Credit card processing and merchant services in San Francisco, CA
San Francisco requires brick-and-mortar businesses to take cash, so card-only is off the table for most storefronts. Here's how cash, cards and the 8.625% rate fit together.
San Francisco is the one place among our California city pages where going cashless usually isn't your call. Police Code Article 55 requires brick-and-mortar businesses to accept cash for goods and for services other than professional services. You have to take cash for any amount up to $5,000 in a transaction, and you can't charge a fee or attach other conditions to paying in cash. On a $6,500 purchase, you must accept $5,000 in cash if it's offered and can ask for the other $1,500 another way.
The rule is written for fixed storefronts. Under the code's definitions, a business operating only online, from a vehicle such as a food truck, or from a temporary pop-up isn't a brick-and-mortar business.
San Francisco is both a city and a county, and CDTFA lists both at the same 8.625% as of October 1, 2026. In San Mateo County, Daly City and South San Francisco are at 9.875%, which matters if you deliver or sell at events outside the city.
The city's 2022 Economic Census figures show about $29.5 billion in retail sales and $8.1 billion in accommodation and food services sales. Those businesses can still add a credit card surcharge under California's rules and the card network caps, as long as cash customers aren't charged extra or turned away.
When you're running cash and cards side by side, your card processing rate is the cost to watch. A free statement review shows yours, and our retail page covers in-store setups.
Rules that matter in San Francisco
Brick-and-mortar businesses must accept cash
Police Code Article 55, added by Ordinance No. 100-19 in 2019, requires brick-and-mortar businesses to accept cash for goods and for services other than professional services. A business must accept cash offered for any amount up to $5,000 in a transaction, and it may not charge a fee or place any other condition on accepting cash.
Businesses that operate only online, from a vehicle, or from a temporary location fall outside the code's definition of a brick-and-mortar business.
Sources: San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Ordinance No. 100-19 on accepting cash (PDF); San Francisco Police Code, Sec. 5503, Brick-and-mortar businesses required to accept cash; San Francisco Police Code, Sec. 5502, Definitions
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Common questions
Can a San Francisco store refuse cash?
Generally no, if it's a brick-and-mortar business. Police Code Article 55 requires those businesses to accept cash for goods and for services other than professional services, for any amount up to $5,000 in a transaction. Online-only businesses, food trucks and temporary pop-ups fall outside the code's definition of a brick-and-mortar business.
Can I charge customers extra for paying cash in San Francisco?
No. Article 55 says a brick-and-mortar business may not charge a fee or place any other condition on accepting cash. That doesn't stop you from adding a properly disclosed credit card surcharge under California's rules, as long as it stays within your cost and the Visa and Mastercard caps.
What is the sales tax rate in San Francisco?
8.625%, according to CDTFA's rate table effective October 1, 2026. San Francisco is both a city and a county, and both are listed at the same rate. If you also sell in San Mateo County, some rates there are higher, such as 9.875% in Daly City and South San Francisco.
Do I have to take $10,000 in cash for a large purchase?
No. The code requires you to accept cash for any amount up to $5,000 and lets you refuse cash for the rest. On a $10,000 sale, you'd take $5,000 in cash if the customer offers it and ask for the other $5,000 by card or another payment method.
More California cities besides San Francisco
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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