{"generatedAt":"2026-07-12","pageUrl":"https://lafoodtruckguide.com/guides","methodologyUrl":"https://lafoodtruckguide.com/methodology","calculatorUrl":"https://lafoodtruckguide.com/tools/fee-calculator","indexableGuideCount":8,"guides":[{"slug":"california-food-truck-card-surcharges-cash-discounts","title":"Can a California food truck add a card surcharge or cash discount?","url":"https://lafoodtruckguide.com/guides/california-food-truck-card-surcharges-cash-discounts","datePublished":"2026-07-09","dateModified":"2026-07-09","authorName":"Aaron Tomlinson","directAnswer":"California Civil Code §1748.1 still says retailers may not impose a credit-card surcharge, but may offer a cash/check/non-credit-card discount to all prospective buyers. The California Attorney General states that after Italian Colors v. Becerra (9th Cir. 2018), the AG will generally apply that decision to similarly situated merchants - while still barring misleading price practices. Separately, Visa and Mastercard network rules that allow U.S. credit-card surcharging (with notice, disclosure, debit/prepaid bans, and amount caps) do not override state law, and processors such as Stripe say you remain responsible for legal and network compliance. This page is educational planning context, not legal advice - get counsel before changing window pricing.","assumptions":["Primary California text is Civil Code §1748.1 as published on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, accessed 2026-07-09. Court and AG posture can change; this is not a prediction of how a future case would be decided for your truck.","Visa and Mastercard materials summarized here are network rule/Q&A pages for U.S. merchants, not California statutes. Network permission does not equal state permission.","Federal 15 U.S.C. §1666f addresses card-issuer contract bans on cash discounts and finance-charge treatment of disclosed cash discounts; it is not a California surcharge authorization.","This is educational information for planning, not legal, tax, or compliance advice. Confirm with counsel and your processor/acquirer before implementing any surcharge or dual-price program."],"sourceCount":6,"sources":[{"field":"california_civil_code_1748_1","url":"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=1748.1","accessedAt":"2026-07-09"},{"field":"california_ag_credit_card_surcharges","url":"https://oag.ca.gov/consumers/general/credit-card-surcharges","accessedAt":"2026-07-09"},{"field":"visa_us_merchant_surcharge_qa","url":"https://usa.visa.com/content/dam/VCOM/global/support-legal/documents/merchant-surcharging-qa-for-web.pdf","accessedAt":"2026-07-09"},{"field":"mastercard_us_merchant_surcharge_rules","url":"https://www.mastercard.com/us/en/business/support/merchant-surcharge-rules.html","accessedAt":"2026-07-09"},{"field":"stripe_surcharge_docs","url":"https://docs.stripe.com/payments/cards/surcharge","accessedAt":"2026-07-09"},{"field":"federal_cash_discount_1666f","url":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/1666f","accessedAt":"2026-07-09"}],"calculatorUrl":"https://lafoodtruckguide.com/tools/fee-calculator"},{"slug":"event-day-cash-card-worksheet-food-trucks","title":"Event-day cash vs card worksheet for food trucks","url":"https://lafoodtruckguide.com/guides/event-day-cash-card-worksheet-food-trucks","datePublished":"2026-07-11","dateModified":"2026-07-11","authorName":"Aaron Tomlinson","directAnswer":"Use this as the worksheet companion to the broader cash/card reconciliation guide: five same-day columns for starting cash, counted cash, POS cash/card/tip/refund totals, processor payouts, and unresolved differences. The point is not to make the processor payout match the event instantly; Stripe and Square both document that payouts/transfers can batch transactions and fees. The point is to close the event with a clean cash count, a POS tender split, and a note explaining what should reconcile later when the payout lands.","assumptions":["This worksheet is an operating control for food-truck event days, not accounting or tax advice.","It intentionally overlaps the reconciliation guide only at the source level; the scope here is the worksheet layout, not a full reconciliation how-to.","Processor reports and payout timing differ by tool, plan, country, and settings. Verify the exact report names in your own dashboard.","Offline card payments, refunds, chargebacks, manual payouts, and tips can make same-day card cash-flow look different from final bank deposits."],"sourceCount":4,"sources":[{"field":"square_cash_drawer_sessions","url":"https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/8344-start-and-end-a-cash-drawer-session","accessedAt":"2026-07-11"},{"field":"square_sales_and_payment_methods","url":"https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/5381-in-app-summaries-and-reports","accessedAt":"2026-07-11"},{"field":"stripe_payout_reconciliation","url":"https://docs.stripe.com/payouts/reconciliation","accessedAt":"2026-07-11"},{"field":"square_offline_payments","url":"https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/7777-process-card-payments-with-offline-mode","accessedAt":"2026-07-11"}],"calculatorUrl":"https://lafoodtruckguide.com/tools/fee-calculator"},{"slug":"food-truck-card-fees-los-angeles","title":"How much do card fees actually cost an LA food truck in 2026?","url":"https://lafoodtruckguide.com/guides/food-truck-card-fees-los-angeles","datePublished":"2026-07-08","dateModified":"2026-07-09","authorName":"Aaron Tomlinson","directAnswer":"At published standard US rates as of July 2026, in-person card fees on the big flat-rate processors run 2.7% + 5¢ per transaction (Stripe) or 2.6% + 15¢ (Square). On an example $14 ticket that works out to roughly 3.1% to 3.7% of each card sale once the fixed fee is counted - and the smaller your ticket, the bigger the fixed fee's bite. Run your own ticket size in the fee calculator; we do not publish an LA average ticket.","assumptions":["Rates cited are published standard US rates accessed on 2026-07-08; negotiated, plan-tier, or promotional pricing