Option 1
Flat Rate
One clear blended rate for card sales — strong when guest experience stays simple.
Nevada Flat Rate →Nevada · Carson City
Merchant services in Carson City — Flat Rate, Surcharge & Cash Discount
CMS helps Carson City businesses — downtown and Capitol-corridor professional offices, local restaurants and retail, medical and dental practices, auto and home-service shops, and hospitality that serves capital visitors and everyday residents — compare Flat Rate, Surcharge, and Cash Discount in plain language. See estimated monthly impact, then Upload · Compare · Save when you already take cards.
Capital city, professional + local SMB — same three programs
Carson City payment mix often looks more local and appointment-driven than ski-corridor tourism. Weekday professional traffic, lunch near government and downtown offices, clinic schedules, and weekend neighborhood dining drive a steady blend of debit and credit. CMS does not invent one rate for every Carson City block — your review is built from a statement or from industry, volume, and how customers pay.
Professional offices and local SMBs want a predictable monthly number and staff who can explain the total without a long fee speech. Restaurants, retail, and service shops want clear posted prices and honest disclosures. Capital-facing and everyday operators use the same three customer programs: Flat Rate, Surcharge, and Cash Discount.
Flat Rate gives one clear percent + per-transaction fee for card sales when you want the register experience to stay familiar. Surcharge keeps cash prices the same; eligible credit adds CMS Surcharge 3.00% (state-capped) — debit and prepaid are never surcharged. Cash Discount posts card-inclusive prices and gives cash and check about 3.5% off. The percentages differ on purpose so programs are never the same offer with a new label.
CMS confirms your Nevada operating location and how prices are shown before anything goes live. Statewide guidance covers Reno, Sparks, and Carson City, with the same programs used in Las Vegas, Henderson, and North Las Vegas.
Who this Carson City page is for
Use this page if you run a professional or government-adjacent office, a neighborhood restaurant or cafe, a medical practice, retail with local regulars, an auto or home-service shop, or any Carson City SMB that wants Nevada-ready Flat Rate, Surcharge, or Cash Discount without backend jargon.
Legislative and event weeks can shift credit versus debit. Quiet midweeks often bring more neighborhood debit. That mix is why CMS compares three programs. If Flat Rate keeps the guest path calm, your review shows it. If Surcharge (CMS Surcharge 3.00% on eligible credit, state-capped; never debit or prepaid) or Cash Discount (about 3.5% off card-inclusive posted prices) keeps more, the estimate says so in dollars — statement-built.
You stay on CMS pages for the next steps: Statement Review for existing processors (Upload · Compare · Save), or Get Started with Nevada prefilled for a new-business path. CMS confirms how prices are shown before anything goes live. Prefer to talk first? Nevada merchants can call (725) 261-7060.
Choose a Carson City program guide
Start with the Nevada hub comparison, then open the program that fits how you want prices to feel.
Option 2
Surcharge
CMS Surcharge 3.00% on eligible credit (state-capped); debit and prepaid never surcharged; clear disclosures.
Nevada Surcharge →Option 3
Cash Discount
Card-inclusive posted prices; cash/check ~3.5% off — not a surcharge.
Nevada Cash Discount →Full side-by-side: Which fits? on the Nevada merchant services hub.
Next step for Carson City merchants
Already processing? Open CMS Statement Review — Upload · Compare · Save — then continue with Nevada prefilled. New to cards or ready to enroll? Start at Get Started with state=NV so your review opens in the right place.
CMS confirms your Nevada setup and how prices are shown before anything goes live. Debit and prepaid are never surcharged. Programs use different percentages so Flat Rate, Surcharge, and Cash Discount stay distinct.