Law firms, accounting practices, consulting firms — professional services businesses deal in large invoices and high-value client relationships. At 2.9%, the processing fees on a $5,000 retainer payment are $145. On a $12,000 quarterly billing, $348.
These aren't small numbers. And unlike a coffee shop processing $5 transactions, every single one of your payments is large enough that the fee stings.
Professional services firms already send detailed invoices. Hours, rates, expenses, retainer balances, your clients are accustomed to line items. A clearly disclosed processing fee for credit card payments fits naturally into that format.
Here's what it looks like in practice: your invoice goes out for $7,500. If the client pays by check or ACH, they pay $7,500. If they pay by credit card, a 3% surcharge is added, $225 — and the total is $7,725. The surcharge appears as a separate, clearly labeled line item.
For the type of clients professional services firms work with, this is a non-issue. Corporate clients paying five-figure invoices understand processing costs. Individual clients paying a $2,000 estate planning bill aren't switching attorneys over a $60 surcharge. And clients who prefer to avoid it can pay by check or bank transfer.
Your clients pay larger invoices less frequently, which means each transaction carries a bigger fee impact than high-volume, low-ticket businesses.
| Monthly Card Volume | Fees at 2.9% | Annual Savings with Surcharging |
|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | $725/mo | ~$8,270 |
| $50,000 | $1,450/mo | ~$16,530 |
| $100,000 | $2,900/mo | ~$33,060 |
| $200,000 | $5,800/mo | ~$66,120 |
At $200K a month in card volume, you're recovering enough to fund an associate's salary.
If your firm handles client trust accounts (IOLTA), the surcharge applies only to the payment into the trust, not to the disbursement or the trust balance. The surcharge is a cost of the payment method, not a cost billed to the client's matter. That said, state bar rules on trust accounting vary, and we recommend confirming with your bar association that surcharging on trust deposits aligns with your jurisdiction's requirements. George can walk you through the general compliance approach and help you figure out the right questions to bring to your bar association.
Most law firms and professional services offices don't need a countertop terminal. Your workflow is invoices, not counter transactions.
Key in payments from any computer or tablet. Bill clients, collect retainers, process payment plan installments, all from your browser. Full surcharging support. Integrates with QuickBooks, FreshBooks, and most invoicing platforms for reconciliation.
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If clients sometimes pay in person, at the front desk after a consultation, at closing, at signing — a compact terminal handles that. The QD4 sits cleanly in a professional office environment. Most firms qualify for one at no upfront cost.
See If You Qualify →Consider what your clients are already paying. A client writing a $15,000 check for litigation work is not switching firms over a $450 surcharge, especially when they can avoid it entirely by paying a different way. Framed as a payment-method choice rather than a fee, it tends to be a non-event.
Yes, and we recommend it. A simple disclosure in your engagement letter or fee agreement, "credit card payments are subject to a processing surcharge of up to 3%" — sets the expectation before the first invoice.
The surcharge is on the payment method, not the legal fee. Your quoted flat fee stays the same. If the client pays by card, the surcharge is added as a separate line item, clearly disclosed, just like filing fees or court costs.
I was leaving $40,000 a year on the table and didn't even realize it. George got us set up with surcharging on our virtual terminal and we added a one-line disclosure to our engagement letters. Zero client complaints in six months.