In Clio Manage, you can set up surcharging for your firm in Canada to pass credit card processing fees to clients and offset the cost of accepting credit cards. Surcharging applies to credit card payments only, and does not apply to debit or prepaid cards, digital wallet payments such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, or trust payments. Clio Payments keeps surcharges within card network rules, capping them at 2.4% of the transaction amount and holding them at or below your cost of acceptance. After you meet the notice period and provincial requirements and enable the feature, credit card payments include the surcharge as a separate line item automatically.
Note: Surcharging is a request-only feature for Clio Payments customers in Canada, except in Quebec. It requires list pricing, and it is not available to a firm with an active free-processing offer. Firms located in Quebec and clients whose credit card billing address is in Quebec are not eligible.
Important: This list summarizes key requirements. Additional requirements may apply, and you are responsible for your own compliance with card network and provincial rules.
Review surcharging rules and requirements
Major card networks such as Visa and Mastercard, and provincial law, enforce surcharging rules. Review the laws in your province and the rules of your provincial Law Society to confirm compliance before you begin.
Card networks
- Surcharges stay at or below your cost of acceptance and are capped at 2.4% of the transaction amount. Clio applies this cap automatically.
- Visa requires notice to the acquirer 30 days before surcharging begins. Clio handles this notice on your behalf.
- Mastercard requires you to disclose your intent to surcharge by submitting Mastercard's surcharge disclosure form no less than 30 days before surcharging begins.
- Offer clients an alternative payment method, such as debit, that is free of a surcharge before the surcharge is added to their bill. When a client chooses another method, your firm still pays the processing fees for that method.
- Each surcharge appears as its own line item, showing the percentage used and the total dollar amount, at the time of payment.
- Signage is optional in Canada. You can display signage stating that the surcharge applies to credit card payments and showing the surcharge amount to provide clients with greater transparency.
Provincial laws
Most Canadian provinces allow merchants to surcharge credit card transactions. Clio supports surcharging in provinces other than Quebec. Some provinces have additional restrictions, so review the laws in your province.
Law Society rules
Most provincial Law Societies permit surcharging, some have not taken a position, and a few restrict it. Review the rules of professional conduct with the Law Society in your jurisdiction.
Enable surcharging
Before you can turn on surcharging, an administrator will need to call Clio Support to enable the feature for your firm's account. An email confirmation follows once the feature is enabled. After you receive the confirmation, complete the 30-day notice period and meet any additional provincial or card network requirements. Then turn on surcharging using the steps below.
Important: Enabling surcharging disables the Google Pay and Apple Pay options. Once enabled, all future payments made through your client's links include the surcharge, even for bills sent before activation.
- In Clio Manage, click Settings > Online Payments.
- Click Go to Payments Settings.
- In the Payment methods card, click Manage payment methods.
- Toggle Pass on credit card fees to on.
- Review the terms and conditions, then check each box to accept them.
- Click Enable surcharging.
Note: If this option does not appear, an administrator will need to first call Clio Support to enable surcharging for your firm.
Up next
Review Accepted Payment Methods: Review which methods clients can use and how surcharging affects each one.