Learn how to set up Smokeball Payments to pass on credit card processing fees to your clients when they pay an invoice or make a trust deposit.
To enable surcharging:
-
Select the Settings (gear) icon on the bottom-left corner of the Smokeball Web App and open Firm Settings.
-
Select Payment Provider from the left menu and navigate to the Card Surcharging section.
- Choose the toggles that are relevant for your firm:
-
Request processing fee from client for invoice payments means the Smokeball Payments surcharge will be displayed and added to the total amount of a card payment on an invoice right before processing.
-
Request processing fee from client for deposits and retainers means the Smokeball Payments surcharge will be displayed and added to the total amount of the trust deposit right before processing.
- Request processing fee from client for payment plans means the Smokeball Payments surcharge will be applied to each instalment on new and active payment plans you may have with your clients. As payment plan instalments are automatically deducted from the client's nominated credit card, you must ensure you have notified your clients of the surcharge before turning this on.
-
How the GST component of surcharges are handled in Smokeball Payments
From March 3 2026, the default behaviour of card surcharging will be to pass the GST of the surcharge to the payer. This means all fees on your monthly Smokeball Payments invoice will be fully offset in the surcharge, resulting in no net fees payable by your firm.
Previously, the surcharge excluded GST, which meant your firm would have been charged the GST portion by FeeWise.
Therefore, the surcharge applied per transaction will change from 1.85% + $1.85 AUD + GST to 2.035% + $2.04 AUD (GST inclusive).
If you would like to switch to GST-inclusive surcharging before March 3, reach out to our support team and we can move you over sooner.
Alternatively, if you would prefer to exclude GST from the surcharge and claim GST input tax credits on them, also let our support team know and we can revert you back to the previous arrangement.