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💳 Adding Credit Card Fees to Checkouts

ClickBid allows you to pass along credit card processing fees to your bidders and donors at checkout. This optional setting helps your organization retain the full value of contributions without absorbing transaction costs.

⚙️ How to Enable Credit Card Fees

Follow these steps to apply a credit card fee to purchases made through your site:

  1. Go to Software Settings in your admin dashboard.

  2. Click Auction Settings.

  3. Select the Payment tab.

  4. Locate the Capture Admin Fees field.

    • For U.S. accounts, enter 3.63% to fully recover ClickBid’s 3.5% processing fee.

    • For Canadian accounts, enter 3.724% to fully recover the 3.59% fee.

  5. In the CC Fees Description field, enter the message you want to display on the bidder's receipt. This will show under the Administrative Fees section. You can choose whether this fee is option/required using the Allow guests to Optout of Admin Fees? dropdown in this section.

You can choose whether this fee is optional or required using the Allow guests to Optout of Admin Fees? dropdown in this section.

📝 Customizing the Admin Fees Message

By default, ClickBid uses the message:
“This helps cover our credit card fees.”

We recommend using language like "This helps cover our credit card fees." in the admin fee description to clarify the charge.

You can change this verbiage or allow bidders to opt out of covering the fee:

  1. Go to Software Settings > Account Settings.

  2. Click the Payment tab.

  3. Update the Admin Fees Description.

  4. Check or uncheck the option to allow purchasers to opt out. 

Opt-out language will appear during checkout to inform buyers of their choice.

⚠️ Legal Restrictions on Credit Card Surcharges

Some U.S. states do not allow businesses to add automatic credit card fees.

Always check local laws before enabling this feature.

🔗 View state-by-state surcharge laws

📈 How the Fee Calculation Works

If you charge the full recovery rate (3.63% in the U.S.), you retain the full donation amount after fees.

  • Example:
    A bidder pays $103.63
    3.5% fee is $3.63
    Your payout is $100.00

  • If you only charge 3.5%, you'll receive slightly less:

    • $103.50 × 3.5% = $3.6225, leaving you with $99.87

For Canadian users charging 3.724%, you'll also receive exactly $100.00 after the 3.59% processing fee.

Charging the recovery rate ensures your organization receives the full donation amount.

🎟️ Where the Fees Apply

Once enabled, this credit card fee applies to all online payment types, including:

  • Event ticket purchases

  • Donations through your site

  • Text-to-Give contributions

  • Auction winnings/purchases

📊 Tracking Credit Card Fees in Reports

To see who paid or opted out of fees:

  1. Go to Reports > Event Sales.

  2. Click Export to CSV.

  3. In the spreadsheet:

    • Column W = Winning Bid

    • Column Z = Credit Card Fee

    • Sort Column Z to see who paid $0.00 (opted out)

Adding Columns W + Z gives you the true total collected per bidder.