Credit card surcharge laws in Louisiana (2026)
Allowed with state conditions
You can surcharge credit cards in Louisiana under card-network rules with no state restriction, but as of August 1, 2026 state law flatly bans any surcharge on debit cards, with customer lawsuits and attorney-general penalties for violations.
The details
| Debit and prepaid | Debit surcharges BANNED by statute effective 2026-08-01: 'a retail business shall not impose a surcharge on a cardholder who uses a debit card instead of cash, check, credit card, or any other similar means of payment' (La. R.S. 51:3081(B)). Cardholder may sue for actual damages after 30-day written notice and cure; AG may sue; civil penalty up to $500 per violation of an order. Prepaid cards not mentioned. |
|---|---|
| Statute | La. R.S. 51:3081-3082 (Act No. 751 of 2026, SB 254); no statute on credit card surcharges |
| Last change | 2026-08-01 (Act 751 of 2026, signed June 2, 2026) |
| Source check | Verified on the official site |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 |
How this entry was checked
Enrolled Act text and bill status read on legis.la.gov (bill page: legis.la.gov). 'Debit card' is defined as a device that 'debits funds directly from a cardholder's deposit account.' Credit-side bills HB 487 (2024, would have enacted R.S. 9:3518.5) and HB 659 (2026, 2% or $20 cap on credit and debit fees) both died in House Commerce. State-agency convenience-fee statutes (R.S. 49:316.1, 40:1322) apply to government only.
What this means for each program in Louisiana
| Surcharging | Allowed, but only if you meet the state conditions above on top of the card-network rules. Equipment and signage have to be set up for Louisiana specifically. |
|---|---|
| Cash discounting | Permitted under the card-network rules. The posted price is the card price and cash pays less; every card, debit included, pays the posted price. |
| Dual pricing | Treated like a cash discount in practice (our reading; the statute does not use the term): the card price shown first with the cash price beside it, every card pays the card price, cash pays the cash price. |
Card-network rules apply everywhere a surcharge is allowed
- Credit cards only. Never debit or prepaid, even when the customer presses "credit."
- Capped at 3% and never more than your own cost of accepting credit cards.
- Disclosed at the entrance and at the register, and printed as its own line on the receipt.
- Your processor (acquirer) gets written notice at least 30 days before you start.
Source: Visa Core Rules and Visa Product and Service Rules, April 2026 edition, sections 5.5.1.5 to 5.5.1.9. Mastercard's rules are comparable; its current rulebook text was not verified for this guide.
Sources
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Get my fit checkThis guide is general information, not legal advice. Each entry was checked against the official statute, regulation, or court decision linked on the page, as of the date shown, by Cardeva, LLC. Laws change, legislatures are in session, and court rulings can alter the practical status of a statute that remains on the books. Before starting any surcharge, cash-discount, or dual-pricing program, confirm the rules for your state and your payment types with your processor and your own attorney. Any program Cardeva sets up starts only after your processor approves it in writing; rely on that approval and your own attorney, not this page. Nothing here is a guarantee of any outcome. See our Terms of Use. Think something has changed? Use the contact form or call (612) 250-6132.