State Fines Manalapan Restaurant Over Credit Card Surcharges: AG

MANALAPAN, NJ — More than two dozen New Jersey businesses, including a Manalapan restaurant, have been cited by the state for refusing to accept cash or for not informing customers about credit card surcharges, the Attorney General's Office announced Tuesday.

The state announced another round of enforcement on Tuesday, including civil penalties against 30 businesses in New Jersey that ranged from $500 to $4,000.

The state said they're attempting to protect consumers before the holidays.
New Jersey passed a law in 2019 mandating that almost all businesses accept cash, although enforcement waned during the pandemic. In February 2023, the state AG began fining businesses that didn't comply, even small coffee shops.

In terms of credit card surcharges, those are legal, the state said — but the amount must be disclosed to the customer before a purchase. The New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act requires businesses to post notices about credit card surcharges in at least two places.

The AG's office cited La Lupa, on NJ-33 in Manalapan, as one of the 16 businesses that did not "clearly and conspicuously provide notice to customers regarding surcharges."

Another 14 businesses were cited for their no-cash policies.

You can read more information and see the other New Jersey businesses cited on the Attorney General's website.

Patch's Caren Lissner contributed to this report.