> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hiveinspect.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Technology Fee: How Card Pricing Works in Hive Inspect
> How the 4% Technology Fee works in Hive Inspect, why bank transfer and cash payments get a matching discount, and how to quote prices the right way.
In the dashboard: Business Tools → Payments → Accept credit / debit cards
This page is general information, not legal, tax, or accounting advice. Payment rules vary by state and province and change over time. Check with your attorney before you change how you quote or advertise prices.
## The short version
When a client pays by card, you choose who covers the cost:
| Option | What the client pays by card | What you receive |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------- |
| **Pass it on** (default) | Your regular price, which includes a 4% Technology Fee | 100% of your base price |
| **Absorb it** | Your base price | Your base price minus 3.1% + 30¢ |
When you pass the fee on, Hive Inspect does not add a charge for using a card. The card-inclusive amount is your **regular price**. Clients who pay by bank transfer, cash, or check get a **matching discount**. The price is the same for credit cards, debit cards, and prepaid cards.
Two terms are used on this page:
* **Base price** is the total of your services in **Services & Fees**.
* **Regular price** is your base price plus the 4% Technology Fee.
***
## Why it's a discount, not a surcharge
The difference is more than wording. It decides which rules apply to you.
A **surcharge** is a fee you add to the bill because the client chose to pay by card. Card network rules and several state laws restrict surcharges:
* You can surcharge **credit cards only**. You can never surcharge a debit card or a prepaid card, even when the client runs a debit card "as credit".
* The surcharge is capped. Visa caps it at 3% in the US, or your actual processing cost if that is lower. The cap is 2.4% in Canada.
* Some places prohibit surcharges outright, including Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and Puerto Rico. Others, including Colorado, Minnesota, New Jersey, and New York, set their own caps or disclosure rules.
* You must give your payment processor 30 days' written notice before you start.
A **discount for paying without a card** works the other way. Your regular price is the card price, and clients who pay by bank transfer, cash, or check pay less. Federal law protects your right to offer this kind of discount, and it is allowed in every US state. It is also the only structure that treats credit cards and debit cards the same, because nothing is added for using either one.
Hive Inspect uses the discount model for that reason.
A discount program only counts as one if the regular price is what your client sees first. If you quote your base price and the client finds out about a higher card price at checkout, card networks treat that as a surcharge, whatever the line item is called.
***
## What your client sees
Here is an example with a \$500 base price.
| Payment method | Client sees | Client pays |
| ------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- |
| Credit, debit, or prepaid card | Regular price \$520.00 | \$520.00 |
| Bank transfer (ACH) | Regular price \$520.00, Bank Transfer Discount −\$20.00 | \$500.00 |
| Cash, check, Zelle, Venmo | Regular price \$520.00, Cash Discount −\$20.00 | \$500.00 |
| Affirm or Pay at Close | Regular price \$520.00, Payment Method Discount −\$20.00 | \$500.00 |
**On the payment page.** The amount at the top is the regular price. Each non-card method shows the regular price, the discount, and the discounted total before the client chooses it. Clients can switch methods at any time before they pay.
**On the invoice.** An unpaid invoice shows the regular price as the balance due, with a note that gives the discounted amount for bank transfer and other offline methods. After payment, the invoice shows the discount that applied: **Bank Transfer Discount**, **Cash Discount**, or **Payment Method Discount**.
If you absorb the fee, clients never see a Technology Fee or a discount. Every method shows your base price.
***
## What each payment method costs you
| Payment method | Your cost |
| --------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| Card, fee passed on | Nothing. You receive 100% of your base price. |
| Card, fee absorbed | 3.1% + 30¢ |
| Bank transfer (ACH) | 0.8%, capped at \$5.00 per transaction |
| Cash, check, Zelle, Venmo | Nothing |
| Affirm (buy now, pay later) | 8% + 30¢. This fee cannot be passed on. |
| Pay at Close | \$50 flat per inspection |
International cards and currency conversion carry extra Stripe fees. Those come out of your payout.
### Where the Technology Fee goes
Most of the fee goes to the card processor. A small part goes to Hive Inspect as platform revenue.
