Florida Statute 501.117 - Full Text and Legal Analysis

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title XXXIII
REGULATION OF TRADE, COMMERCE, INVESTMENTS, AND SOLICITATIONS

Chapter 501
CONSUMER PROTECTION

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F.S. 501.0117

501.0117 Credit cards; transactions in which seller or lessor prohibited from imposing surcharge; penalty.—

(1) A seller or lessor in a sales or lease transaction may not impose a surcharge on the buyer or lessee for electing to use a credit card in lieu of payment by cash, check, or similar means, if the seller or lessor accepts payment by credit card. A surcharge is any additional amount imposed at the time of a sale or lease transaction by the seller or lessor that increases the charge to the buyer or lessee for the privilege of using a credit card to make payment. Charges imposed pursuant to approved state or federal tariffs are not considered to be a surcharge, and charges made under such tariffs are exempt from this section. A convenience fee imposed upon a student or family paying tuition, fees, or other student account charges by credit card to a William L. Boyd, IV, ¹Effective Access to Student Education grant eligible institution, as defined in s. 1009.89, or to a private school, as defined in s. 1002.01, is not considered to be a surcharge and is exempt from this section if the amount of the convenience fee does not exceed the total cost charged by the credit card company to the institution. The term “credit card” includes those cards for which unpaid balances are payable on demand. This section does not apply to the offering of a discount for the purpose of inducing payment by cash, check, or other means not involving the use of a credit card, if the discount is offered to all prospective customers.

(2) A person who violates the provisions of subsection (1) is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

History.—ss. 1, 2, ch. 87-43; s. 3, ch. 2010-219; s. 1, ch. 2016-53; s. 25, ch. 2018-4.

¹Note.—Section 25, ch. 2018-4, directs the Division of Law Revision and Information “to substitute the term ‘Effective Access to Student Education Grant Program’ for ‘Florida Resident Access Grant Program’ and the term ‘Effective Access to Student Education grant’ for ‘Florida resident access grant’ wherever those terms appear in the Florida Statutes.” The division included s. 501.0117(1) in ch. 2019-3, the reviser’s bill including material prepared in accordance with the directive; the bill section amending s. 501.0117(1) to revise the reference to “Florida resident access grant” was omitted from the bill in committee.

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Amendments to 501.0117

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Arrestable Offenses / Crimes under Fla. Stat. 501.0117

Level: Degree
Misdemeanor/Felony: First/Second/Third

S501.0117 - PUBLIC ORDER CRIMES - IMPOSE CREDIT CARD SURCHARGE - M: S

Cases Citing Statute 501.0117

Total Results: 4

Dana's Railroad Supply v. Attorney General, State of Florida

807 F.3d 1235, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 19201, 2015 WL 6725138

Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | Filed: Nov 4, 2015 | Docket: 3009672

Cited 9 times | Published

using other methods of payment. See Fla. Stat. § 501.0117(1). What is the difference between a surcharge

Hucke v. Kubra Data Transfer Ltd.

160 F. Supp. 3d 1320, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 176218, 2015 WL 10097623

District Court, S.D. Florida | Filed: Nov 9, 2015 | Docket: 64306742

Cited 2 times | Published

Defendant’s alleged violations of Fla. Stat. § 501.0117 (the “Surcharge Statute”), and Counts TV through

Pincus v. Speedpay, Inc.

161 F. Supp. 3d 1150, 2015 WL 5820808, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 136254

District Court, S.D. Florida | Filed: Oct 6, 2015 | Docket: 64306834

Cited 1 times | Published

Statute § 501.0117 (count one); money had and received for a violation of Florida Statute § 501.0117 (count

Ago

Florida Attorney General Reports | Filed: Jun 12, 2007 | Docket: 3256535

Published

substantially the following question: Does section 501.0117, Florida Statutes, prohibit a municipal utility