Credit card processing and merchant services in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan's PST reaches restaurant meals and event tickets, while liquor has a separate 10% tax. Set the taxes up once, correctly, and keep a close eye on what each card sale costs you.
Card surcharges
Allowed with limitsCredit cards only, up to 2.4% or your cost of acceptance if lower, with 30 days' notice and signage; no Saskatchewan ban found.
Sales tax
5% GST + 6% PST (11% combined)
Last checked
October 6, 2026
Saskatchewan's 6% PST covers a lot of everyday sales. Since April 1, 2017, restaurant meals and other prepared food and non-alcoholic beverages have been subject to it. Since October 1, 2022, so have taxable admissions, entertainment and certain recreation, generally on the same basis as the GST. Gym and fitness memberships and classes are not subject to PST.
Alcohol works differently. Beer, wine and spirits aren't subject to PST at all. They carry the 10% Liquor Consumption Tax instead, calculated on the price excluding GST. A restaurant needs one tax code for food at 6% PST and another for drinks at 10% LCT, and a POS configured in another province will need both added.
Every business operating in Saskatchewan must be licensed or registered with the Ministry of Finance for PST purposes, and restaurants, caterers and other sellers of prepared food must be licensed as vendors. The rule reaches market stalls too: a vendor at a weekly or monthly market has to collect PST on taxable merchandise, ready-to-eat food included.
Card rules are the national ones. A surcharge is allowed on Visa and Mastercard credit, capped at 2.4% or your own cost of acceptance if that's lower. Before the first surcharged sale, you need 30 days' notice and signs at your entrance and where customers pay.
Most businesses here are small: ISED counted 33,383 small employer businesses in Saskatchewan as of December 2024, 98.5% of the province's total. At that size, the gap between a flat rate and interchange-plus is real money, and a free statement review will put a number on it. City rules are on our Saskatoon and Regina pages.
What Saskatchewan merchants should know
Credit card surcharges in Saskatchewan
Outside Quebec, FCAC says a credit card surcharge is the merchant's option, and we found no Saskatchewan law that bans it. The Visa and Mastercard limits apply: credit cards only, up to the lesser of 2.4% or your average cost of acceptance, and nothing on their debit or prepaid cards.
Send 30 days' notice before the first surcharged sale (Visa: written notice to your acquirer; Mastercard: notice to Mastercard and your acquirer). Disclose it at the entrance and at the point of sale, show the amount on the receipt, and credit it back on refunds.
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
PST and GST rates
Saskatchewan's PST is 6% on taxable goods and services, on top of the 5% GST, for 11% combined. Since April 1, 2017, meals and other prepared food and non-alcoholic beverages have been subject to PST, and restaurants, caterers and other businesses selling prepared food must be licensed as vendors.
Sources: Canada Revenue Agency, Charge and collect the GST/HST: which rate to charge; Government of Saskatchewan, Provincial Sales Tax (PST); Government of Saskatchewan, PST bulletin for restaurants, caterers and other businesses selling prepared food (PDF)
Liquor Consumption Tax
Beer, wine and spirits are not subject to PST. They carry the Liquor Consumption Tax, 10% of the total selling price, which Saskatchewan's restaurant bulletin says is calculated on the price paid by the customer excluding GST. Code alcohol separately from food so each tax lands on the right lines.
Sources: Government of Saskatchewan, Liquor Consumption Tax; Government of Saskatchewan, PST bulletin for restaurants, caterers and other businesses selling prepared food (PDF)
Admissions, entertainment and fitness
Since October 1, 2022, PST has applied to the total charge for taxable admissions, entertainment and certain recreation in Saskatchewan, generally on the same basis as the GST. Businesses selling taxable admissions must be licensed vendors.
Gym and fitness facility memberships and classes, for all ages, are not subject to PST, and neither are charges for instruction in a recreational or athletic class or lesson.
Sources: Government of Saskatchewan, Information Bulletin PST-76, Admissions, Entertainment and Recreation (PDF); Government of Saskatchewan, Information Notice IN 2022-01, PST on Admissions and Entertainment (PDF)
PST licensing
All businesses operating in Saskatchewan must be licensed or registered with the Ministry of Finance for PST purposes. Apply for a PST number before your first taxable sale. Licensed vendors file monthly, quarterly or annual returns depending on the amount of tax they collect.
Sources: Government of Saskatchewan, Provincial Sales Tax (PST); Government of Saskatchewan, Provincial Sales Tax (PST) number application; Government of Saskatchewan, PST bulletin for restaurants, caterers and other businesses selling prepared food (PDF)
Cities we cover in Saskatchewan
Payment services we provide
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Common questions
Do Saskatchewan restaurants charge PST on meals?
Yes. Since April 1, 2017, meals and other prepared food and non-alcoholic beverages have been subject to Saskatchewan's 6% PST. Alcohol is handled separately: it isn't subject to PST but carries the 10% Liquor Consumption Tax on the price excluding GST. Set up separate tax codes for food and drinks on your POS terminals.
Do gyms in Saskatchewan charge PST on memberships?
No. Saskatchewan's PST bulletin on admissions lists gym and fitness facility memberships and classes, for all ages, among the items not subject to PST. Taxable admissions to entertainment and recreation have carried PST since October 1, 2022, so a facility that sells both needs two tax settings. See our wellness and fitness page.
Do event organizers collect PST on tickets in Saskatchewan?
Usually. Since October 1, 2022, PST applies to the total charge for taxable admissions, entertainment and certain recreation, generally on the same basis as GST, and sellers of taxable admissions must be licensed vendors. If you sell tickets online, set the 6% PST in your online checkout as well as at the door.
Can Saskatchewan businesses surcharge credit cards?
Yes. The cap is the lesser of 2.4% or your cost of acceptance, it applies to Visa and Mastercard credit cards only, and you need 30 days' notice plus disclosure at the entrance, the point of sale and on the receipt. Our free statement review can show whether a lower rate makes a surcharge unnecessary.
Other provinces and territories we serve besides Saskatchewan
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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