***
## Your responsibilities
Hive Inspect handles the payment page, the invoice, and the receipts. The way you quote and advertise your prices is up to you, and it matters as much as the software does.
Show clients the regular price first, or show both prices side by side. Do this on your website, over the phone, in quotes, and in emails.
* **Do say:** "The inspection is \$520. You save \$20 if you pay by bank transfer, cash, or check."
* **Do say:** "\$520, or \$500 by bank transfer."
* **Don't say:** "It's \$500, plus 4% if you use a card."
Clients must be able to get the discount. In **Business Tools → Payments**, keep **ACH payments** or **Other Payment Methods** turned on. If you use Other Payment Methods, add clear payment instructions such as your Zelle or Venmo details, or who to make a check out to.
Don't describe the Technology Fee as a "credit card fee", "processing fee", "surcharge", or "convenience fee". Check your agreements, invoice text, email templates, and website for that wording and replace it with "regular price" and "discount" language.
Don't add your own extra charge for card payments, and don't set different prices for credit cards and debit cards.
Some states require advertised prices to include every mandatory charge. Quoting the regular price keeps you in line with those rules. If you work in Quebec or any state that restricts card fees, ask your attorney to review your price list and agreement wording.
If you'd rather not think about any of this, turn on **Absorb credit card fees**. Every client pays your base price with every method. You can raise your prices slightly to cover the cost.
***
## Change who pays the fee
Go to **Business Tools → Payments** in the web dashboard.
Under **Accept credit / debit cards**, turn **Absorb credit card fees** off to pass the fee on, or on to absorb it. The panel below the toggle shows an example of what the client pays and what you receive.
Payment settings save automatically. Look for **Saved** at the bottom of the page. The setting is read when a client pays, so it applies to every payment made after that point.
***
## Refunds
A full refund of a card payment returns everything the client paid, including the Technology Fee. A partial refund returns the matching share of the fee. For example, refunding a \$100 service from a card payment returns \$104.00.
***
## Hive Inspect in Canada
Canadian accounts work the same way. Prices are in CAD, and bank payments use pre-authorized debit. Canada's card network rules allow surcharges on credit cards only, cap them at 2.4%, and don't apply in Quebec. The discount model avoids those limits for the same reasons it does in the US. Quebec law is strict about charging more than an advertised price, so always advertise your regular price there.
***
## Frequently asked questions
Yes, because nothing is being added for using a card. Your regular price applies to credit, debit, and prepaid cards alike, and clients who pay without a card get a discount. A fee added only when a card is used would be a surcharge, and surcharges are never allowed on debit or prepaid cards.
You can't rename it. The name is the same for every Hive Inspect account so invoices, receipts, and refunds stay consistent. It is not only a card processing charge: most of it goes to the card processor and a small part is Hive Inspect platform revenue. Calling it a "credit card fee" or "processing fee" describes a surcharge, which falls under different rules.
No. You do need at least one discounted method turned on. If you turn off **ACH payments**, keep **Other Payment Methods** on and add payment instructions for cash, check, Zelle, or Venmo.
Card payments are processed on your own Stripe account. Stripe shows the full regular price as the gross amount, then deducts its processing fee and the Hive Inspect platform fee. What remains is your base price. Ask your accountant how to record the gross amount and the fees in your books.
Not today. That model is a credit card surcharge. It comes with a lower cap, a 30-day notice to your processor, and bans in some states. The discount model avoids those limits and keeps one price for every card.
Not for the client. They pay your base price and the invoice shows a Payment Method Discount. You cover the cost of those methods: 8% + 30¢ for Affirm, and \$50 flat per inspection for Pay at Close.
A full refund returns the whole payment, including the Technology Fee. A partial refund returns the matching share of the fee along with the refunded amount.
Yes. The **Absorb credit card fees** setting is read when the client pays, so it applies to every payment made after you change it, including invoices for inspections you already scheduled.
Tell them the regular price up front and point to the discount: "You save \$20 by paying by bank transfer." Clients react far better to a discount they can choose than to a fee they discover at checkout. If it keeps coming up, consider absorbing the fee and adjusting your prices.
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