It’s time for some real talk.

If you’re still passing your credit card fees on to your clients, I need you to hear this: stop.
It’s a terrible business practice. And yes, I said what I said.

I know everybody is doing it… I get that the fees are cutting into your profits. But they are a cost of doing business.

Let’s be clear. This isn’t about judgment. It’s about how you’re showing up as a business owner. Because when you tack on a 3–5% fee at checkout, you’re sending a message, and it’s not the one you think.

It Makes You Look Cheap. Period.

As a client?

When I see there is a fee to run my debit or credit card, it completely turns me off. And it really makes me hesitate doing business with that establishment again.

It doesn’t feel like boundaries. It doesn’t feel like you value your time.
It feels like you’re cutting corners, and that’s not the vibe people want when investing in a service provider.

If your offer is $500 and you add a 5% fee at checkout? That tells me you’re not confident enough to just price it at $525 from the start. It feels nickel-and-dimey. And honestly? That’s not the experience your clients are signing up for.

Want to Fix It? Just Raise Your Price

This isn’t rocket science.

If you normally charge $100, and the credit card fees are 3.5%, raise your price to $110 or $120. Just absorb the fee.

Someone is not going to not do business with you because your price is $120 instead of $100. They will think twice if you send an invoice with a little extra tacked on because they want to use a credit card.

So bake it in. Adjust your pricing. Move on.

And Yes, It’s a Write-Off

This part matters.

Your credit card fees are a write-off. They drop your total revenue of taxable income.

If you charge your client the extra fee? That becomes taxable revenue.

But if you absorb the fee and write it off as a business expense? That’s a smart strategy. Either way, you’re paying it. To the IRS or to the credit card processor. Pick one. But don’t make it your client’s problem.

This Is About Buyer Perception, And It Matters

We are in a season where buyer discernment is real. People are paying attention to where their money is going. They’re looking at the little things.

If one service provider is $500 flat and the other is $500 + 5%, guess who’s getting the business? The one who isn’t charging me extra to pay them.

That small detail does influence decisions.

If they’re equally as good, I’m gonna go with the one that’s not gonna charge me to pay them.

What Should You Do Instead of Charging Fees?

1. Raise your price to absorb the cost.
$275 becomes $297. $297 becomes $325. Done.

2. Treat credit card fees like what they are: a cost of doing business.
Just like your software, accountant, or internet.

3. Write it off.
Lower your taxable income and move on.

4. Stop making your clients feel like they’re being penalized for paying you.
They should never feel like they’re getting nickeled and dimed.

5. Focus on creating a seamless, professional client experience.
That extra fee? It’s not a good look.

Final Word: You’re Running a Business. Act Like It.

There are certain things that are just a cost of doing business, and this is one of them.

If this hit a nerve, good. That means it’s time to clean it up. You don’t need to apologize. You just need to fix it. Raise your price. Absorb the fee. Write it off. And move forward like the boss you are. Because charging someone extra to pay you? That’s not the vibe.

And your business deserves better.