Payment processing in Illinois.
VitaPay serves merchants in Illinois, as it does in every US state. Below are the Illinois rules and official offices worth knowing before you take your first card payment there: the surcharging rule, the sales-tax agency and where the business is registered.
Adding a credit card surcharge in Illinois.
No state surcharge restriction foundNo Illinois statute restricts merchant credit card surcharges, so the card networks' caps, registration and disclosure rules govern. Illinois's separate Interchange Fee Prohibition Act (815 ILCS 151) concerns the interchange banks charge on the tax and tip portion of a sale, not merchant surcharges, and its start has been pushed back to July 1, 2027.
General information, not legal advice. Surcharging laws change, and card network rules apply in addition to Illinois law. Confirm the current rule with the state or your own adviser before adding a surcharge; the sources below show when this was last read.
Sales tax and registration in Illinois.
Sales tax at the point of sale
Sales tax is configured on the terminal before you go live. In Illinois, the agency to register with is:
Illinois Department of RevenueIllinois calls its sales tax the Retailers' Occupation Tax.
Registering the business
A merchant account is opened in the name of a registered business. In Illinois, business entities are registered with:
Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business ServicesSources and date checked.
- Nickel: Illinois surcharge laws (industry, updated July 2026) Checked September 21, 2026
- Ballard Spahr fintech blog: IFPA permanent injunction and delay (June 2026) Checked September 21, 2026
- CBS Chicago: Pritzker signs SB 3645 delaying swipe-fee law Checked September 21, 2026
- Illinois Department of Revenue Checked September 21, 2026
- Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services Checked September 21, 2026
Priced the same way in every state.
Interchange and card-network assessments passed through at cost, plus a stated processor margin, quoted in writing for your business. No long-term contract and no early termination penalty.
