Dual Pricing Is Exploding—But Most Merchants Are Getting It Wrong

If you've noticed more businesses offering different prices for cash versus credit, you're not imagining things. Dual pricing is gaining serious traction among merchants looking to offset rising card processing costs. But behind the growing popularity lies a compliance maze that too many business owners are navigating blind.

In this episode, Joe Wilkins, Managing Partner at Great Credit Card Processing, (https://greatcreditcardprocessing.com/), joins Leo Arzumanyan and Jeremy Stock of Global Legal Law Firm to break down the real-world challenges of cash discounting and dual pricing—and why getting it wrong can carry serious consequences.

At first glance, it sounds simple: “Every product has two prices—one for cash, one for cards.” But as Wilkins and the legal team explain, proper implementation is anything but simple. From receipt formatting and signage to item-level pricing and customer disclosures, the fine print matters. And while dual pricing is legal in all 50 states, improper execution remains one of the most common compliance pitfalls in the industry.

Here’s where the conversation delivers real value for payment professionals and merchants alike:

• Why ‘following the crowd’ leads to bad implementations
• How pricing strategies can trigger regulatory attention and consumer backlash
• The compliance differences between surcharging and dual pricing—and why it matters

Joe also shares how his team helps merchants stay compliant through hands-on support, including in-person training, ongoing audits, and even covering the cost of menu and POS updates to reflect compliant dual pricing structures.

The conversation highlights a key regional insight: states like New York have significantly higher merchant awareness thanks to public education campaigns. But for multi-state operators, navigating inconsistent consumer expectations adds another layer of complexity.

Whether you're a merchant looking to adopt dual pricing, an ISO building out a compliant offering, or a payments consultant advising clients, this episode delivers clear, actionable insights into a space that’s becoming more crowded—and more regulated—by the day.

As Joe puts it: “Payment processing doesn’t have to be confusing. You just need the right partner and the right playbook.”

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A payments podcast of Global Legal Law Firm