Credit card processing and merchant services in South Carolina

South Carolina's Department of Revenue lists the statewide sales and use tax rate as 6% and says counties may add a 1% local sales tax if their voters approve it. So the rate at your register depends on the county you're in, and a second location in another county may need a different tax code. Check your county's current rate with the Department before you program a terminal.

Some of the state's fastest growth is along the North Carolina line. Fort Mill, about 20 miles from downtown Charlotte, grew 6.8% between 2024 and 2025 to 38,673 residents, according to the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 city estimates. That was the fastest growth of any city of 20,000 or more in the Charlotte metro and 20th in the nation. If you sell to customers on both sides of the state line, ask your accountant how each state's sales tax applies before you set up online checkout.

On surcharges, South Carolina leaves it to the card networks; we know of no state statute on them. Visa limits a surcharge to 3% or your merchant discount rate, Mastercard to 4% or your average effective rate, and both prohibit surcharging debit and prepaid cards. On a $75 sale, 3% is $2.25: real money over a year of tickets, and also something a regular customer will notice.

Clearo prices on interchange-plus, with no long-term contract or cancellation fee and a dedicated rep for every account. Our surcharging program handles disclosure and setup if you want one, and a free statement review tells you whether you need one.