Credit card processing and merchant services in Fort Wayne, IN
Fort Wayne restaurants add Allen County's 1% food and beverage tax to Indiana's 7% sales tax, a point less than Indianapolis restaurants collect. Other taxable sales stay at 7%.
Indiana keeps sales tax at 7% statewide, so most Fort Wayne sales need only that one rate. Food and drink are the exception. The Indiana Department of Revenue lists Allen County's food and beverage tax at 1%, in effect since July 1, 1986, which puts the total on a taxable restaurant sale at 8%.
Getting that right is mostly a menu setup job. Food and drinks go in a category taxed at 8%, and everything else stays at 7%. A taproom that also sells glassware charges both rates on the same ticket: on a $30 food order plus a $20 pint glass, that's $2.40 plus $1.40, or $3.80 in tax. A POS with a single rate gets one side of that ticket wrong every time.
If you also run a restaurant in Indianapolis, its food rate is different. Marion County's food and beverage tax is 2%, so the same food order there carries 9%. Our Indianapolis page has that city's setup, and the Department of Revenue publishes the rate for each county that levies one.
Indiana has no surcharge statute, so card network rules set the limits on a card fee. The Indiana page has them with sources. On a restaurant check that already carries 8% in tax, compare a surcharge against simply paying less to process before you add one.
Fort Wayne had 275,203 residents in the Census Bureau's July 1, 2025 estimate. Clearo prices restaurant and retail accounts on interchange-plus, sets up POS terminals for counters and tables, and offers a free statement review to anyone who wants a second opinion on their rate.
Rules that matter in Fort Wayne
Allen County food and beverage tax
Allen County's food and beverage tax is 1%, in effect since July 1, 1986, according to the Indiana Department of Revenue, which administers it. It is collected on top of the 7% state sales tax, so taxable food and drink sales in the county carry 8% in total. The DOR's food and beverage tax guidance explains which sales the tax covers.
Source: Indiana Department of Revenue, Food and beverage tax
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Common questions
What sales tax does a Fort Wayne restaurant collect?
Indiana's 7% sales tax plus Allen County's 1% food and beverage tax on food and drink, for 8% in total. The Department of Revenue lists the Allen County rate as effective July 1, 1986. Merchandise and other items that aren't food or drink stay at 7%.
Is Allen County's food and beverage tax the same as Marion County's?
No. The Department of Revenue lists Allen County at 1% and Marion County, which includes Indianapolis, at 2%. A restaurant group with locations in both counties needs a different food tax setting at each one, even though the 7% state rate is the same.
What sales tax does a Fort Wayne retail store charge?
Indiana's 7%, the rate the Department of Revenue tells businesses to register for. The county's 1% food and beverage tax applies to food and drink, so a store that also sells snacks or coffee should check which of those items it covers.
Can a Fort Wayne restaurant surcharge credit cards?
Yes, within card network rules, because Indiana has no surcharge statute: a credit-only fee no higher than your cost, capped at 3% on Visa and 4% on Mastercard, posted at the entrance and the register and itemized on the check. Some restaurants prefer a cash discount; our cash discount program guide explains how that works.
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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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