Credit card processing and merchant services in New Jersey
New Jersey lets you surcharge credit cards only up to your actual processing cost, and stores must take cash. We help you pin down that cost and price everything correctly.
Card surcharges
Allowed with limitsCredit card surcharges are capped at your actual processing cost and must be disclosed before the customer pays.
Sales tax
6.625% state rate
Last checked
October 6, 2026
New Jersey's surcharge rule turns on one number: your actual cost. P.L. 2023, c. 146, approved August 18, 2023, says a seller can't impose a credit card surcharge greater than its actual cost to process the payment. The Division of Consumer Affairs says you may state the surcharge as a percentage, but it has to be disclosed before the customer incurs any charge. The statute's text calls for signs at the point of entry and the point of sale, and for restaurants, a notice in the customer service area and on the menu.
Here's the catch. If your statement shows one blended rate, or a pile of fees nobody has explained, you don't really know your actual cost. An interchange-plus statement separates the card network cost from the processor's markup, which makes a cost-based surcharge much easier to set and to defend. Our surcharging program handles the disclosures.
New Jersey also makes most in-person sellers take cash. Since 2019, a retail seller can't require credit or refuse cash, and the penalties run up to $2,500 for a first offense and $5,000 for a second. The exceptions are narrow, such as airport sellers (as long as at least two food sellers in each terminal take cash) and car rental companies that accept a cashier's or certified check.
The sales tax is 6.625% on most goods and many services. Businesses certified in an Urban Enterprise Zone can collect a reduced 3.3125% on most qualifying sales at their zone location. Want to know your real cost before you post a surcharge? Send us a statement for a free statement review.
What New Jersey merchants should know
Credit card surcharges are capped at your cost
Under N.J.S.A. 56:8-156.1 and 56:8-156.2 (P.L. 2023, c. 146, approved August 18, 2023), a seller may not impose a credit card surcharge greater than its actual cost to process the credit card payment. The surcharge must be disclosed before the customer incurs any charge:
- On signs at the point of entry and the point of sale, or for restaurants, in the customer service area and on the menu.
- Before checkout online, in an app or at a kiosk, and verbally for phone orders.
The Division of Consumer Affairs says stating the surcharge as a percentage is permissible, and its FAQ is the place to confirm current disclosure details. A violation is an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud Act. Visa and Mastercard caps (3% and 4%) and their ban on debit and prepaid surcharges also apply.
Sources: New Jersey Legislature, P.L. 2023, c. 146 (credit card surcharges); New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Credit card surcharges FAQ (PDF)
Cash acceptance in New Jersey
Under N.J.S.A. 56:8-2.33 (P.L. 2019, c. 50), a person selling goods or services at retail may not require payment by credit or refuse cash, and must accept legal tender for in-person transactions. Penalties are up to $2,500 for a first offense and $5,000 for a second. Exceptions include airport sellers (if at least two food sellers in each terminal accept cash), certain parking facilities, and car rental companies that accept a cashier's or certified check. Phone, mail and online sales are not covered.
Source: New Jersey Legislature, P.L. 2019, c. 50 (cash payments at retail)
New Jersey sales tax and Urban Enterprise Zones
New Jersey's sales tax is 6.625% on most tangible personal property, specified digital products and certain services. Businesses certified in an Urban Enterprise Zone collect a reduced 3.3125% on most qualifying sales of tangible personal property made at their zone location.
Sources: New Jersey Division of Taxation, Sales and use tax; New Jersey Division of Taxation, Urban Enterprise Zone
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Common questions
How much can I surcharge credit cards in New Jersey?
No more than your actual cost to process the credit card payment, which is the limit in P.L. 2023, c. 146. Visa's 3% and Mastercard's 4% caps also apply, so the lowest of those limits is your ceiling. Debit and prepaid cards can't be surcharged under network rules.
Where do I have to disclose a surcharge in New Jersey?
Before the customer incurs any charge. The statute's text calls for a sign at the point of entry and the point of sale, or for restaurants, a sign in the customer service area and on the menu. Online, in an app or at a kiosk, disclose it before checkout, and for phone orders, say it out loud.
Can I show the surcharge as a percentage?
Yes. The Division of Consumer Affairs says stating the surcharge as a percentage is permissible, as long as it's disclosed before the consumer incurs any charge for goods or services.
Can a New Jersey store refuse cash?
Generally not. Retail sellers must accept cash for in-person sales and can't require payment by credit. Phone, mail and online sales are excluded, as are some airport, parking and car rental situations. Fines run up to $2,500 for a first offense and $5,000 for a second.
What is the sales tax rate in a New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zone?
3.3125%, half the standard 6.625% rate, for businesses certified to collect it on most qualifying sales of tangible personal property made at their location in the zone. Everyone else charges 6.625% on most taxable sales.
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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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