Arkansas Credit Card Surcharge Law
Arkansas credit card surcharge law allows surcharging. There is no state statute or state cap for private merchants today, so card network caps set the ceiling. This page walks through what actually governs, what the Arkansas Attorney General publishes for consumers, and what a dealership needs to get right at the counter.
Arkansas Allows Credit Card Surcharging
No statute bans it, caps it, or sets disclosure rules for it. Not one on the books for private merchants.
As of July 2026, Arkansas has no state statute in force that bans, caps, or imposes disclosure requirements on credit card surcharges by private merchants. A dealership charging a standard credit card surcharge is not working around any Arkansas law. There simply is not one on the books for a private business like a dealership. Card network rules do the governing instead, and they are covered in full below.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Status | Allowed |
| Cap | Card network caps |
| State statute | None for private merchants |
| Disclosure | Card network rules: post it and put it on the receipt |
Arkansas is one of 47 states where surcharging is legal. See the full table at credit card surcharge laws by state.
The Card Networks Set the Ceiling
With no state statute on the books, Visa and Mastercard's own rules do the work.
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Visa: 3% Cap
In force nationwide since April 2023. Arkansas has no lower state ceiling.
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Mastercard: 4% Cap
Same network standard as Visa applies, just a higher ceiling.
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Debit Never Surcharges
Debit, prepaid, and gift cards can never carry a surcharge, in Arkansas or anywhere else.
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Disclosure Is Mandatory
Post notice at the door and the counter, and show the surcharge as its own line on the receipt.
There Is No Federal Surcharge Cap
Some guides claim a federal law caps credit card surcharges at 4 percent. There is no federal statute that caps credit card surcharges. The real ceilings come from the card networks: Visa at 3 percent, Mastercard at 4 percent. The debit prohibition works the same way. It is a card network rule, not a federal surcharge statute.
What the Arkansas Attorney General Publishes
Consumer education, not a law, and it sets no Arkansas-specific disclosure rule.
The Arkansas Attorney General publishes consumer guidance on credit card fees. It treats a surcharge as applying only to credit card transactions, notes that surcharging is not permitted in every state, and points merchants back to card network rules. It also draws a line between a percentage-based surcharge and a flat convenience fee, which are handled differently.
Guidance Is Not a Statute
This is consumer education from the Arkansas Attorney General's office, not a state law. It does not cap a surcharge, and it does not create an Arkansas-specific disclosure requirement. The card network rules covered above are still what a dealership runs against.
What This Means at the Counter
The counter just needs three things right.
A standard 3 percent credit card surcharge sits inside Visa's cap and stays disclosed the same way every other surcharging state requires: notice at the point of entry, notice at the point of sale, and the surcharge itemized as its own line on the receipt. Debit never carries a surcharge, in Arkansas or anywhere else, no exceptions and no workarounds. We track the state, not your front desk.
Payments post straight to the repair order in CDK Drive, so the surcharge line shows up where your advisors already work. See the full mechanics on the surcharge program page, or walk through exactly what happens at the terminal on the how it works page.
Straight Answers on Arkansas Rules
Yes. Arkansas has no state statute that bans or caps credit card surcharges for private merchants. Card network rules govern instead.
Yes. With no state cap, Visa's 3 percent ceiling governs credit card surcharges in Arkansas. Mastercard allows up to 4 percent under its own rules.
No. As of July 2026, Arkansas has no state statute that bans, caps, or sets disclosure rules for private-merchant credit card surcharges. The Arkansas Attorney General publishes consumer guidance on credit card fees, but that guidance is education, not a law, and it sets no state cap.
No. Debit, prepaid, and gift cards can never carry a surcharge, in Arkansas or any other state. That is a card network rule, not a state one, and it follows the card itself regardless of how it runs at the terminal.
Arkansas has no state disclosure statute for private merchants. The standard comes from the card networks: post notice at the point of entry, post it again at the point of sale, and show the surcharge as its own line on the receipt. For pricing and program questions beyond state law, see the FAQ page.
Straight Answers on Arkansas
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