05/30/2026
For the record...
ALL businesses are forbidden from adding a surcharge to a DEBIT card transaction.
This applies even if the customer chooses the "credit" option and signs for the transaction at checkout instead of using their PIN. If a business violates this rule, they can/will face hefty fines and lose their ability to process credit and debit cards altogether.
Businesses are allowed to surcharge credit cards in North Carolina to cover processing fees, but debit and prepaid cards are STRICTLY excluded from this.
You do not have to pay "processing" charges in North Carolina for using a debit card and any business that tells you otherwise or charges you is violating United States Code 15 U.S.C. § 1693o-2.
Violations may be reported to:
North Carolina Attorney General (Consumer Protection Division)
You can file a General Consumer Complaint with the North Carolina Department of Justice (NCDOJ).
Online: Fill out the complaint form at ncdoj.gov/file-a-complaint. By Phone: You can call the toll-free consumer assistance hotline at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.
The NC Attorney General’s office will contact the business on behalf of the consumers. If they notice a pattern of complaints against the same business, they will launch an official investigation and file a lawsuit against the business for violating North Carolina’s consumer protection laws.