Credit card processing and merchant services in Arlington, TX
The Comptroller lists Arlington's full 2% local share as city tax, with no transit split. If you bill members every month, the Texas debit surcharge ban is the rule to plan around.
Arlington collects its sales tax a little differently from the big cities around it. The Comptroller's city rate table lists the City of Arlington at 2%, the most local tax Texas allows, so a sale at an Arlington location carries 8.25%: 6.25% for the state and 2% for the city. Dallas hands half of its local share to the Dallas MTA, and Fort Worth splits its share three ways. Customers in all three cities pay 8.25%. In Arlington, the whole local portion stays with the city.
The Census Bureau put Arlington at 402,134 residents in its July 2025 estimate. If you bill some of them on a schedule, such as a gym membership, a monthly lawn plan or a tutoring package, Texas card law needs a close look.
Some members will pay by debit card, and Section 604A.002 of the Business and Commerce Code bans surcharges on debit and stored value cards outright. The credit card ban is still in the statute as well, with court protection only for fees at or below your cost. A flat "card fee" added to every monthly charge is the setup most likely to get you in trouble. Price the membership to cover what cards cost you, then work on lowering that cost.
Our Texas page covers the surcharge law and the 2018 ruling in detail. For the billing itself, a virtual terminal runs recurring charges and sends payment links for one-off balances, and our guide to recurring billing explains how to set it up with your customers' permission. On interchange-plus pricing, you see what each saved-card charge really costs. Send a statement for a free statement review and we'll compare it with what you pay now.
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Common questions
Why doesn't Arlington's sales tax include a transit share?
Because the Comptroller's city rate table gives Arlington's entire 2% local share to the city, and Texas caps local sales tax at 2% combined. There's no room left under that cap for a transit authority. The total is the same 8.25% you'd charge in Dallas or Fort Worth; only the split is different.
Can an Arlington gym charge a fee when members pay by card?
Not on debit cards. Texas bans debit and stored value card surcharges outright, and Visa and Mastercard prohibit them too. Credit card surcharges are still banned in the statute, and a 2018 federal ruling protected only fees at or below cost. Most gyms are better off building card costs into the membership rate. Our wellness and fitness page covers billing setups.
Do recurring card charges cost more to process than tapping a card at the front desk?
Often, yes. Card networks generally set higher interchange rates for card-not-present payments, such as a saved card charged each month, than for chip or tap payments made in person. On interchange-plus pricing each transaction shows its own interchange category, so you can see the difference instead of guessing at it.
What does a membership business in Arlington need for recurring billing?
The customer's permission to charge the card on a schedule, a clear amount and billing date, and a plan for declined cards and cancellations. Our virtual terminal runs recurring billing, invoices and payment links. The recurring billing guide walks through the setup step by step.
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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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