Understanding Surcharging
Surcharging allows veterinary clinics to pass credit card processing fees on to pet parents who choose to pay with a credit card. This helps offset the cost of credit card transactions without affecting payments made by debit card — debit payments are always processed without a client fee.
How the Fee Appears
How the client fee shows up on invoices and receipts depends on your clinic's state:
- Most states: The fee appears as a separate line item on the invoice and receipt.
- New York, Texas, Kansas, and California: The fee is built into the total. It will not appear as a separate line item.
In both cases, the fee is only charged when a credit card is used. If a pet parent pays with a debit card, the fee is automatically removed, and they'll see a "Cash discount applied" notice. *Note: Fees do not write back to your PIMS.
Using Surcharging in the Otto Side Panel
When collecting a payment via the side panel, client service fees are enabled by default.
Once card details are entered or a saved payment method is selected, the UI will detect and display the card type (credit or debit):
- Credit card: The client fee is applied automatically.
- Debit card: The client fee is removed, and a "Cash discount applied" notice is displayed.
Note: Payments sent from the side panel to the terminal do not include the client fee. Only TAP payments on the terminal apply the surcharge.
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Using Surcharging with Terminals
Surcharging on the terminal works through the TAP workflow. The client fee displays as a line item on the terminal screen before payment is collected.
To process a TAP payment with surcharging:
- Search for the client on the terminal.
- Select or enter the amount owed.
- The client fee will display as a line item added to the total. A banner will inform the client that they can save by paying with a debit card.
- Select Collect Payment and hand the terminal to the client.
- The terminal auto-detects the card type on tap:
- Debit: The fee is removed. A "Cash discount applied" banner confirms no fee was charged.
- Credit: The fee is applied. The fee and total will reflect on the receipt.
Watch this video to see surcharging on the terminal in action:
Using Surcharging in Conversations / Text-to-Pay
When sending a payment request through a conversation, Otto automatically detects the card type once the pet parent enters or selects their payment method in the Pet Portal.
- Credit card: The client fee is applied.
- Debit card: The client fee is removed. The pet parent will see an alert letting them know they can save by paying with a debit card.
Where Client Fees Are Recorded
When a client fee is applied, it will appear in:
- Payments Reporting in Otto
- Stripe
- Otto Invoices and Receipts
- Refunds processed from Otto
FAQs
Can I adjust the fee amount? Yes. The fee can be edited in the side panel and conversations. The fee amount is capped at the percentage negotiated in your clinic's contract — if you enter a value above the cap, it will automatically adjust back down.
What if a pet parent asks why they're being charged a fee? Let them know the fee only applies to credit card payments and that paying by debit card will remove it entirely.
Does the fee apply to all payment methods? No. The client fee only applies to credit card payments. Debit cards, cash, and other payment methods are not subject to the surcharge.