Credit card surcharging for law firms, within the rules

A surcharge program adds a disclosed fee to credit card payments to offset processing costs. Credit card surcharges where your state and bar allow them. Roots configures card detection so debit and prepaid cards are never surcharged.
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Payment solutions for law firms

How each solution supports law firms

See what each option adds to the way your business takes and tracks payments.

Square Invoices

For law firms: Send itemized invoices for consultation fees, retainers and legal invoices and track deposits, due dates and outstanding balances. Square Invoices sends unlimited invoices, estimates and contracts by email, text or link, with automatic reminders and cards or bank accounts on file. Use for earned fees deposited to operating, not retainers. Roots sets up your templates, schedules and accounting sync.
  • Build branded invoice and estimate templates with your terms and policies
  • Set up recurring series with card or bank account on file
  • Connect Square to QuickBooks Online or Xero and map your accounts
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Square Virtual Terminal

For law firms: Take authorized phone or remote payments for consultation fees, retainers and legal invoices from a browser-based terminal. Square Virtual Terminal turns a browser into a card terminal for phone, mail and remote payments. Take earned-fee payments by phone. Roots sets up cards on file, recurring schedules and staff permissions.
  • Set up cards on file and recurring schedules with written authorization templates
  • Pair Square Terminal for the front desk if you also take in-person payments
  • Set permissions so only authorized staff can key in cards
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Square Payment Links

For law firms: Share a checkout link for consultation fees, retainers and legal invoices through messages, email or your website. Square Payment Links creates a secure checkout page you can share by email, text, social media or QR code, and reuse for standard fees. A reusable link for consultation fees. Roots sets up the links, custom fields and reporting.
  • Create reusable links for your standard fees and deposits
  • Add custom checkout fields that collect only what you need
  • Place buy buttons and QR codes on your website and printed materials
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Merchant Account

For law firms: Arrange a processing account for consultation fees, retainers and legal invoices, with checkout methods matched to how customers pay. A dedicated merchant account underwritten for your law firm, with pricing you can read and a person to call. Separate trust and operating deposits, with fees always debited from operating.
  • Analyze your current statements and quote side by side
  • Prepare the underwriting package so approval moves quickly
  • Set up terminals, gateway and software connections
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ACH Payments

For law firms: Offer bank-account payments for consultation fees, retainers and legal invoices, with authorization and invoice matching built into the workflow. ACH moves money directly between bank accounts, usually for far less than cards on large payments. ACH for large retainers and invoices.
  • Set up authorization and verification
  • Configure payment pages and invoices
  • Handle returns and reporting
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Level 2/3 Processing

For law firms: Include purchase-order references and itemized invoice data for business-card purchases of consultation fees, retainers and legal invoices. When your clients pay with corporate or purchasing cards, sending Level 2 and Level 3 data can qualify those payments for lower interchange. Lower interchange when corporate clients pay with commercial cards.
  • Review your card mix to estimate savings
  • Configure your gateway or invoicing to send the data
  • Validate qualification on live transactions
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Recurring Billing

For law firms: Schedule and manage payments for legal retainers and scheduled invoice installments, including renewals and customer account balances. Automate recurring card and ACH charges for memberships, retainers and payment plans. Payment plans and flat-fee subscription legal services.
  • Draft authorization language for recurring charges
  • Set up schedules and retry rules
  • Connect billing to your software
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Credit Card Surcharging

For law firms: Plan credit-card surcharge disclosures for consultation fees, retainers and legal invoices, keeping eligible card payments distinct at checkout. A surcharge program adds a disclosed fee to credit card payments to offset processing costs. Credit card surcharges where your state and bar allow them. Roots configures card detection so debit and prepaid cards are never surcharged.
  • Check your state's rules
  • File required notice with card networks through your acquirer
  • Configure terminals, invoices and receipts

Text to Pay

For law firms: Send a payment request for consultation fees, retainers and legal invoices by text so customers can pay against a specific order or invoice. Text-to-pay sends a secure payment link by SMS, so clients can pay a balance from their phone in seconds. Text invoice links to clients.
  • Write compliant message templates with opt-in language
  • Integrate with your billing system
  • Set reminder cadences
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Custom Payment Integration

For law firms: Connect the payment flow for consultation fees, retainers and legal invoices with your software and the operational records behind matter references, retainers and operating-account invoices. We connect payments to the systems you already run so balances, receipts and deposits reconcile automatically. Post payments to your practice-management and trust-accounting software.
  • Scope integrations your software vendor supports
  • Build and test the connection
  • Keep sensitive data out of payment records
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Credit Card Surcharging questions

Questions law firm firms ask about billing and payments.
A surcharge adds a fee to an eligible card payment. A cash discount offers a lower price for cash. Roots reviews the proposed program with your processing partner before setup.
We help plan the required customer notices, checkout display and receipt for the program confirmed for your business.
Bring your processing costs, card mix, customer notices and checkout equipment. Roots uses these details to plan the workflow for law firms and prepare a clear setup scope.
Request a quote for your business and the setup you need. We review the scope and costs with you before you proceed. Consultations and payment reviews are free.

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Book a free 30-minute review. We’ll map your setup, explain the options and work through clear next steps.
Talk to a law firm payments specialistAll law firms solutions