Credit card processing and merchant services in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia cut its HST to 14% on April 1, 2025. If a terminal, invoice or subscription still charges 15%, fix that first, then look hard at what you pay to accept cards.
Card surcharges
Allowed with limitsAllowed on Visa and Mastercard credit only, capped at the lesser of 2.4% or your cost, after 30 days' notice. Debit and prepaid are excluded.
Sales tax
14% HST (since April 1, 2025)
Last checked
October 6, 2026
Nova Scotia's HST dropped from 15% to 14% on April 1, 2025, when the province lowered its portion to 9%. If you set up your terminals or online store before then, open each one and confirm it charges 14%. CRA's transition rule looks at when an amount becomes due or is paid, not when the work was done: 14% applies to any amount that becomes due, or is paid without having become due, on or after April 1, 2025. A recurring billing plan created in 2024 is exactly the kind of place an old 15% can survive.
The province also rebates its portion of the HST at the till on a short list of items. CRA lists books, children's clothing and footwear, and children's diapers for Nova Scotia, so those products need their own tax code in your POS.
Credit card surcharges are allowed here under Visa and Mastercard's Canadian rules. That means credit cards only, a cap of 2.4% or your cost of acceptance, 30 days' notice, and disclosure at the door, the till and on the receipt. CRA generally treats a surcharge charged as its own line as an exempt financial service, so no HST goes on top of it. Our surcharging program covers the setup if you decide it's worth it.
ISED counted 25,386 employer businesses in Nova Scotia at the end of 2024, and 24,903 of them were small, more small employers than any other Atlantic province. If yours is one of them, we'd like to see your statement.
We price on interchange-plus, with no long-term contract and no cancellation fee. Ask for a free statement review, and see our Halifax and Cape Breton pages for city details.
What Nova Scotia merchants should know
HST at 14%
Nova Scotia's HST has been 14% since April 1, 2025: the 5% federal part plus a 9% provincial part. Under CRA's transitional rules, 14% applies to consideration that becomes due, or is paid without having become due, on or after April 1, 2025.
Nova Scotia also gives a point-of-sale rebate of the provincial part of the HST on books, children's clothing and footwear, and children's diapers.
Sources: Canada Revenue Agency, Charge and collect the GST/HST: which rate to charge; Canada Revenue Agency, GST/HST Notice 342: Nova Scotia HST rate decrease, general transitional rules; Canada Revenue Agency, Provincial point-of-sale rebate on qualifying items: eligibility; Government of Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia's HST to drop in 2025 (October 23, 2024)
Credit card surcharges in Nova Scotia
No provincial law bans surcharges in Nova Scotia, so the Visa and Mastercard rules apply:
- Credit cards only. Visa and Mastercard debit and prepaid cards are excluded from surcharging.
- No more than 2.4% or your cost of acceptance, whichever is lower.
- 30 days' notice: written notice to your acquirer for Visa, and notice to Mastercard and your acquirer for Mastercard.
- Disclosure at the store entrance and the point of sale, with the amount on the receipt.
CRA's info sheet GI-200 says a surcharge shown and charged separately is generally a separate supply of a financial service, which carries no HST.
Sources: Visa Canada, Surcharging FAQ for businesses (PDF); Mastercard Canada, What merchant surcharge rules mean to you in Canada; Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, Merchant surcharges, service and convenience fees, and discounts; Canada Revenue Agency, GST/HST Info Sheet GI-200: Application of the GST/HST to credit card surcharges
Interac debit fees in Nova Scotia
Interac's fee page rules out merchants surcharging Interac Debit directly, and it limits any surcharge fee to $0.25. An Interac fee has to be applied by your acquirer, so don't add one to your terminal settings yourself.
Source: Interac, Understanding fees
Cities we cover in Nova Scotia
Payment services we provide
Guides worth reading next
All guidesCanada
Credit card fees in Canada: what merchants pay in 2026
What credit card fees cost merchants in Canada: interchange, network fees, and markup, the small-business rate cuts, your Code of Conduct rights, and more.
Canada
Interac Flash: how contactless debit works for merchants
Interac Flash is Canada's contactless debit. How a tap works, the $250 and cumulative limits, how it differs from chip and PIN, and what merchants need.
Canada
Code of Conduct for the Payment Card Industry in Canada
The Code of Conduct for the Payment Card Industry gives Canadian merchants fee notice, a penalty-free exit, clear pricing and card choice. Here's how it works.
Common questions
Is Nova Scotia's HST 14% or 15%?
14%, since April 1, 2025. The province lowered its portion of the HST from 10% to 9%, and the federal 5% didn't change. Any sale, invoice or recurring charge that becomes due, or is paid without having become due, on or after that date should carry 14%.
Which rate applies to work done before April 2025 but billed after?
Usually 14%. CRA's transition rules look at when the payment becomes due or is paid, not when the work happened. CRA's own example is March 2025 services with payment due April 15, 2025: the HST at 14% applies. An amount paid before April 1, 2025, follows the earlier rules, so check with your accountant on unusual cases.
Can Nova Scotia businesses add a credit card surcharge?
Yes. The FCAC names Quebec as the only province that bans surcharges. In Nova Scotia you can surcharge Visa and Mastercard credit cards up to 2.4% or your cost of acceptance, whichever is lower, after 30 days' notice and with disclosure at the entrance, the point of sale and on the receipt. Debit and prepaid cards are excluded.
Which items get the point-of-sale HST rebate in Nova Scotia?
CRA lists books, children's clothing and footwear, and children's diapers. On those items the provincial part of the HST is rebated at the point of sale, so the customer usually pays only the 5% GST. Give each group its own tax code so your POS applies the rebate automatically.
Other provinces and territories we serve besides Nova Scotia
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.
Let's talk about your payments
Tell us about your business and how you take payments now, and a Clearo rep will reach out within one business day.