Credit card processing in Quebec
Quebec is the one province where adding a fee for paying by card is not allowed, whatever the card networks permit elsewhere. Quebec merchants cut card costs only through better pricing, and they need French at every step of the sale.
Quebec's consumer protection office says merchants cannot charge a fee for paying by debit or credit card, even with a sign at the till, although FCAC says surcharging is allowed in the rest of Canada. Card fee programs have to be built for Quebec specifically, not copied from a national template.
From Sugar shacks and seasonal businesses to Montreal restaurants and cafes: Quebec's business mix
Montreal, Laval and Longueuil combine aerospace, gaming studios, universities and a dense restaurant, cafe and bakery culture, with festivals and tourism filling the summer. Quebec City adds provincial government and year-round tourism around the old city.
Gatineau is tied to the federal public service across the river in Ottawa, Sherbrooke has universities and manufacturing, and the regions depend on forestry, agriculture, sugar shacks and ski resorts.
Surcharge and cash discount rules in Quebec
The Office de la protection du consommateur says a merchant cannot charge fees when a customer pays by debit or credit card, and posting a sign does not change that. The advertised price must be the total the consumer pays, with only taxes such as GST and QST added. FCAC's national surcharge guidance also carves out Quebec.
| Status | Not allowed. The OPC says merchants cannot charge fees for paying by debit or credit card, even with a sign or verbal notice |
|---|---|
| Source | Office de la protection du consommateur; FCAC |
Surcharging in Canada, province by province · confirm current rules before acting
Which pricing suits Montreal restaurants and cafes?
Since surcharges are off the table, Quebec merchants should focus on interchange-plus pricing, Interac priced per transaction, removing junk fees and avoiding long leases. Discounts for other payment methods are a different matter under the national Code of Conduct, but the advertised price rule still applies, so get advice before promoting one. Businesses in Ontario that sell to Quebec customers should not apply card fees to those sales.
POS for bakeries and fromageries, Quebec City hotels and shops and more
- Montreal restaurants and cafes
- French-first terminals and receipts, pay-at-table with Interac, and tip adjustment.
- Bakeries and fromageries
- Fast contactless and small-ticket pricing, set up around how bakeries and fromageries in Quebec sell.
- Quebec City hotels and shops
- Folio posting, bilingual receipts and clear handling of foreign cards.
- Sugar shacks and seasonal businesses
- Mobile terminals and pricing without off-season minimums, set up around how Sugar shacks and seasonal businesses in Quebec sell.
City-level pages
Send one statement. Every fee named, back, usually within 4 hours.
It is free, there is nothing to sign and nothing to cancel. We read your current merchant statement line by line, name every fee on it — including the ones buried in the fee schedule — work out your true effective rate, and send the written analysis back, usually within 4 hours. Do not want to wait? Call 1-888-705-7896 and we will read your statement with you on the call in about 5 minutes.
Every corner of Quebec
Montreal · Quebec City · Laval · Gatineau · Longueuil · Sherbrooke · Saguenay · Lévis · Trois-Rivières · Terrebonne · Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu · Repentigny · Brossard · Drummondville · Saint-Jérôme · Granby · Blainville · Saint-Hyacinthe · Shawinigan · Dollard-des-Ormeaux · Rimouski · Châteauguay · Victoriaville · Saint-Eustache · Rouyn-Noranda · Salaberry-de-Valleyfield · Boucherville · Sorel-Tracy · Vaudreuil-Dorion · Côte-Saint-Luc · Saint-Georges · Mascouche · Mirabel · Sept-Îles · Alma · Beloeil · Val-d'Or · Baie-Comeau · Thetford Mines · Magog · Joliette · Pointe-Claire · Kirkland · Boisbriand · Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville · Sainte-Julie · Chambly · Candiac · La Prairie · L'Assomption · Varennes · Gaspé · Matane · Amos · Sainte-Thérèse · Saint-Constant · Deux-Montagnes · Sainte-Catherine · Beaconsfield · Mont-Royal · Westmount · Saint-Lambert · Rosemère · Lorraine · Bois-des-Filion · Mont-Saint-Hilaire · Otterburn Park · Saint-Basile-le-Grand · Contrecoeur · Sainte-Marie · Montmagny · La Malbaie · Baie-Saint-Paul · Donnacona · Saint-Raymond · Portneuf · Trois-Pistoles · Rivière-du-Loup · Kamouraska · Dolbeau-Mistassini · Roberval · Chibougamau · La Tuque · Louiseville · Nicolet · Bécancour · Plessisville · Princeville · Coaticook · Lac-Mégantic · Windsor · Asbestos · Cowansville · Bromont · Farnham · Saint-Rémi · Napierville · Huntingdon · Ormstown · Saint-Sauveur · Sainte-Adèle · Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts · Mont-Tremblant · Saint-Donat · Rawdon · Berthierville · Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines
Commercial corridors
Montreal
Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest · Boulevard Saint-Laurent · Avenue du Mont-Royal · Rue Saint-Denis · Rue Notre-Dame Ouest · Avenue Laurier Ouest · Rue Sherbrooke Ouest · Rue Wellington · Rue Saint-Paul Ouest · Boulevard Saint-Joseph · Avenue Bernard · Rue Masson · Rue Ontario Est · Promenade Sainte-Catherine · Rue Peel · Rue Crescent · Boulevard Décarie · Rue Jean-Talon Est · Avenue Monkland
Quebec City
Rue Saint-Jean · Grande Allée Est · Rue Saint-Joseph Est · Rue Cartier · Boulevard Laurier · Rue du Petit-Champlain · Avenue Maguire · 3e Avenue · Rue Saint-Vallier Ouest
Laval
Boulevard Saint-Martin Ouest · Boulevard Curé-Labelle · Boulevard des Laurentides · Boulevard Le Corbusier · Boulevard Daniel-Johnson
Gatineau
Rue Principale · Boulevard Saint-Joseph · Boulevard Maloney Est · Boulevard Gréber · Boulevard de la Gappe
Sherbrooke
Rue Wellington Nord · Rue King Ouest · Rue Belvédère Sud · Boulevard de Portland · Rue Galt Ouest
Trois-Rivières
Rue des Forges · Boulevard des Récollets · Boulevard Thibeau · Rue Notre-Dame Centre
Longueuil
Rue Saint-Charles Ouest · Boulevard Taschereau · Chemin de Chambly · Boulevard Roland-Therrien
Saguenay
Rue Racine Est · Boulevard Talbot · Rue Saint-Dominique · Boulevard Mellon
Straight answers for Quebec merchants
The Office de la protection du consommateur says a merchant cannot charge fees when a customer pays by debit or credit card, and posting a sign does not change that. The advertised price must be the total the consumer pays, with only taxes such as GST and QST added. FCAC's national surcharge guidance also carves out Quebec.
If you sell to consumers in Quebec, including from another province, take advice before applying any card fee to those sales.
Move to transparent pricing, make sure Interac is priced per transaction, remove monthly junk fees and avoid equipment leases.
Our Canadian address is in Montreal, and the French version of this site covers the same ground in French. Ask for French when you call.