Can merchants charge a fee for using a credit card?
The first author is correct that merchant agreements prevent most merchants from charging a convenience fee. That being said, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover will allow service providers to charge a fee. For example, there are companies who accept tax payments on behalf of the IRS and many states that charge a convenience fee. The card companies even promote this on their websites. If you visit Visa’s website and search for “convenience fee” you’ll find more information.
