What Is Dual Pricing?
Dual pricing is a payment acceptance model in which a business displays two prices for its products or services: a cash price and a card price. Customers who pay with cash receive the lower price. Customers who pay with a credit or debit card pay the slightly higher price, which covers the cost of card acceptance.
This is different from a surcharge, which adds a fee on top of the posted price. With dual pricing, both prices are clearly posted from the outset — the card price is simply the standard price, and cash customers receive a discount. When implemented correctly in compliance with card network rules and applicable state laws, dual pricing is a fully legal and widely adopted practice.
How Delta 1st POS Handles Dual Pricing
Delta 1st POS has dual pricing built directly into the platform. When a transaction is initiated, the system automatically presents the appropriate price based on the customer’s selected payment method. There’s no manual calculation, no awkward conversation at the register, and no risk of charging the wrong amount. The system handles the math and the compliance — you and your staff just focus on the customer.
Combined with Delta 1st’s processing rates starting at 0.95% + 20¢, businesses using dual pricing have a powerful tool to protect their margins in a high-cost payment environment.
Who Benefits Most from Dual Pricing?
Dual pricing delivers the greatest benefit to businesses with high transaction volume, thin margins, or a customer base that pays with cash at meaningful rates. The following business types tend to see the most significant impact:
- Restaurants and quick-serve concepts where average ticket sizes are small and volume is high
- Convenience stores and gas stations with very thin retail margins
- Liquor stores, smoke shops, and specialty retailers
- Contractors and service businesses invoicing for completed work
- Food trucks and market vendors who want to maximize revenue at every event
Delta 1st POS Rates: Starting at 0.95% + 20¢
Even without dual pricing, Delta 1st POS offers some of the most competitive payment processing rates in the industry. Rates start at 0.95% + 20¢ per transaction, with customized pricing available based on your business type and monthly volume. These rates are transparent — no bait-and-switch introductory pricing, no hidden fees buried in your monthly statement.
To put this in context: at 0.95% + 20¢ per transaction on a $50 average ticket, your effective rate is approximately 1.35%. At a standard industry rate of 2.7%, the same transaction costs 2.7%. On $50,000 per month in volume, that difference is more than $675 per month — over $8,000 per year — staying in your business rather than going to a processor.
Transparency and Compliance
Delta 1st POS takes compliance seriously. The dual pricing feature is implemented in accordance with Visa and Mastercard network rules and applicable federal and state regulations. Your team provides guidance on proper signage, disclosure requirements, and configuration to ensure your dual pricing setup is fully compliant from day one.
If you’ve been curious about dual pricing but hesitant about the complexity or compliance risk, Delta 1st’s support team can walk you through everything on the first call — 1-888-584-2265.
▶ Find out if dual pricing is right for your business. Talk to Delta 1st POS: https://delta1stpos.com
