Customers’ fees for credit card processing would be capped under NC bill
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- House bill proposes 2% cap on credit card fees charged by businesses statewide.
- New policy includes $500 penalty for merchants exceeding the 2% charge limit.
- Fee disclosures would be required at point of sale, online, or by phone by 2026.
Customers who use a credit card to make a purchase are often charged fees, which increases the total cost of everything they buy.
A bill that sailed through a House committee on Tuesday would cap the amount of money a business can charge a customer for using a credit card.
Here’s what the bill would do.
Limit fees on credit charge purchases
In the latest version of the bill, a business cannot charge a customer more than 2% for paying with a credit card.
According to Bankrate, the average processing charge ranges from 1.5% to 3.5%.
Penalty for overcharging customers
A merchant who charges customers more than 2% for a credit charge transaction would face a $500 penalty.
What’s the current NC law?
North Carolina does not regulate charges for credit card payments right now. The bill would change that if it becomes law. After passing the House Finance Committee on Tuesday, House Bill 13 was sent to the Rules Committee, which met later that morning but did not take up the bill.
At this point in the legislative session, it is unusual for committees to meet unless lawmakers plan on moving a bill to the floor soon for a vote, but the credit card bill is an exception. The General Assembly was back in Raleigh for two days this week and won’t return again until late October.
Customers must be told about fees for credit cards
Businesses would be required to disclose the amount of credit card fees. They would make the disclosures at the point of sale for an in-person payment, or on a website for an online payment. If the payment is by phone, the information would be shared verbally, according to the bill.
When the law would start
If the bill becomes law, the credit card processing cap would begin Jan. 1, 2026.
The bill would also increase from $60 to $65 the fee charged when a nonprofit files articles of incorporation with the Secretary of State’s office.
This story was originally published September 23, 2025 at 12:24 PM with the headline "Customers’ fees for credit card processing would be capped under NC bill."
