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Visa and Mastercard agreed to allow credit card surcharging in Canada starting October 6, 2022 — but only for merchants who comply with their rules. Amex has its own separate rules. This checker focuses on Visa/Mastercard compliance because they represent the vast majority of Canadian credit volume.
Quebec's Consumer Protection Act (Loi sur la protection du consommateur) prohibits credit card surcharges in consumer transactions. Merchants in Quebec who surcharge credit cards on consumer sales are not just breaching network rules — they are breaking provincial law. The restriction does not apply to B2B transactions, but the line between consumer and commercial can be fuzzy.
Interac has its own merchant agreement. Adding any surcharge or "card fee" to Interac Debit transactions is typically prohibited by Interac's merchant rules. Applying a credit-card-style surcharge to debit cards violates Interac's terms, not just network guidelines. Many merchants accidentally catch debit in their surcharge because their processor applies it to "all card types."
A surcharge adds a fee on top of the posted price when someone pays by card. A cash discount starts with an all-in price and reduces it for cash payers. Both end up at the same numbers — but the legal and network treatment differs. In Quebec, surcharges are banned for consumers; cash discounts are not. Everywhere else, the practical compliance burden is on surcharges. Cash discount programs are generally less regulated but must be presented honestly.
This is not legal advice. Network rules change. Provincial consumer protection law is interpreted by courts, not algorithms. Amex has separate surcharge rules (and generally prohibits surcharging on Amex cards in Canada). Some processors prohibit surcharging entirely in their merchant agreements. Always verify with your processor, your provincial consumer protection office, and a lawyer before implementing.
Visa and Mastercard cap surcharges at the actual cost of acceptance — not to exceed 2.4% in Canada (as of 2026). You cannot charge 3% because your processor charges you 2.4% and you want margin. The surcharge must recover cost, not generate profit. Fixed-dollar surcharges face the same test: they must be reasonably equivalent to your actual per-transaction cost.