Every credit card transaction carries a cost, and for B2B organizations, those costs can quietly erode margins at scale. Processing fees often rank among the top three company expenses overall.
As finance teams modernize payments to meet customer expectations, they also need a smarter way to manage rising processing fees without adding complexity or compliance risk. Compliant surcharging offers a practical path forward, helping merchants:
- Recover eligible fees
- Improve cost control
- Maintain a transparent payment experience that supports both profitability and customer trust
If this topic is top of mind for your team, join InterPayments at Esker All Access 2026 on September 9-10 to explore how automation, AI-driven insights, and modern payment strategies are reshaping the Office of the CFO. InterPayments’ CEO, Nagendra Jayanty, will share best practices for compliant surcharging during the session “Stop Absorbing Credit Card Fees: A Smarter Approach with InterPayments” on Thursday, September 10, at 11:15 a.m.
What defines a strong surcharging program
The success of a surcharging program depends heavily on how it is designed, implemented, and managed. A strong surcharging program should include the following key elements:
Proactive compliance controls: Surcharging is currently shaped by 64 government jurisdictions across the U.S. and Canada. These laws are frequently updated. The strongest surcharging programs embed compliance directly into program structure through automated safeguards and consistent execution, rather than relying on manual oversight.
Transparency and trust: Transparency and trust are reinforced when programs prioritize the customer experience through consistent surcharge practices, including clear disclosure and accurate surcharge calculation.
Adaptive, end-to-end program management: Surcharging delivers the strongest results when treated as a managed program rather than a one-time switch. A deliberate rollout allows surcharging to align with existing payment workflows and customer communications. Internal alignment across finance, legal, customer service, and sales is also essential to ensure consistent execution and messaging. When executed this way, surcharging becomes a scalable cost-control capability.
Transforming fees into a strategic advantage
Esker, the leading AI Automation Suite for the Office of the CFO, offers source-to-pay and order-to-cash solutions built to optimize working capital and cashflow, enhance decision-making, and drive smarter growth strategies. As a Managed Surcharge Provider, InterPayments seamlessly integrates with Esker’s payment platform to enable compliant surcharging within existing workflows.
InterPayments offers full compliance with all state/provincial, federal, and card brand regulations within the U.S. and Canada, backed by contractual indemnification. Each transaction is evaluated against more than 18 million records across 10 BIN tables to ensure maximum surcharge accuracy, automating the process so it remains invisible to the merchant. InterPayments Certification ensures that merchants comply with all applicable laws and regulations, with annual recertifications to maintain compliance.
The InterPayments managed surcharge solution puts customers first by clearly communicating the surcharge policy before payment is initiated. InterPayments enables all teams involved with surcharging so merchants can provide full payment transparency to their customers.
By combining compliant fee recovery with AI-powered source-to-pay and order-to-cash automation, InterPayments and Esker help organizations modernize B2B payments while controlling costs.
Continue the conversation at Esker All Access 2026
For merchants looking to modernize payment operations more strategically, the Esker All Access conference brings together real-world perspectives on how organizations are enhancing financial operations to achieve stronger business outcomes.
Visit InterPayments’ booth #9 at Esker All Access 2026 in Chicago and connect with us for a free, personalized fee recovery analysis.