Jason Lavery faced a difficult decision last spring. He could raise the price of drinks and food at Lavery Brewing Co. or add a surcharge to all credit card payments. Like many other small business owners across the country, Lavery added a surcharge. Credit card customers now pay an additional 1.75% plus 20 cents. "We paid $40,000 in credit card fees in 2025," Lavery said. "Our operating margins were getting tighter, so the choices were to raise prices across the board or add the surcharge. We didn't th ...

Small business Saturday is just around the corner, and some businesses are telling shoppers the best gift for them is cash. Paying with cash would help businesses offset credit card processing fees that eat into their razor-thin margins, said the Texas Restaurant Association (TRA), representing the largest private employer in that state. Credit card fees now average 2.35% of every sale, totaling at least $187 billion nationwide, and can consume more than half of a restaurant’s profit on a $100 ticket, it sa ...