Credit card processing and merchant services in Ohio
Ohio counties and regional transit authorities levy their own sales taxes on top of the 5.75% state rate, so your rate depends on the county. Surcharges follow card network rules alone.
Card surcharges
Surcharging allowedNo Ohio statute restricts credit card surcharges; the card networks cap them at 3% (Visa) and 4% (Mastercard) and bar them on debit.
Sales tax
5.75% state rate, plus local
Last checked
October 6, 2026
Ohio sets sales tax county by county. The state rate is 5.75%, and the Ohio Revised Code lets counties and regional transit authorities levy sales taxes of their own on top of it. On the Department of Taxation's sales and use tax rate map for October 1, 2026, Franklin County, home of Columbus, and Cuyahoga County, home of Cleveland, sit at 8.00% each. If you sell in several counties, take each location's rate from the department's current figures.
Ohio's legislature hasn't written a surcharge law, at least none we or NCSL could find, so card network rules carry the whole load. A Visa surcharge can't pass 3%, a Mastercard surcharge can't pass 4%, neither can exceed what you actually pay to process, debit and prepaid cards are excluded, and you have to post the fee where customers enter and pay and show it on the receipt.
That leaves pricing as the decision that matters most. A business on a flat rate pays the same percentage on a low-cost debit swipe as on a premium rewards card. Under interchange-plus pricing, each transaction costs what the card networks charge plus a disclosed markup, so cheaper cards stay cheap. For an Ohio retailer doing $50,000 a month, a 0.3% difference in effective rate is $150 a month.
Clearo serves Ohio merchants remotely, with a dedicated rep for every account and no cancellation fee. Our Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron and Dayton pages cover those cities, and a free statement review will tell you whether your current rate is fair.
What Ohio merchants should know
Credit card surcharges in Ohio
We found no Ohio statute that bans or caps credit card surcharges, and NCSL's table of state surcharge laws lists none. Visa caps a surcharge at the lower of your merchant discount rate or 3% and requires 30 days' written notice to your acquirer, and Mastercard caps it at the lower of your average effective rate or 4%.
Neither network allows surcharges on debit or prepaid cards. Visa requires notice at the point of entry and the point of sale plus the amount on every receipt.
Sources: NCSL, Credit or debit card surcharges statutes (table updated October 13, 2016); Visa, U.S. Merchant Surcharge Q and A; Mastercard, Credit card surcharge rules and fees for merchants
Sales tax by county
Ohio's state sales and use tax rate is 5.75%. Counties can levy an additional sales tax under section 5739.021 of the Ohio Revised Code, and regional transit authorities can levy their own under section 5739.023, so the combined rate depends on the county. The Department of Taxation's sales and use tax rate map for October 1, 2026 lists Franklin and Cuyahoga counties at 8.00%.
Sources: Ohio Department of Taxation, Sales and use tax rate map, rates in effect October 1, 2026 (PDF); Ohio Revised Code, Section 5739.021 (county sales and use tax levy); Ohio Revised Code, Section 5739.023: Transit authority tax levy
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Common questions
Can Ohio businesses add a credit card surcharge?
Yes. Ohio has no surcharge statute that we could find, so the card networks' rules govern: no more than 3% on Visa or 4% on Mastercard, never more than your cost, and credit cards only. Post the fee at your entrance and register and itemize it on receipts. Our surcharging program covers disclosure and setup.
Why do Ohio sales tax rates differ from county to county?
Because the 5.75% state rate is only the base. Ohio law lets each county levy its own sales tax and lets regional transit authorities add another, and they don't all levy the same amount. On the Department of Taxation's rate map for October 1, 2026, Franklin and Cuyahoga counties are at 8.00% while Hamilton County is at 7.80%.
Where do I find my Ohio county's sales tax rate?
On the Ohio Department of Taxation's sales and use tax rate map, which lists county rates. Each county's rate already combines the 5.75% state rate with county and transit taxes, so use your location's figure as the total, and check the map again before each new quarter.
Can an Ohio business charge customers a fee for paying by debit card?
No, not under card network rules. Visa and Mastercard don't allow surcharges on debit or prepaid cards, even when the customer runs the debit card as credit. Regulation II also caps interchange on debit cards from large banks at 21 cents plus 0.05% plus 1 cent, so debit is often cheap to accept anyway.
Other states we serve besides Ohio
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington, DC
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
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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