Credit card processing in Montreal, QC
Montreal is Canada's festival city and a celebrated restaurant town, and like all of Quebec, merchants cannot add a fee for paying by card.
Montreal business, from Plateau-Mont-Royal to Mile End
The Plateau, Mile End, Old Montreal and downtown hold restaurants, cafes, bakeries and boutiques, and summer festivals fill the Quartier des spectacles.
Aerospace, gaming studios and universities employ many, and tourists from the US and Europe pay with foreign cards.
Business districts: Plateau-Mont-Royal · Mile End · Old Montreal · Quartier des spectacles · Little Italy / Jean-Talon Market · Saint-Laurent
Commercial corridors: 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
Passing on card costs in Montreal
The Office de la protection du consommateur says Montreal merchants, like all Quebec merchants, cannot charge a fee for paying by debit or credit card, even with a sign, and the advertised price must be the total, plus GST and QST.
The Canadian surcharge guide · general information, not legal advice
Which pricing suits Plateau restaurants?
Montreal restaurants and cafes cut costs through interchange-plus, Interac priced per transaction and fewer junk fees. Festival vendors need mobile terminals. Tourist businesses should see foreign card fees.
POS for Jean-Talon Market vendors, festival vendors and more
- Plateau restaurants
- French-first terminals, pay-at-table and tip adjustment, set up around how Plateau restaurants in Montreal sell.
- Jean-Talon Market vendors
- Mobile terminals, set up around how Jean-Talon Market vendors in Montreal sell.
- Festival vendors
- Offline mode and fast contactless, set up around how festival vendors in Montreal sell.
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.
Montreal merchant questions
The Office de la protection du consommateur says Montreal merchants, like all Quebec merchants, cannot charge a fee for paying by debit or credit card, even with a sign, and the advertised price must be the total, plus GST and QST.
Yes, set French as the default.
For festival vendors: Foreign cards carry international fees.
For Plateau restaurants: Mobile terminals and a warning to the provider.