Restaurant POS and merchant services in Toronto and the GTA

Celt Payments installs Lavu POS with payment processing on Adyen for restaurants across Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, with a cash discount program structured the way Canadian rules expect: one posted price, and a discount when guests pay cash or Interac debit.

What processing costs a Toronto restaurant

In Canada, credit typically runs near 2.4% of card volume, while Interac debit is charged differently, which is why the two need to be worked out separately. On top of the rate, most plans charge $0.10 to $0.25 on every transaction. A restaurant at $50,000 a month in card volume and 2,000 transactions is typically looking at roughly $15,000 a year. Network fees keep moving too: this fall brings lower Visa small merchant rates, a new per-transaction network fee and a higher Interac fee, all covered in our post on Canada's fall fee changes.

A discount, never a surcharge

Your menu price is your card price. Guests paying cash or Interac debit receive a discount at the point of sale, and credit pays the posted price with nothing added. Sales tax is calculated on the discounted amount, because a genuine discount reduces the amount being taxed. Signage at the point of sale states the program before anyone orders, which the Code of Conduct requires.

Know your rights as a Canadian merchant

The Code of Conduct gives you more than the right to discount. You're entitled to 90 days' notice of new or increased fees, and a fee increase can open a 70 day window to leave your agreement without penalty. Most operators never use it. Our guide to the Code of Conduct rights most Canadian merchants never use explains how to check your notice.

If your processor or POS just changed hands

Two of the names most familiar to Toronto operators changed ownership this year. RBC and BMO agreed to sell Moneris to Francisco Partners for C$2 billion, and TouchBistro, the Toronto POS company, was acquired by Constellation Software's Harris Computer. Neither deal changes your contract by itself, but both are a good moment to read it. See what Moneris merchants should check and what TouchBistro operators should check.

Built for the way Toronto eats

Pay-at-table handhelds for patios and dining rooms, native online ordering, QR ordering and kitchen display, and Marty AI for groups running several locations across the city and the 905. Our site and audit form are also available in French and Chinese.

The handhelds we install for Toronto restaurants

Two ways to take payment at the table, both on Adyen processing. Pick one, or run both on the same floor.

In Canada the S1F2 shows credit at the posted price and Interac debit and cash at the same discounted price, structured as a discount, never a surcharge. Amounts on the terminal screen are illustrative. You can also prove it on one station for sixty days on the S1F2 before changing anything else.

Is a cash discount program legal in Ontario and Canada?

Yes. The Code of Conduct for the Payment Card Industry in Canada requires that card network rules allow merchants to offer discounts for different methods of payment, such as cash, debit and credit, provided any discount is clearly marked at the point of sale. A surcharge is different: it adds a fee on top of a posted price, merchants may not surcharge Interac debit, and Quebec prohibits surcharges. Our program is a discount from one posted price, and Interac debit receives the same discount as cash. Nobody pays more than the menu price. We configure the display and receipt to the rules that apply in Ontario, and we'd always encourage you to confirm your setup with your acquirer and your own advisor. More in our FAQ.

Related reading

• Visa and Mastercard both say pricing grew their fee revenue
• Visa's Canadian rate cut is live. Moneris, TD and Square show why it may not reach your bill
• Canada's fall card fee changes: lower Visa rates, a new 1.8 cent network fee, and higher Interac fees
• The Code of Conduct rights most Canadian merchants never use
• Moneris sold to Francisco Partners for $2B: what Canadian restaurants should check now
• Cash discount program vs dual pricing vs surcharging