Credit card processing and merchant services in Anaheim, CA
Anaheim was at 7.75% in CDTFA's early 2026 rate table, while Santa Ana charges 9.25%. Hotels and ticket sellers in the city also answer to two total-price rules.
Orange County doesn't have one sales tax rate. CDTFA's rates operative October 1, 2026 put unincorporated Orange County at 7.75%, Buena Park, Garden Grove and La Palma at 8.75%, and Santa Ana at 9.25%. Anaheim was at 7.75% in the department's table for January through March 2026. Rates can change each quarter, so confirm Anaheim's current figure with CDTFA's lookup by address before you program a terminal, and look up every other city you sell in too.
The spread matters most when you sell away from your own address. A vendor who sells $3,000 of merchandise at an event in Santa Ana owes $277.50 in tax there, compared with $232.50 at Anaheim's early 2026 rate. Ring it up at the Anaheim rate and you're $45 short on tax you still owe.
Hotels and ticket sellers have pricing rules to follow as well. California's Honest Pricing Law (SB 478) has required most businesses to include mandatory fees in advertised prices since July 1, 2024. The FTC's Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees has applied a similar federal requirement to short-term lodging and live-event tickets since May 12, 2025. So a mandatory resort fee or per-ticket charge has to be part of the price you advertise. Under the Attorney General's SB 478 guidance, a card fee guests can avoid by paying another way generally doesn't.
The Census Bureau estimated Anaheim's population at 341,008 in July 2025, 1.7% below its April 2020 base of 346,799.
Card surcharges follow the statewide position on our California page: the 1748.1 ban is still in the Civil Code, and the Attorney General generally applies the Italian Colors ruling to merchants in the plaintiffs' position. If you add one, our surcharging program handles the notices and receipts. Before that, a free statement review shows what you're paying now.
Rules that matter in Anaheim
Rates vary across Orange County
CDTFA's rates operative October 1, 2026 list unincorporated Orange County at 7.75%; Buena Park, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, La Habra and La Palma at 8.75%; and Santa Ana and Los Alamitos at 9.25%. Anaheim was listed at 7.75% for January 1 to March 31, 2026. Use the rate for the address where each sale happens, and check it with CDTFA's lookup.
Sources: CDTFA, California sales and use tax rates by county and city, operative October 1, 2026 (PDF); CDTFA, California city and county sales and use tax rates, January 1 to March 31, 2026 (PDF)
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Common questions
What sales tax rate should an Anaheim business charge?
CDTFA's table for January 1 to March 31, 2026 listed Anaheim at 7.75%, the same rate its October 1, 2026 table gives unincorporated Orange County. District rates can change quarter to quarter, so confirm Anaheim's current rate with CDTFA's lookup by address before you set up a terminal or an online checkout.
Do Anaheim hotels have to include mandatory fees in the advertised price?
Yes. California's Honest Pricing Law has required most businesses to include mandatory fees in advertised prices since July 1, 2024, and the FTC's fee rule has covered short-term lodging and live-event tickets since May 12, 2025. A card fee that guests can avoid by paying another way is treated differently under the Attorney General's SB 478 guidance.
Can an Anaheim business charge different prices for card and cash?
Generally yes, if the difference is out in the open. The Attorney General says merchants may not mislead customers or hide differences between credit card, debit card and cash prices. Keep any credit card surcharge within your cost and the Visa and Mastercard caps, leave debit and prepaid cards out, and read our guide to cash discount programs first.
Why would I charge more tax at an event in Santa Ana?
Because Santa Ana adds district taxes of its own. CDTFA's rates operative October 1, 2026 put Santa Ana at 9.25%, a point and a half above the 7.75% Anaheim showed in early 2026. The rate follows the location of the sale, so set your mobile reader for the city you're selling in that day.
More California cities besides Anaheim
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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