Credit card processing in Hawaii
Hawaii businesses sell to visitors from the mainland, Japan, Canada and Australia as well as to residents, and they pay a general excise tax on their own receipts rather than collecting a classic sales tax. Both shape what a sensible card setup looks like.
The Hawaii Department of Taxation says Hawaii does not have a sales tax and instead levies the general excise tax (GET) on business activities.
From neighbour-island retailers to Waikiki hotels and restaurants: Hawaii's business mix
Honolulu and Waikiki concentrate hotels, restaurants, luxury retail and tour operators, with a large military presence at Pearl Harbor and nearby bases. Maui, Kauai and the Big Island depend heavily on resorts, activity operators and small restaurants.
Food trucks, farmers markets and plate-lunch counters are a big part of island commerce, and many take small tickets by tap. Shipping costs make inventory expensive, so retailers watch margins closely, and card fees are one of the few costs they can control.
Card fees and the law in Hawaii
If activity and tour operators in Hawaii want to pass on card costs, card network rules set the limits, because we found no Hawaii surcharge statute in official sources: credit cards only, no more than your cost or Visa's 3%, 30 days' notice to your acquirer and posted disclosure.
The state-by-state surcharge table · general guidance only
Which pricing suits Waikiki hotels and restaurants?
Tour and activity operators taking bookings weeks ahead face future-delivery risk and chargebacks from cancellations, so clear terms and a provider comfortable with advance deposits matter more than the headline rate. Hotels and luxury shops with many international and premium cards see real savings from transparent interchange-plus pricing. Small food trucks may prefer a simple flat rate, provided there is no monthly minimum for rainy stretches.
POS for activity and tour operators, food trucks and markets and more
- Waikiki hotels and restaurants
- Folio posting, pre-authorizations and fast contactless for visitors, with dynamic currency conversion offered only as a guest choice.
- Activity and tour operators
- Online booking with deposits, card-on-file with consent and a clear cancellation policy printed on receipts.
- Food trucks and markets
- Mobile terminals with long battery life and offline mode for spots with weak signal.
- Neighbour-island retailers
- Inventory-aware POS that tracks shipped-in stock costs and supports gift cards.
Pick your city in Hawaii
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.
From big city to small town in Hawaii
Honolulu · Pearl City · Hilo · Kailua · Waipahu · Kaneohe · Mililani · Kahului · Ewa Gentry · Kihei · Makakilo · Wahiawa · Schofield Barracks · Kapolei · Lahaina · Kailua-Kona · Waianae · Halawa · Aiea · Waimalu · Lihue · Kapaa · Princeville · Wailuku · Waikoloa
Commercial corridors
Honolulu
Kalakaua Avenue · Kapiolani Boulevard · Bishop Street · King Street · Nuuanu Avenue · Kapahulu Avenue
Lahaina
Front Street · Honoapiilani Highway
Hilo
Kamehameha Avenue · Kilauea Avenue · Kanoelehua Avenue
Before you call: Hawaii answers
If activity and tour operators in Hawaii want to pass on card costs, card network rules set the limits, because we found no Hawaii surcharge statute in official sources: credit cards only, no more than your cost or Visa's 3%, 30 days' notice to your acquirer and posted disclosure.
GET is a tax on your gross receipts, and many businesses pass it on visibly. How GET applies to a surcharge amount is a tax question, so confirm with your accountant before configuring the POS.
For food trucks and markets: Foreign-issued cards carry international fees. Interchange-plus pricing shows them separately so you can see what your visitor mix costs.
Yes. Everything is remote, and pre-programmed hardware ships to the islands.