Zero Percent Explained
How 0% processing actually works
It sounds too good to be true — but it's not. CorePay's surcharging program is legal, fully compliant with Visa and Mastercard rules, and available to most Canadian merchants outside Quebec. Here's exactly how it works, what it costs your customers, and what you need to disclose.
Step by step
The simple version
Four steps is all it takes to go from paying 2–3% per credit card swipe to paying nothing.
You enrol in the surcharging program
CorePay sets up your account with the surcharging module enabled on your Clover POS. We handle the card-network registration, disclosure signage, and configuration — you don't need to touch a thing. Onboarding typically takes 1–2 business days.
A small surcharge is added at checkout
When a customer pays by credit card, a compliant surcharge of up to 2.4% (never more than your actual cost of acceptance) is transparently calculated and displayed on the payment terminal before the customer taps or inserts their card. Nothing is hidden.
Customers see it clearly — and can opt out
The surcharge is shown on-screen at the point of sale and itemized on the receipt. Customers always have the option to pay by debit or cash to avoid the surcharge entirely. Required disclosure signage at your entrance and POS ensures full transparency.
You keep 100% of the sale price
The surcharge collected from the customer covers your processing costs, so your effective credit-card processing rate drops to 0%. You receive the full sale amount — no deductions, no monthly surprises on your processing statement.
The legal picture
Is this really legal in Canada?
Yes — with important details. Here's the full picture.
The October 2022 settlement changed everything. On October 6, 2022, Visa and Mastercard reached a settlement with the Competition Bureau of Canada that, for the first time, allowed Canadian merchants to add surcharges to credit card transactions. Before that date, card-network rules expressly prohibited surcharging in Canada.
Card network rules still govern how you surcharge. The settlement didn't create a free-for-all. Both Visa and Mastercard have published detailed surcharging standards that merchants must follow. CorePay's program is built around these rules, so you're always compliant:
- The surcharge must not exceed 2.4%, and it must never exceed your actual cost of acceptance for that card type — whichever figure is lower applies.
- You must register with Visa and Mastercard before surcharging — CorePay handles this registration on your behalf.
- You must provide clear disclosure at your entrance, at the point of sale, and on the receipt. CorePay provides compliant signage and configures your terminal accordingly.
- The surcharge must be a flat percentage — you cannot charge a different rate for different card products.
- Debit and Interac transactions are never surcharged — card-network rules expressly prohibit this, and your customers always have a surcharge-free payment option.
Quebec merchants: this program is not available to you. Quebec's Consumer Protection Act restricts credit card surcharging in a way that makes the program ineligible for merchants located in Quebec. CorePay offers competitive traditional processing rates for Quebec businesses.
CorePay handles all compliance automatically. We monitor card-network rule updates, maintain your surcharge registration, and will notify you immediately if anything changes that affects your program. You run your business; we handle the compliance.
Side by side
Traditional processing vs. CorePay 0%
See how the programs stack up across the metrics that matter most to your bottom line.
Common questions
Your questions, answered
Everything merchants ask us before they switch.
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