Deskie lets you add two optional surcharges on top of the line-item subtotal of an invoice: a tax percentage and a convenience fee (a credit-card processing surcharge). Both are turned off by default. Each is configured at the workspace level, so the same settings apply across every location in the workspace. When a fee is enabled, it is calculated as a percentage of the invoice subtotal and shown as its own line on the invoice and at checkout.
Where to find the settings
The fees are managed under Settings, Invoices / Payments, in the Invoice fees card. Editing these settings requires the workspace management permission, so only workspace owners and admins can change them. See roles and permissions for who holds that access.
The card has two independent toggles: one for Tax and one for the Convenience fee. Each toggle reveals a percent field when switched on. You can enter a value from 0 to 100, with up to two decimal places (for example, 8.25). After making changes, choose Save changes to apply them.
Tax
The tax surcharge applies to every invoice payment, regardless of how the customer pays. When enabled, Deskie multiplies the invoice subtotal by the tax percent and adds that amount to the total. The tax line is labelled with the percentage that was applied, for example Tax (8.25%).
Tax can be skipped for specific payers. A member or a team can be marked as tax-exempt. When the payer being charged is tax-exempt, the tax line is forced to zero on that charge even if the workspace has tax enabled. Exemption follows the actual payer: if a charge is billed to a team, the team's exemption flag governs; otherwise the member's flag is used. If the system cannot determine the payer, it defaults to charging tax rather than skipping it. Note that a tax exemption only affects the tax line; the convenience fee is unaffected because it is a payment-processing surcharge, not a tax.
Convenience fee (card payments only)
The convenience fee is a surcharge that applies only when the customer pays by credit or debit card. It is automatically skipped on bank-transfer (ACH) payments. When a member pays an invoice by ACH, no convenience fee is added; if they pay the same invoice by card, the fee is included. When enabled, the fee is calculated as a percentage of the subtotal and shown as its own line, for example Convenience fee (3%).
Because the fee depends on the payment method, an unpaid invoice cannot know in advance which method the customer will choose. The invoice detail view therefore displays the card-inclusive total (the higher figure) for an unpaid invoice. When the member opens the payment sheet to pay, the sheet recalculates the total based on the payment method they have selected, so choosing bank transfer (ACH) drops the convenience fee from the total before they pay.
How fees apply to a payment method
- Card: both tax (if enabled) and the convenience fee (if enabled) apply.
- Bank transfer / ACH: tax applies (if enabled), but the convenience fee is suppressed.
For more on the two payment methods, see payments and ACH.
How fees show on an invoice
When at least one fee applies to an invoice, the invoice footer expands to break out the math instead of showing a single total. You will see:
- Subtotal: the sum of the line items before any fees.
- Tax (X%): shown only when the tax amount is greater than zero.
- Convenience fee (X%): shown only when the convenience-fee amount is greater than zero.
- Total: the subtotal plus any applicable fees, which is the amount actually charged.
If no fee applies, the invoice simply shows the total with no separate subtotal or fee lines.
Dynamic on unpaid invoices, frozen on paid ones
Deskie treats fees differently depending on whether the invoice has been paid:
- Unpaid invoices calculate fees dynamically from the workspace's current tax and convenience-fee settings. If an admin turns a fee on or off, or changes a percentage, the displayed total on open invoices updates to reflect the current configuration.
- Paid invoices read a snapshot of the fees that were captured when the payment succeeded. The receipt keeps the exact rate and amount that were charged, even if the workspace later changes the percentage. This keeps historical records stable and accurate.
The convenience-fee amount on a paid invoice's snapshot stays empty when the customer paid by ACH, because no card surcharge was charged. For invoices that were marked paid manually outside of card or ACH processing (for example, recorded as paid before this feature existed, or settled by cash), Deskie does not retroactively add surcharges; those records show no fees.
Fees at public checkout
The same fees apply when customers buy through your public website: resource bookings, pass purchases, event tickets, and asset sign-ups. Public storefront checkouts are paid by card, so the fee breakdown is computed against card pricing, meaning both the tax and the convenience fee apply when they are enabled. The tax and convenience-fee lines appear in the checkout summary the same way they do on an invoice, each labelled with its percentage, so the customer sees the full total before paying.
Fees and Stripe charges
Fees are not just a display detail. When an invoice or checkout is paid, the total that Deskie charges through Stripe includes the applicable tax and convenience fee. The exact tax and convenience-fee amounts and percentages are recorded with the payment so the snapshot on the paid invoice reflects what was actually collected. Connecting Stripe is a prerequisite for collecting these charges; see connecting Stripe.
Compliance is your responsibility
When you enable either fee, the settings card displays a compliance warning, and saving the settings means you acknowledge it. Tax rates, sales-tax registration, and convenience-fee surcharging on card payments are regulated and vary by state, province, and country. Some jurisdictions cap these fees, ban them outright, or require specific disclosure language and an alternative payment method. By enabling these fees you confirm that you have done the research, that you are authorized to collect them, and that you accept full responsibility for any non-compliance. Deskie does not validate the values you enter.