Customer story · BattleHawk Armory

Every card transaction was costing BattleHawk margin. Then Adam changed the equation.

BattleHawk Armory was spending an enormous amount on credit card processing. Adam introduced Coreware's surcharge program expecting questions from customers. What followed was thousands of dollars in daily savings, minimal pushback, and no observed decline in sales.

From the counter

“It is saving us thousands and thousands of dollars a day, and it is not hurting conversions or sales.”

Adam · Owner, BattleHawk Armory

Adam knew exactly where the money was going.

BattleHawk Armory processes a high volume of transactions in a business where every percentage point matters. Each credit card sale came with a processing fee. Individually, those fees could look routine. Across the entire operation, they became a major annual expense.

“We’re paying tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, of dollars in credit card fees every year,” Adam says. “This is a very tight-margin industry.”

That created a difficult equation. BattleHawk wanted to keep its prices competitive, continue expanding the business, and protect enough margin to make both possible. Absorbing every credit card fee made that increasingly difficult.

For Adam, the surcharge program was not about finding another source of revenue. It was about recovering a cost the business had been carrying on behalf of the customer.

Tight margins. High volume.

Processing costs had become too large for BattleHawk to treat as background expense.

“In order to continue to offer the best pricing possible, and to continue to grow and expand our operation, we need to pass this charge along to our customers.”

- Adam · BattleHawk Armory

The question every retailer asks

Would customers walk away?

Introducing any new charge creates uncertainty. Would customers abandon their carts? Would store employees spend their days explaining the fee? Would a few percentage points at checkout undo the work BattleHawk had done to remain competitive?

The reaction was far quieter than Adam expected.

“Overall, it was pretty quiet,” he says.

Online, BattleHawk received only one or two inquiries on a typical day. Most customers either understood the charge, accepted it, or chose to pay with a debit card.

The response inside the store was even clearer.

“In-store, there’s been zero blowback,” Adam says. “Absolutely zero, because of the way it’s presented.”

The surcharge became another part of the transaction rather than the defining moment of the sale. Customers still bought. Conversions held. The business started recovering a cost that had previously disappeared from every credit card transaction.

The human part

Most customers just want a straight answer.

Occasionally, a customer contacts BattleHawk with a question about the surcharge.

Adam does not send them a complicated policy statement. He gives them a direct explanation. Credit card processing costs the business money. Recovering that expense helps BattleHawk continue offering competitive prices and investing in the operation.

“I gave them a more personal-level response,” he says. “Nine out of ten are like, ‘Okay.’”

The small amount of resistance typically comes from customers making lower-value purchases, where the charge may feel more noticeable relative to the item being purchased.

When a surcharge could put an otherwise valuable sale at risk, BattleHawk still has room to make a business decision. The team can apply a discount when preserving the sale and customer relationship makes more sense.

The system supports the policy. The people still use their judgment.

$1,000s

saved every day, according to Adam

More margin from the same sales.

Adam says Coreware's surcharge program now saves BattleHawk Armory thousands of dollars every day, with no observed decline in conversions or sales. That recovered cost gives the business more room to maintain aggressive pricing, protect its margins, and continue growing.

What BattleHawk learned

Keep it clear. Keep it simple.

Adam's advice is straightforward: make the surcharge a clear part of checkout without turning it into the entire story of the transaction.

Keep it clear. Keep it simple.

Present the surcharge clearly through the transaction without overwhelming customers with unnecessary explanation.

Give customers a choice.

Customers who prefer to avoid the surcharge can use an eligible alternative payment method.

Answer questions personally.

A brief explanation about processing costs and competitive pricing resolves most concerns.

Use good judgment.

If the fee could cost the business an important sale, the team can decide whether a transaction-level discount makes sense.

“It is a very frictionless way to add to your bottom line.”

Adam · Owner, BattleHawk Armory

Coreware Customer Payments

See what better payment economics could mean for your FFL.

Talk with our team about customer payments, surcharging, and how Coreware can connect every transaction with the rest of your operation.

Surcharge availability, requirements, and permitted practices vary by card network and jurisdiction. Businesses remain responsible for reviewing and following all applicable requirements.