Credit card processing and merchant services in Windsor, ON
With three land crossings to Detroit, Windsor businesses see cards from both sides of the border. Here is how Canadian card rules and costs apply when the card is American.
Windsor is a border city. Since the Gordie Howe International Bridge opened on July 27, 2026, the Canada Border Services Agency counts three land ports of entry in the Windsor area, the new bridge plus the Ambassador Bridge and the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel, and it calls Windsor-Detroit Canada's most important trade corridor.
For merchants, the border shows up in two places. The first is cost. Visa Canada publishes a separate table of international interchange rates for Visa cards issued outside Canada and used at Canadian merchants, so a Michigan visitor's card isn't priced like a local one. On interchange-plus pricing, those transactions show up as their own lines on your statement, and you can see what cross-border business costs you.
The second is rules. You're a Canadian merchant, so Canadian surcharge rules apply to you: Visa and Mastercard credit cards only, capped at the lesser of 2.4% or your cost of acceptance, after 30 days' notice, with signs at the entrance and the till. Visa and Mastercard debit and prepaid cards can't be surcharged, wherever they were issued.
Hotels and short-term rentals have a newer rate to check. The City of Windsor raised its Municipal Accommodation Tax from 4% to 6% on April 1, 2025. Other taxable sales ring up at Ontario's 13% HST.
If cross-border customers are a big part of your sales, send us a statement for a free statement review and we'll show you what those cards cost. There's no long-term contract, and the Ontario page has the province-wide rules.
Payment services we provide
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Common questions
Do cards issued in the US cost more to accept in Windsor?
They're priced differently. Visa Canada publishes a separate set of international interchange rates for Visa cards issued outside Canada and used at Canadian merchants. What the difference comes to depends on the card and on your pricing. On interchange-plus, those transactions appear as separate lines on your statement, so you can see the cost instead of guessing.
Can I add a surcharge when a visitor pays with an American credit card?
Canadian rules apply to your business, so the surcharge on any Visa or Mastercard credit card is capped at 2.4% or your cost of acceptance, whichever is lower, after 30 days' notice and with disclosure at the entrance, the till and on the receipt. Debit and prepaid cards can't be surcharged, whether they were issued in Canada or the US.
What is Windsor's Municipal Accommodation Tax?
6% since April 1, 2025. The City of Windsor charged 4% from October 1, 2018, to March 31, 2025. If your booking engine or front desk terminal was set up before April 2025, check that it charges the current rate.
What sales tax do I charge a visitor from Michigan?
The same 13% HST you charge anyone else. Under CRA's place-of-supply rules, goods the customer takes delivery of in Ontario are supplied in Ontario, whatever their home address. Shipping an order to the US is a different case, so ask your accountant about exports.
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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