Credit card processing and merchant services in Long Beach, CA
Long Beach's sales tax has been 11% since October 1, 2026, three-quarters of a point above the city of Los Angeles. At that rate, the tax line on each card sale picks up processing fees too.
Long Beach charges 11% sales tax, according to CDTFA's table effective October 1, 2026. Measure ER, approved by Los Angeles County voters in June, added half a point across the county that day, and Long Beach's own district taxes keep it 0.75 points above the city of Los Angeles at 10.25%. A $60 order rings up $6.60 in tax in Long Beach and $6.15 in Los Angeles.
There's a cost buried in that higher rate that rarely shows up on a statement as its own line. Most card processing fees are figured on the full amount charged, and the full amount includes the sales tax you collect for the state. Say a Long Beach shop takes $80,000 a month in card payments, about $7,900 of it tax, at an effective rate of 2.8%. Roughly $222 of that month's fees is charged on tax money you pass straight to CDTFA, or about $2,660 a year.
You can't stop collecting tax, of course. You can push the processing rate down, because it applies to every dollar, tax included. With interchange-plus pricing, the card networks' cost and our markup appear as separate lines, so you can judge the markup on its own.
The Census Bureau put Long Beach's population at 450,469 in July 2025. Card fee rules follow the statewide approach set out on our California page: the 1748.1 ban is still in the Civil Code, the Attorney General generally applies the Italian Colors ruling to similarly situated merchants, and card-only businesses must fold the fee into advertised prices. Our Los Angeles page covers Measure ER in more detail.
Send a recent statement for a free statement review and we'll show you the effective rate behind those numbers.
Rules that matter in Long Beach
A higher rate than Los Angeles
CDTFA lists Long Beach at 11% and the city of Los Angeles at 10.25% from October 1, 2026, after Measure ER added a 0.5% countywide tax in Los Angeles County. Long Beach had district taxes of its own before Measure ER, which is why it sits higher. If you have locations in both cities, set each one's rate separately.
Sources: CDTFA, California city and county sales and use tax rates (effective October 1, 2026); CDTFA, Explanation of tax rate changes; CDTFA, Special notice L-1037: new sales and use tax rates effective October 1, 2026 (PDF)
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Common questions
What is the sales tax rate in Long Beach?
11%, according to CDTFA's rate table effective October 1, 2026. That includes the 0.5% countywide tax from Measure ER, which took effect that day. The city of Los Angeles is at 10.25%, so a business with locations in both needs a different rate in each.
Do I pay card processing fees on the sales tax I collect?
In most cases, yes. Processing fees are generally a percentage of the total charged, and the total includes tax. On a $100 Long Beach sale, the customer's card is charged $111, so a 2.8% effective rate costs $3.11 instead of $2.80. You can't avoid collecting the tax, so a lower processing rate is what shrinks that extra 31 cents.
Why is Long Beach sales tax higher than in Los Angeles?
Long Beach already had district taxes of its own on top of the countywide rate. When Measure ER added half a point across Los Angeles County on October 1, 2026, both cities went up by the same amount, leaving Long Beach at 11% and Los Angeles at 10.25%.
Can a Long Beach business stop accepting cash?
We found no statewide California law requiring cash, so check the Long Beach municipal code before going cashless. Remember SB 478 too: once customers can only pay by card, the card fee isn't avoidable, and it has to be included in the price you advertise.
More California cities besides Long Beach
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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