A terminal that applies the discount
The terminal needs to apply the cash discount at checkout and print compliant receipts. Device support and compliant implementation are confirmed during onboarding.
For card payments at your business
Cash discount program for card payments
This page is about card payments at a business. It is not about the accounting term for early-payment discounts.
In a cash discount program, the price you post for every item is the card price. A customer who pays with cash gets a discount at checkout. The business receives the posted price when the customer pays by card, and a lower, discounted price when the customer pays cash.
✓ One posted price, the card price✓ No contract, no cancellation fee✓ 30-day free trial
POSTED CARD PRICE$103.00Pay by card and this is the price.
CASH, AFTER DISCOUNT$100.00Pay with cash and a $3.00 discount comes off at checkout.
Illustrative example, not a quoted rate.
HOW IT WORKS
How a cash discount program works at the counter
One price is posted for each item, and cash customers get a discount when they pay. Here is what that looks like in a normal sale.
01
Every posted price is the card price
Your menu, shelf tags, price list and website show one price for each item, and that price is the card price. A customer paying by card pays exactly what is posted.
02
Cash customers get a discount at checkout
A customer who chooses to pay with cash has the discount taken off at checkout. On a $103.00 item with a $3.00 discount, they pay $100.00 in cash.
03
The receipt shows the discount
The receipt records the posted price and the discount, so the sale is clear to the customer and to you. We confirm the exact screens and receipt wording with you during onboarding.
CASH DISCOUNT OR DUAL PRICING
Similar result, different process.
A cash discount and dual pricing both change what a customer pays depending on how they pay. The difference is what is posted. A cash discount posts only the card price and takes the discount off for cash at checkout. Dual pricing posts a cash price and a card price, and the customer chooses. A surcharge is a different thing again: a separate fee added at checkout when a customer pays by card.
The three side by side →Cash discount
- Only the card price is posted
- The discount is applied at checkout for cash
- The receipt shows the discount
Dual pricing
- Cash price and card price both posted
- The customer sees both before they choose
- How dual pricing works
WHAT YOU NEED
What you need to run a cash discount program
Not much, and we help with all of it. Rules for pricing cash and card payments are set by the card brands and by each state, and they change, so we confirm a compliant setup with you before anything goes live.
Clear signs and receipts
Customers should know about the discount before they pay. Your signs and receipts explain the program, and we set the wording up with you.
Someone to set it up with you
Onboarding is where we check your business type, your state and your card mix, and confirm a cash discount program is the right fit before you switch.
NOT ALWAYS THE RIGHT FIT
When a cash discount program is the wrong answer
A cash discount program is not the better choice for every business. Here is where a different model usually fits better.
Your tickets are large and negotiated
A posted card price reads oddly next to a quoted invoice. A predictable monthly subscription usually sits better with high-ticket or B2B billing.
Flat fee is usually the better fit →Your card volume is small or seasonal
A cash discount program earns its keep on steady card volume. If your card takings are modest, per-transaction pricing is often the more honest fit.
Flat fee is usually the better fit →You're not ready for the counter conversation
A cash discount means a cashier explains a discount at the register. If that conversation feels wrong for your team today, a flat monthly fee keeps one price on the register.
Flat fee is usually the better fit →QUESTIONS
Cash discount programs, answered
Prefer one fixed number? Flat fee credit card processing keeps the cost with your business at one flat subscription.
What is a cash discount program?
In a cash discount program, the price a business posts for every item is the card price. A customer who pays with cash gets a discount at checkout. The business receives the posted price when the customer pays by card, and a lower, discounted price when the customer pays cash.
Is a cash discount the same as dual pricing?
They give a similar result by different routes. A cash discount posts only the card price and takes a discount off at checkout when the customer pays cash. Dual pricing posts both a cash price and a card price, and the customer chooses at checkout. How dual pricing works →
Is a cash discount the same as a surcharge?
No. A cash discount starts from the card price and lowers the price for cash. A surcharge starts from one price and adds a separate fee when a customer pays by card. See the three side by side →
Is a cash discount program legal?
Rules for pricing cash and card payments are set by the card brands and by each state, and they change. SMPL confirms a compliant setup with you during onboarding. This page is general information, not legal advice.
What do I need to run a cash discount program?
You need a terminal that can apply the discount at checkout and print compliant receipts, plus clear signs and receipt wording. Device support, eligibility and compliant implementation are confirmed during onboarding before you switch. See the devices →
What if I would rather have one fixed price?
Smpl also supports competitively priced traditional processing, including flat fee and pay-as-you-go pricing, if a cash discount program is not the right fit for your business. See flat fee pricing →
Is there a contract or a cancellation fee?
There is no long-term contract and no cancellation fee, and new merchants get a 30-day free trial. Any hardware you have taken is returned when you close the account, and anything supplied on separate terms is set out in writing during onboarding.
Last reviewed: November 2026. General information, not legal advice.
THE OTHER ROUTEDual pricingTwo prices posted, a cash price and a card price, and the customer chooses at checkout.See how dual pricing works →THE DIFFERENCEDual pricing vs cash discount vs surchargingThree ways businesses handle card costs, side by side: what the customer sees, what is posted and how each one differs.Compare the three →THE HARDWAREPayment terminalsSmart Terminal, Smart Flex and POS+, the devices SMPL merchants run on.See the devices →
GET STARTED
See what a cash discount program would look like for your business.
Build my bundle ↗
Send us a recent processing statement and we will show you what changes, line by line. No card required, and no obligation.