Credit card processing and merchant services in New Hampshire
New Hampshire has no general sales tax, but restaurants, lodging and car rentals collect the 8.5% Meals and Rooms Tax. We help New Hampshire merchants set it up right and pay less for cards.
Card surcharges
Surcharging allowedNo New Hampshire law limits surcharges; Visa's 3% and Mastercard's 4% caps, notice and receipt rules apply.
Sales tax
No sales tax; 8.5% meals and rooms
Last checked
October 6, 2026
Most New Hampshire retailers never touch a sales tax setting, because the state has no general sales tax on goods. The exception is the 8.5% Meals and Rooms (Rentals) Tax, which applies to meals, room rentals and motor vehicle rentals. A general store with a deli counter, or an inn that also sells gifts, needs that 8.5% on the right items and nothing on the rest. Get the item setup wrong and you either undercharge the state or overcharge your customers.
New Hampshire has no surcharge statute either, which puts Visa and Mastercard in charge of any fee you add. It can go on credit cards only, it can't exceed your cost (or 3% for Visa and 4% for Mastercard), and Visa wants 30 days' written notice to your acquirer first. Signs at the entrance and the register are required, and the amount has to print on the receipt.
Selling across the border changes the answer. In Massachusetts a credit card surcharge is illegal and stores must take cash, and Maine bans surcharges on debit and credit cards. If you run locations in more than one state, set each one up under its own state's rules.
New Hampshire's 145,314 small businesses employ 50.3% of the state's workers, per the SBA Office of Advocacy's 2025 profile. We work with them remotely, on interchange-plus pricing with no cancellation fee, and a free statement review will show what you're paying today.
What New Hampshire merchants should know
Credit card surcharges in New Hampshire
New Hampshire has no statute that bans or caps credit card surcharges, and NCSL's table of state surcharge laws lists none for the state. The card network rules apply:
- Visa: New Hampshire businesses are held to their merchant discount rate or 3%, whichever is lower, and must notify their acquirer in writing 30 days ahead.
- Mastercard: the surcharge at a New Hampshire business can't be more than its average effective merchant discount rate or 4%.
- No surcharges on debit or prepaid cards.
- Disclose the surcharge to New Hampshire customers at the point of entry and the point of sale, and put it on every receipt.
Sources: NCSL, Credit or debit card surcharges statutes (table last updated 2016); Visa, U.S. Merchant Surcharge Q and A (PDF); Mastercard, Merchant surcharge rules (US)
No general sales tax, but a meals and rooms tax
New Hampshire has no general sales tax on goods. The Meals and Rooms (Rentals) Tax applies to meals, room rentals and motor vehicle rentals, at 8.5% for taxable periods beginning October 1, 2021.
Sources: New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration, Does New Hampshire have a sales tax?; New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration, Meals and Rooms (Rentals) Tax
Cities we cover in New Hampshire
Payment services we provide
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Common questions
Do New Hampshire businesses charge sales tax?
Not on most goods. New Hampshire has no general sales tax. Meals, room rentals and motor vehicle rentals are the exception: they carry the 8.5% Meals and Rooms (Rentals) Tax, the rate for taxable periods beginning October 1, 2021.
Can I add a credit card surcharge in New Hampshire?
Yes. No New Hampshire statute restricts surcharges, so Visa and Mastercard rules apply: credit cards only, at or below your cost, and no higher than 3% for Visa or 4% for Mastercard, with signs at the entrance and checkout and the amount on the receipt. The answer changes at the state line, since Massachusetts and Maine both ban surcharges.
I also have a store in Massachusetts. Can I surcharge there?
No. Massachusetts bans surcharges on credit card payments, and its retail establishments must accept cash. Set up your Massachusetts location without a surcharge even if your New Hampshire store uses one. A discount for paying cash is allowed in both states.
Can a New Hampshire business refuse cash?
We didn't find a statewide New Hampshire law that requires businesses to accept cash, unlike neighboring Massachusetts. Check for any local rule before you go card-only, and remember that a location across the state line follows that state's law.
Other states we serve besides New Hampshire
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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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