Credit card processing and merchant services in Manitoba
Manitoba's provincial tax is the RST, and its food rules changed on July 1, 2026. Keep your tax codes current and your card costs in plain view, with a dedicated rep to help.
Card surcharges
Allowed with limitsAllowed on Visa and Mastercard credit only, up to the lesser of 2.4% or your cost, after 30 days' notice; no Manitoba ban found.
Sales tax
5% GST + 7% RST (12% combined)
Last checked
October 6, 2026
Manitoba's provincial sales tax is formally the retail sales tax, or RST, charged at a general rate of 7% alongside the 5% GST. Small businesses with annual taxable sales under $30,000 don't have to register and collect it. Once sales pass that threshold, they do.
The big change this year is food. On July 1, 2026, Manitoba extended its RST exemption to more food and beverages, including ready-to-eat items such as self-serve sandwiches, soups and rotisserie chickens. The province described it as removing the tax from all grocery food items.
The exemption has limits that matter at the till. It doesn't apply to sales by bakeries, food courts, coffee shops, cafeterias or concession stands, so the same sandwich can be tax-free at a grocery store and taxable at a cafe. If you run a grocery or convenience store, your tax codes probably changed on July 1. If you run a coffee shop, they probably didn't. Either way, check your POS against Notice RST 26-01 rather than assuming.
Card surcharging works the same here as everywhere in Canada except Quebec. You can add one to Visa and Mastercard credit payments, provided it stays within both 2.4% and your cost of acceptance, you've sent 30 days' notice, and it's properly disclosed. Interac is separate. Any fee on Interac Debit has to be applied by your acquirer and is capped at $0.25.
ISED counted 33,513 small employer businesses in Manitoba as of December 2024, almost exactly as many as Saskatchewan. Whatever your size, it pays to know your effective rate. A free statement review gives you that number and shows what interchange-plus pricing would cost instead, and our Winnipeg and Brandon pages cover each city's own rules.
What Manitoba merchants should know
Credit card surcharges in Manitoba
We found no Manitoba law banning surcharges, and FCAC names Quebec as the only place where merchants can't surcharge credit cards. That leaves the Visa and Mastercard rules: credit cards only, never their debit or prepaid cards, and no more than 2.4% or your average cost of acceptance, whichever is lower.
Give 30 days' notice before the first surcharged sale, in writing to your acquirer for Visa and to Mastercard and your acquirer for Mastercard. Disclose the surcharge at the entrance and the point of sale, print it on the receipt, and refund it along with the purchase.
Sources: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, Merchant surcharges, service and convenience fees, and discounts; Visa Canada, Surcharging FAQ for businesses (PDF); Mastercard Canada, What merchant surcharge rules mean to you in Canada
GST and RST rates
Taxable sales in Manitoba carry the 5% GST and the 7% RST, 12% in total at the general rates. Manitoba Finance administers the RST, and registered vendors file their returns through TAXcess.
Sources: Canada Revenue Agency, Charge and collect the GST/HST: which rate to charge; Manitoba Finance, Retail Sales Tax; Manitoba Finance, Bulletin RST 004, Information for Vendors (PDF)
Registering for RST
Small businesses with annual taxable sales under $30,000 are not required to register and collect RST. Once sales exceed the $30,000 annual threshold, they must register and start collecting. A registered business under the threshold may cancel its RST number.
Source: Manitoba Finance, Bulletin RST 004, Information for Vendors (PDF)
Food and beverage exemption since July 1, 2026
Since July 1, 2026, more food and beverages for human consumption are exempt from RST, including ready-to-eat prepared foods such as self-serve sandwiches, soups, rotisserie chickens and samosas.
The expanded exemption does not apply to sales by sellers such as bakeries, food courts, coffee shops, cafeterias and concession stands. Check Notice RST 26-01 before you change your tax codes.
Sources: Manitoba Finance, Notice RST 26-01, Expanded exemption on food and beverages (PDF); Government of Manitoba news release, Manitoba Government Makes Groceries More Affordable; Manitoba Finance, Bulletin RST 029, Food and Beverages (PDF)
Cities we cover in Manitoba
Payment services we provide
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Common questions
Is Manitoba's sales tax called PST or RST?
Officially it is the retail sales tax (RST), set at a general rate of 7% and charged alongside the 5% GST. You will still hear it called PST, even in some government announcements. What matters at the till is the rate, so make sure your terminals charge 7% on taxable items.
Did the July 2026 food exemption change my POS settings?
It depends on what kind of seller you are. Since July 1, 2026, Manitoba exempts more food and beverages from RST, such as self-serve sandwiches, soups and rotisserie chickens. The expanded exemption doesn't apply to sales by bakeries, food courts, coffee shops, cafeterias and concession stands, so grocers likely need changes while cafes likely don't.
Do small Manitoba businesses have to collect RST?
Not below the threshold. Manitoba Finance says small businesses with annual taxable sales under $30,000 are not required to register and collect RST. Once your sales go over $30,000 a year, you must register and collect it, and you can register online through TAXcess.
Can Manitoba businesses surcharge credit cards?
Yes, on credit cards. Visa and Mastercard limit the surcharge to the lesser of 2.4% or your cost of acceptance, require 30 days' notice, and want it disclosed at the entrance, at checkout and on the receipt. Their debit and prepaid cards are excluded, and only your acquirer can apply a fee to Interac Debit.
Other provinces and territories we serve besides Manitoba
Disclaimer: general information, not professional advice
This page is general educational information, not legal, tax, accounting or financial advice. Rules and rates vary by place and change, so confirm them with the official source and a qualified professional before you act. Full terms are in our Terms of Service.
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