[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":82},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-question-maryland-contractor-simulator-payment-by-credit-card":3},{"site":4,"simulation":15,"topic":23,"question":26,"siblings":48,"prev":80,"next":81},{"name":5,"tagline":6,"title":7,"description":8,"guideTitle":9,"guideDescription":10,"ogImage":11,"disclaimer":12,"practicePitch":13,"citationsTitle":14},"Free MHIC Training","Maryland home improvement exam prep","Free MHIC Exam Prep: Maryland Home Improvement Contractor Practice","Free, narrated MHIC exam prep: 147 real Maryland contractor scenarios, every choice explained, with the law cited where it applies.","MHIC Exam Study Guide","Every scenario in the free Maryland Contractor Simulator, written out as a practice question: the situation, your options, how each choice plays out, and the Maryland law where it applies.","/og/free-mhic-training.png","Free MHIC Training is free study material for the Maryland home improvement contractor exam. It is not affiliated with the Maryland Home Improvement Commission and is not legal advice.","The free Maryland Contractor Simulator puts you in situations like these across a 40-day contracting career, narrated, with your license on the line. No account needed.","Law and codes cited",{"slug":16,"title":17,"subtitle":18,"description":19,"maxTurns":20,"characterCount":21,"scenarioCount":22},"maryland-contractor-simulator","Maryland Contractor Simulator","Learn the law by living it.","You just got your MHIC license application approved and you're starting your home improvement business in Maryland. Navigate real contractor scenarios — contracts, permits, clients, subcontractors, and inspectors. Every choice teaches you the law through consequence, not memorization. Master all five exam areas to pass.",40,20,147,{"slug":24,"title":25},"payments-change-orders","Deposits, Payments & Change Orders",{"slug":27,"title":28,"description":29,"takeaway":30,"situation":31,"speaker":34,"speakerDescription":34,"speakerAvatar":34,"audioUrl":35,"choices":36,"citations":47},"payment-by-credit-card","Who pays the fee when a homeowner pays by credit card?","Whoever the contract says, as long as the policy was disclosed before signing. Maryland allows credit card surcharges with proper disclosure, but adding a…","Whoever the contract says, as long as the policy was disclosed before signing. Maryland allows credit card surcharges with proper disclosure, but adding a fee to the invoice after the contract is signed is a violation.",[32,33],"A client wants to pay the entire $20,000 contract with a credit card. Your merchant processing fee is 3% — that's $600 out of your margin.","\"I want the points. Can you absorb the fee?\"",null,"/media/voices/payment_by_credit_card.mp3",[37,42],{"text":38,"verdict":39,"label":40,"explanation":41},"You can either build processing fees into your pricing for all clients, or offer a cash discount. Be transparent about the cost. Never add a hidden surcharge after the contract is signed","best","Correct","Credit card processing fees are a business cost. Some contractors build them into all pricing. Others offer a small discount for cash/check payment. Maryland law allows credit card surcharges with proper disclosure, but they cannot be hidden. Whatever you do, make the policy clear BEFORE the contract is signed. A $600 fee dispute after the project is done is a $600 problem that becomes a $6,000 complaint.",{"text":43,"verdict":44,"label":45,"explanation":46},"Add a 3% 'processing fee' to the final invoice since the contract didn't mention card fees","wrong","Wrong","Adding undisclosed fees after the contract is signed is a contract violation and potentially deceptive. The contract price is the contract price. If you want to charge for credit card processing, it must be disclosed before the contract is executed. Surprise surcharges on final invoices are a top consumer complaint category.",[],[49,52,55,58,61,64,65,68,71,74,77],{"slug":50,"title":51,"topic":24},"deposit-too-large","How large a deposit can a Maryland contractor take?",{"slug":53,"title":54,"topic":24},"payment-schedule-dispute","Can you accept full payment up front for a home improvement job?",{"slug":56,"title":57,"topic":24},"deposit-refund-demand","Must you refund a deposit if the homeowner cancels before work starts?",{"slug":59,"title":60,"topic":24},"chase-sarah-payment","How do you collect an overdue progress payment?",{"slug":62,"title":63,"topic":24},"final-payment-holdback","Can a homeowner hold back part of the final payment?",{"slug":27,"title":28,"topic":24},{"slug":66,"title":67,"topic":24},"change-order-dispute","Does added work need a written change order?",{"slug":69,"title":70,"topic":24},"change-order-blowup","Can you collect for extra work that was never put in writing?",{"slug":72,"title":73,"topic":24},"rain-delay-dispute","How do you handle a weather delay past the contract completion date?",{"slug":75,"title":76,"topic":24},"insurance-adjuster-dispute","What if the insurance payout is lower than your estimate?",{"slug":78,"title":79,"topic":24},"newlyweds-budget-panic","How do you handle a client whose vision is bigger than the budget?",{"slug":62,"title":63,"topic":24},{"slug":66,"title":67,"topic":24},1792184484118]