Credit Card Surcharges: The Question We’re Still Working to Answer

A FieldHub Update – November 2025

At our Build25 user conference in Baltimore this October, one topic generated plenty of conversation: credit card processing fees and surcharges. Security installers and service providers are understandably looking for ways to offset the 2-3.5% they pay on every card transaction. But as we’ve dug deeper into this issue on behalf of our FieldHub community, we’ve discovered something unexpected: we still don’t have clear answers.

After almost two-decades in the field service industry, first running Urban Alarm and now leading FieldHub, I’ve encountered many of the same frustrations that security and fire alarm installers and integrators face when it comes to the software tools they rely on. The lack of ownership, combined with outdated, piecemeal software solutions, has been a persistent issue. This challenge isn’t just about inefficiency and weak support; it’s about the very foundation on which businesses are built—technology.

Choosing the right merchant service provider for credit card and ACH processing can impact your customer experience and your bottom line. In this post, we walk through some factors to consider when selecting your merchant service provider.

PCI Compliance Through Data Passthrough

PCI is the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard for information security. Due to the time-consuming nature of seeking PCI compliance, you should avoid systems and workflow where you need to bear responsibility for PCI compliance on your office workstations and internal processes. Specifically, you should partner with vendors that handle PCI compliance within their own framework.