It is worth contemplating this topic in context of https://choice.community/t/apparitions-of-a-cashless-society-and-an-online-connected-life
It seems that businesses are receiving the vast majority of payments electronically, with cash transactions gradually approaching zero. On that basis, surcharges are largely just an uplift to published prices, and should be displayed on every advertised price. They are a business input cost.
They could just as easily charge the price with a discount of n.n% for cash, since cash is now the exception, rather than the rule. It would be more honest.
