Surcharge auditing

An apparatus for waiving a surcharge at a point-of-sale comprising:

• a computer system configured to receive a transaction initiated by a customer at the point-of-sale terminal using a payment instrument;
• the computer system is further configured to receive a surcharge, associated with the transaction, the surcharge determined based on an acquirer fee, a transaction network fee and an issuer fee,
• a surcharge engine configured to:
• receive surcharge exemption attributes comprising:
• a surcharge exempt geographical location;
• a surcharge exempt payment instrument type;
• and
• a surcharge exempt affinity agreement;
• receive customer attributes comprising:
• a customer identifier;
• a geographical location of the point-of-sale;
• a payment instrument type presented at the point-of-sale;
• and
• an affinity agreement associated with the payment instrument;
• generate a surcharge waiver when:
• the geographical location of the point-of-sale is identical to the exempt geographical location;
• the payment instrument type presented at the point-of-sale is identical to the exempt payment type;
• and
• the affinity agreement associated with the payment instrument is identical to the exempt affinity agreement;
• and
• transmit the surcharge waiver to the point-of-sale;
• and
• a processor at the point-of-sale configured to waive the surcharge associated with the transaction in response to receiving the surcharge waiver at the point-of-sale.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor on a computer system, performs a method for waiving a surcharge at a point-of-sale terminal, the method comprising:

• in response to a customer presenting at the point-of-sale terminal, a payment instrument to a merchant, as a payment, determining a payment instrument brand associated with the payment instrument, the payment instrument brand comprising at least one of:
• an issuer of the payment instrument;
• or
• a transaction processing network associated with the payment instrument;
• based on the payment instrument brand, calculating a surcharge amount imposed by the merchant on the payment;
• in response to the calculating, determining whether the payment instrument brand is associated with least one surcharge exception attribute;
• in response to determining that the payment instrument brand is associated with at least one surcharge exception attribute, charging the payment instrument a first purchase amount that excludes the surcharge amount;
• and
• in response to determining that the payment instrument brand is not associated with at least one surcharge exception attribute, charging the payment instrument a second purchase amount that includes the surcharge amount.