Credit card processing and merchant services in Richmond Hill, ON

At the 2021 Census, Richmond Hill had 202,022 residents and ranked 12th among Ontario's municipalities by population. It grew 3.6% from 2016, slower than the province's 5.8%, while its count of occupied private dwellings rose 8.1%. Businesses here may add a surcharge to credit card payments, as they can anywhere in Ontario, and doing it properly takes a few decisions.

If you take that option, start with scope. Visa's Canadian surcharging FAQ lets a merchant surcharge at the Visa brand level or at the product level, but not both. At the brand level, the fee applies across Visa credit cards. At the product level, it applies only to the Visa credit products you pick. Either way, it can't go past 2.4% or your cost of acceptance, whichever is lower, and Visa debit and prepaid cards stay exempt.

Then comes notice. Visa wants 30 days' written notice to your acquirer, and Mastercard wants notice to both Mastercard and your acquirer at least 30 days before you start. The FCAC's merchant guidance goes a step further: a customer has to see the fee before the payment goes through and must be able to back out without penalty. A line that first appears on the receipt is too late.

Is it worth doing? On an $80 sale, 2.4% comes to $1.92, and the customer sees it every time. For a business with small tickets and plenty of debit, cutting what you pay to process often saves more, since a credit card surcharge never applies to debit.

We serve Richmond Hill businesses remotely. Our surcharging program covers setup, disclosure and compliance, and interchange-plus pricing shows the cost of acceptance your cap depends on. Start with a free statement review, and see the Ontario page for the provincial rules.