Credit card processing and merchant services in Dallas, TX
Dallas retailers charge 8.25% sales tax and can't put a fee on debit cards, so the price you pay to accept cards is the lever you control.
The 2022 Economic Census counted $31.9 billion in retail sales in Dallas, about $24,563 for every resident, so this page is mostly about the register. The Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate put the population at 1,329,491, up 1.9% since 2020.
Sales tax here is the Texas maximum of 8.25%. The Comptroller's city rate table splits the local 2% evenly: 1% to the City of Dallas and 1% to the Dallas MTA, the transit authority. Plenty of Dallas County cities reach the same total by another route. Mesquite keeps its full 2% as city tax, while Garland pairs 1% city tax with the Dallas MTA, just like Dallas. Your customer sees 8.25% either way.
The bigger issue for a store is debit. Texas bans surcharges on debit and stored value cards outright, and the credit card ban is still in the statute, so passing card costs on to shoppers is a weak plan here. What you can change is how you're charged. Federal Regulation II caps what large banks earn on a debit transaction at 21 cents plus 0.05% of the sale, plus 1 cent for fraud prevention. On a $20 debit sale, that's 23 cents. A flat-rate plan that bills one percentage on every card keeps the gap between that and your rate; interchange-plus passes the low cost through to you.
Our retail page covers terminals and checkout, and the Texas page has the surcharge law in detail. If you want numbers for your own store, send a statement for a free statement review.
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Common questions
What is the sales tax rate in Dallas?
8.25%: the 6.25% Texas rate, 1% for the City of Dallas and 1% for the Dallas MTA, according to the Comptroller's city rate table. That is the highest combined rate Texas allows. Set it on every terminal at a Dallas location and in your online checkout for orders taxed there.
Can a Dallas store add a fee for debit card purchases?
No. Texas law bars a surcharge on a buyer who pays with a debit or stored value card, and Visa and Mastercard rules bar it too. A Dallas store that knowingly breaks the rule can face a civil penalty of up to $500 per violation, after it gets a notice and 30 days to comply. Work on your processing price instead.
Why does interchange-plus matter for a Dallas retailer with a lot of debit sales?
Because debit from large banks is cheap at the source. Regulation II caps interchange at 21 cents plus 0.05% of the sale plus a 1 cent fraud adjustment, or 23 cents on a $20 sale. Interchange-plus passes that cost through and adds a markup you can see. A flat percentage bills that sale the same as a premium credit card.
Do Dallas County suburbs charge a different sales tax rate?
Mostly not. Many Dallas County cities on the Comptroller's table also total 8.25%, but they split the local 2% differently: Mesquite keeps all of it as city tax, while Garland pairs 1% city tax with the Dallas MTA. Check each address before you open a second store.
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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