Is a Convenience Fee?
A convenience fee is a fee charged by a seller when a consumer pays with an electronic payment card rather than by a standard form of payment accepted by the business. Standard payments include cash, check, or an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfer.
Convenience fees can be a fixed dollar amount or a percentage of the transaction amount, usually 2% to 3%, and must be disclosed to the consumer in advance. Types of payments where the payee typically charges a convenience fee include mortgage payments, property tax payments, college tuition, and taxes.
Key Takeaways
- A convenience fee is a fee charged by a business for payments made through an alternative channel, rather than by cash, check, or ACH.
- Typical cases where convenience fees are charged include payments for taxes and tuition.
- The fee is typically a fixed amount or a percentage of the sale.
- Convenience fees are charged by businesses to cover the cost they pay to payment processing companies for when a customer pays by credit card.
- A convenience fee is different from a surcharge, which is a charge simply for just using a credit card. Surcharges are illegal in some states.
- All businesses have to follow the policies of payment processing providers and government laws when it comes to convenience fees and surcharges.
Understanding Convenience Fees
Convenience fees can help a business cover some of the costs imposed through electronic payment processing. Businesses have to pay a merchant fee every time one of their customers uses a credit card. For most businesses, such as department stores and grocery stores, a merchant fee is just a cost of doing business.
On the other hand, a movie theater or concert venue typically takes payment at the box office, so an alternative payment channel, such as the phone or online via credit card, would result in additional fees for them, thus they would charge a convenience fee for doing business in this way.
It's important to note that a convenience fee is different than a surcharge. A surcharge is the ability to charge extra just for the benefit of using a credit card while a convenience fee is for a specific use, such as taxes or tuition, or payment through alternative channels, such as by phone or online.
Example of a Convenience Fee
Suppose that you wanted to pay the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by credit card. The IRS will accept credit card payments through several different payment processing companies, and they all charge convenience fees, as allowed by the credit card companies.
One might charge 2.49% with a $3.95 minimum, while another might charge 3.93% with a $2.00 minimum. Thus, if you need to send the IRS $2,000 and you wanted to pay by credit card, you could be required to pay a maximum convenience fee of 0.0393 × $2,000 = $78.60.
Ten states have laws prohibiting credit card surcharges and convenience fees, but these laws have been overturned by recent court rulings. Only three U.S. jurisdictions still have unchallenged bans: Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Puerto Rico.
Convenience Fee Regulations
Some people might not mind paying a convenience fee for the benefit of using an electronic payment card, particularly if the benefit of earning rewards on the card outweighs the cost of the convenience fee. However, this practice is regulated by both state legislation and card networks. As a regulated activity, businesses must be cautious in instituting convenience fees and surcharges for customers.
Ten states have laws on the book outlawing convenience fees and surcharges, but some of these laws have been invalidated by court rulings. However, surcharges remain fully illegal in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Puerto Rico. For the states that allow merchants to set their own surcharge levels, there are caps at approximately 4%.
Credit Card Company Policies on Convenience Fees
Every credit card provider has different rules on convenience fees. Some are more thorough than others, and it may be worth researching the best credit cards to find those with the best policies. Below are the rules of some of the major credit card providers:
Mastercard: Allows for convenience fees as long as they are used for all transactions and methods of payment.
Visa: Allows for convenience fees only if the payment is through an alternative channel, such as by phone or online, the business first notifies the consumer, and that the fee is a flat rate, not a percentage of the sale.
American Express: Has a policy that does not include convenience fees or surcharges.
Discover: Has a policy that also does not include convenience fees or surcharges.
How to Avoid Convenience Fees
There are really only two options when it comes to convenience fees; either to pay the fee or to use another form of payment, such as cash. In many cases, some businesses, such as gas stations, offer discounts when a consumer pays by cash.
It's always worth asking a business if they offer a cash discount. Convenience fees are meant to be disclosed at the point of sale, so if you discover you have been charged a fee after the fact, it's important to take this up with your credit card company.
How Do You Avoid Convenience Fees for Movie Tickets?
Some movie theaters charge convenience fees for online or advance orders. If you want to avoid these fees, try ordering your ticket at the box office on the day of the show. This runs the risk that your chosen seats may not be available.
How Do You Avoid Convenience Fees When Paying Rent?
Some landlords allow their tenants to pay rent online through a third-party payment system, which may charge a percentage of the rent as a convenience fee. Depending on the terms of your lease, you may be able to avoid these fees by paying with a check, money order, cash, or other form of non-online payment. Some states prohibit landlords from requiring any form of payment that comes with mandatory surcharges; in others, it is perfectly legal.
What Is the Convenience Fee for Turbotax?
Intuit charges a 2.49% convenience fee if you choose to pay your taxes with a credit card when you file your taxes with TurboTax.
The Bottom Line
A convenience fee is an additional charge for online or credit card payments, sometimes charged by a third-party payment processor. Convenience fees are normally a flat fee or a small percentage of the total payment, but they can add up to a substantial sum if the payments are large or recurring. You may be able to avoid convenience fees by paying with cash or another form of payment.
