Credit card surcharge laws in Vermont (2026)
Allowed, card-network rules only
You may surcharge credit cards in Vermont under card-network rules only; the state's one card-acceptance statute (9 V.S.A. § 2480p) protects your right to give cash or other-tender discounts and to set a minimum purchase up to $10 (posted in 16-point bold type), and bans nothing.
The details
| Cap | None in state law. |
|---|---|
| Disclosure | No surcharge-specific or total-price statute; Vermont Consumer Protection Act (9 V.S.A. § 2453) general standard. A minimum-purchase amount must be prominently displayed in not less than 16-point boldface type at the point of sale (§ 2480p(2)). |
| Debit and prepaid | Not restricted by state statute; § 2480p(1) lists debit and stored-value cards among tender types a merchant may favor with a discount. |
| Statute | No statute on credit card surcharges found (related: 9 V.S.A. §§ 2480o-2480p, Electronic Payment Systems) |
| Court decision | None found. |
| Last change | 2011-01-01 (§ 2480p effective; 2009, No. 116 (Adj. Sess.), § 2); no change since |
| Source check | Verified on the official site |
| Checked | Oct 7, 2026 |
How this entry was checked
Official Vermont Statutes Online search for 'surcharge' 'credit card' returned only 32 V.S.A. § 583, 4 V.S.A. §§ 741 and 1109, and 13 V.S.A. § 7180 (government/court payments and fines); Title 9 search for 'surcharge credit' returned 0. S.87 (2013) surcharge ban died in committee; S.135 (2025-26, interchange on tax/tip and cash acceptance) referred to Senate Finance Mar. 27, 2025, not enacted. Section last reviewed 2026-10-06.
What this means for each program in Vermont
| Surcharging | Allowed under the card-network rules below. No state cap or disclosure rule beyond those was found. |
|---|---|
| Cash discounting | Permitted. The posted price is the card price and cash pays less. Vermont law speaks to discounts; see the Disclosure row above and the statute before setting the program. |
| Dual pricing | Treated like a cash discount in practice (our reading; no Vermont statute addresses dual pricing), so Vermont's discount rules apply: the card price shown first with the cash price beside it, and cash pays the cash price. Check the statute for which payment types must get the lower 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
- No statute on credit card surcharges found (related: 9 V.S.A. §§ 2480o-2480p, Electronic Payment Systems). Source read: legislature.vermont.gov
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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.