Credit card processing and merchant services in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Broward County's 1% transportation surtax took effect in 2019 and is listed through 2048. For big-ticket sellers, Florida's $5,000 surtax limit can change the tax on a single sale.
Fort Lauderdale's sales tax is 7%: Florida's 6% plus Broward County's 1% transportation surtax. The Department of Revenue's local rate history shows that surtax starting January 1, 2019, and running through December 31, 2048. Pinellas County's surtax is scheduled to end in 2029; Broward's has decades left.
Big-ticket sellers have one more thing to get right. Florida caps the surtax on certain transactions at the first $5,000 of the sale. If that limit covers what you sell, a $7,000 item in Broward carries $420 in state tax and $50 in surtax, or $470, where a straight 7% would give you $490. Ask your accountant whether your products qualify, then set your POS to match.
Hotels and vacation rentals answer to Broward County as well as the state. The Department's transient rental tax chart lists Broward's tourist development tax at 6%, collected by the county. The state tax and surtax on a rental go on your Florida return, and the county tax goes to Broward.
The Census Bureau estimated 188,677 Fort Lauderdale residents in July 2025. If you're thinking about a card surcharge, Florida's Attorney General says merchants may add a disclosed one to credit card purchases, within the networks' caps and never on debit. Our Florida page covers the rules, and the dual pricing vs surcharging guide compares the two setups. We price on interchange-plus, and a free statement review shows what your current processor charges.
Payment services we provide
Guides worth reading next
All guidesIndustries
Credit card processing for contractors: a field guide
Credit card processing for contractors: take deposits, progress payments, and on-site cards, cut keyed-in costs, and protect deposits from chargebacks.
Hardware and POS
Card reader for iPhone: when you need one and what to buy
A card reader for iPhone adds chip cards to what Tap to Pay can take. How readers connect, when you need one, what they cost to run, and what to check first.
Fees and pricing
Interchange plus vs flat rate: which costs less?
Interchange plus vs flat rate pricing, with worked examples at four ticket sizes, when flat rate wins, and how cost-plus and tiered pricing fit in.
Common questions
How long will Broward County's transportation surtax last?
The Department of Revenue lists Broward's 1% transportation surtax from January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2048. Unless that changes, most taxable sales in Fort Lauderdale carry 7%. The Department's DR-15DSS form, updated each November, lists every county's current surtax.
Does the $5,000 surtax limit apply to my Fort Lauderdale sales?
It applies to certain transactions, and on those only the first $5,000 is subject to Broward's 1% surtax, so the surtax tops out at $50 on a qualifying sale. A $7,000 qualifying item carries $470 in tax instead of $490. Check with your accountant which items qualify before you set up your POS.
What rate applies when I deliver from Fort Lauderdale into Miami-Dade?
Miami-Dade's rate, which is also 7%: Florida's 6% plus the county's 1% in surtaxes. Florida applies the surtax of the county where the item is delivered, so the total is the same but it's Miami-Dade's surtax that applies. Tax by delivery address anyway. Our Miami page has the county's details.
Can a Fort Lauderdale business surcharge credit cards but not debit cards?
That's how it has to work. Florida's Attorney General says a disclosed credit card surcharge is allowed, but Visa and Mastercard don't allow surcharges on debit or prepaid cards, even when the customer picks "credit" at the terminal. Your terminal or surcharge program has to tell the card types apart. Our surcharging program handles disclosure and setup.
More Florida cities besides Fort Lauderdale
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.
Let's talk about your payments
Tell us about your business and how you take payments now, and a Clearo rep will reach out within one business day.