In early 2002, the international shipping company UPS rolled out a new marketing campaign with the tagline “What Can Brown Do for You?” The purpose was to highlight the breadth of their operations – that UPS did more than just deliver packages – they could solve logistical headaches for all types of business. I’d say the campaign was successful, since I still remember their tagline 21 years later.
As a member of Michigan Retailers Association, you may sometimes wonder what MRA can do for you. Instead of giving you a laundry list of our services, I’d like to highlight one that can sometimes be divisive: credit card surcharging.
Surcharging (the practice of passing credit card processing costs on to your customers) is still a long way from full industry penetration. Many merchants remain hesitant to pass the fees on, careful to avoid creating a negative customer experience. However, we could be on the cusp of a watershed moment for the industry. During the pandemic, merchants started testing the waters by adding convenience fees, delivery fees, and tipping prompts. The slow drip of added fees created a sense of numbness for credit card users. Now may be the time to dip your toe in the water if you’ve been contemplating surcharging as an option to offset your processing costs.
We know that surcharging is not for everyone – you know your customers the best and certainly aim to carefully control your customer experience. But if you’ve absolutely had it with credit card fees and margins are tight, give us a call at 517.372.5656 or visit our website at Retailers.com/surcharge-program. It’s time to find out what MRA can do for you.
