Method surcharges belong at selection, not at settle

What it is

Some methods add a rail fee on top of goods: cash-on-delivery service, a card-brand surcharge, a cross-border wallet markup. That fee must appear in the row when the method is chosen and roll into amount due—not pop up after the rest of checkout is filled, on the eve of confirm. It is the price of the method, not shipping-and-tax extras that do not depend on tender, and not a coupon.

Why it happens

People pick a tool, then look at the total. If the fee is bound to a late “settle” step, the choice was made under a no-fee assumption; adding it later punishes the chosen tool. People either swallow it or re-pick and distrust every total they saw. Putting the fee beside the option moves comparison to the decision: this card +3%, that wallet 0. When the fee scales with amount, recompute from current due, or a small order looks fine until confirm inflates it. Unselected rows can show “from +¥X” so the fee is not a trap; the exact figure must land on select.

Studying it

For one method, compare fee in the list row, fee only after select, fee inserted only before confirm. Watch where people change or leave.

Independent variables: first exact appearance of the fee, whether it recomputes with amount, whether unselected rows mark “surcharge applies.” Dependent variables: change-after-select, leave before confirm, ability to restate the fee-inclusive total at method choice.

Do not mix shipping drip pricing into the same experiment—the manipulation is tender-fee timing. If the brief already states the rate, the choice was not learned from the UI.

Where it stops holding

Where passing card fees to consumers is banned, the row must not show a “card surcharge”; the cost stays with the merchant. When the issuer sets the fee after redirect and the merchant cannot know it, say at selection that the issuer may charge extra and give a cap before redirect if you can. Zero-fee methods do not need a decorative 0 for symmetry. On split tender, attribute the fee to the leg that caused it; spreading it over the whole order makes audit impossible.

Applying it

• Show estimate or flat amount on the method row; on select, write it into the total makeup under that method’s name.
• Recompute the row when amount or currency changes; the confirm button includes it.
• Never first-show a method fee on the confirm page; if the issuer only finalizes after redirect, selection must already say “may charge extra” plus any known cap.
• Verify by having people pick the surcharged method from the list alone and state amount due; change the goods amount and watch fee and total move together. First seeing the fee on confirm fails.

Related

• Within the group: H7.04.1 Switching methods must not wipe the order · H7.04.2 Unavailable methods need a reason · H7.04.3 Default method from successful history, not platform preference · H7.04.5 Filter methods by region and currency before showing them · H7.04.6 Split tender needs amounts people can audit
• Adjacent: H7.03 Price transparency · O4.11 Hidden costs and last-minute extras · H7.09 Discounts, offers, and comparison
• Search terms: payment surcharge · cash-on-delivery fee · tender fee