will differ.","Derived percentages are arithmetic on example tickets. We do not publish an 'LA average ticket' - use your own numbers.","Estimates exclude hardware, monthly software fees, chargebacks, refunds, disputes, and taxes."],"sourceCount":3,"sources":[{"field":"stripe_standard_rates","url":"https://stripe.com/pricing","accessedAt":"2026-07-08"},{"field":"stripe_in_person_confirmation","url":"https://stripe.com/terminal","accessedAt":"2026-07-08"},{"field":"square_standard_rates","url":"https://squareup.com/us/en/payments/our-fees","accessedAt":"2026-07-08"}],"calculatorUrl":"https://lafoodtruckguide.com/tools/fee-calculator"},{"slug":"food-truck-commissary-cost-math-los-angeles","title":"How should an LA food truck think about commissary cost math?","url":"https://lafoodtruckguide.com/guides/food-truck-commissary-cost-math-los-angeles","datePublished":"2026-07-11","dateModified":"2026-07-11","authorName":"Aaron Tomlinson","directAnswer":"For most Los Angeles County mobile food facilities, a commissary or other enforcement-agency-approved facility is not just a back-office detail; it is part of the operating model. Do not use a made-up LA average commissary price. Model your own monthly base rent, storage/parking, potable-water/waste service, prep access, cleaning/service trips, and extra event fees, then divide the fixed monthly portion by realistic event days and expected tickets. That gives you a per-event and per-ticket burden you can compare with card fees, labor, food cost, and event fees.","assumptions":["This page intentionally does not publish an LA commissary average. We have not collected enough source-backed operator quotes to make that claim responsibly.","The formula is a planning worksheet, not accounting, tax, food-safety, or permitting advice.","Official rules and forms can change; confirm against LA County Environmental Health and California code before signing a contract or building a vehicle."],"sourceCount":5,"sources":[{"field":"lacounty_eh_mff_overview","url":"https://publichealth.lacounty.gov/eh/business/food-trucks-carts.htm","accessedAt":"2026-07-11"},{"field":"lacounty_mff_new_construction_checklist","url":"https://publichealth.lacounty.gov/eh/docs/business/mobile-food-facility-new-construction-checklist.pdf","accessedAt":"2026-07-11"},{"field":"ca_hsc_113751_commissary_definition","url":"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=113751","accessedAt":"2026-07-11"},{"field":"ca_hsc_114295_commissary_operation","url":"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=114295","accessedAt":"2026-07-11"},{"field":"ca_hsc_114297_daily_service","url":"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=114297","accessedAt":"2026-07-11"}],"calculatorUrl":"https://lafoodtruckguide.com/tools/fee-calculator"},{"slug":"los-angeles-food-truck-permits-commissary-health-inspection-basics","title":"LA food truck permits, commissaries, and health inspection basics","url":"https://lafoodtruckguide.com/guides/los-angeles-food-truck-permits-commissary-health-inspection-basics","datePublished":"2026-07-09","dateModified":"2026-07-09","authorName":"Aaron Tomlinson","directAnswer":"In Los Angeles County (outside Long Beach, Pasadena, and Vernon), a food truck is regulated as a mobile food facility (MFF): Los Angeles County Environmental Health permits and inspects MFFs, and California Retail Food Code defines an MFF as a vehicle used with a commissary or other permanent food facility to sell food at retail. Practically, operators usually need plan-check/construction approval when the vehicle is new or remodeled, a Public Health Permit after a passing final inspection, a current commissary (or other approved facility) relationship, daily cleaning/servicing and commissary reporting rules under state law, and an up-to-date route/schedule notice to Public Health under County Code. This page is a sourced planning map of those official steps - not a permit application, not legal advice, and not a substitute for talking to Plan Check / the Mobile Food Program about your exact menu and vehicle.","assumptions":["This summarizes published LA County Environmental Health pages/PDFs and California Retail Food Code sections accessed 2026-07-09. Forms, fees, phone numbers, and checklists change - confirm on the live county site and with Plan Check / Mobile Food Program before you spend money or build.","Long Beach, Pasadena, and Vernon are out of scope for LA County EH processes described here; those cities have separate environmental health departments.","City business licenses, fire, zoning, parking, sidewalk vending, event organizer rules, and HCD coach certification details beyond the county note that occupied high-risk MFFs require HCD certification are not fully mapped on this page.","Fee dollar amounts on county fee schedules and application PDFs are point-in-time publications. The Board of Supervisors approved mobile-food permit/fee/service changes effective March 6, 2024; always read the current Environmental Health fee schedule rather than memorizing a blog number.","This is educational planning information, not legal, permitting, or food-safety consulting advice. Your menu, vehicle type (including compact mobile food operations), and jurisdiction control the exact path."],"sourceCount":10,"sources":[{"field":"lacounty_eh_mff_overview","url":"https://publichealth.lacounty.gov/eh/business/food-trucks-carts.htm","accessedAt":"2026-07-09"},{"field":"lacounty_eh_get_a_permit","url":"https://publichealth.lacounty.gov/eh/about/permit.htm","accessedAt":"2026-07-09"},{"field":"lacounty_mff_plan_check","url":"https://admin.publichealth.lacounty.gov/eh/inspection/mobile-food-facility-plan-check.htm","accessedAt":"2026-07-09"},{"field":"lacounty_mff_new_construction_checklist","url":"https://publichealth.lacounty.gov/eh/docs/business/mobile-food-facility-new-construction-checklist.pdf","accessedAt":"2026-07-09"},{"field":"lacounty_mff_supplemental_application","url":"https://publichealth.lacounty.gov/eh/docs/permit/public-health-permit-license-supplemental-application-mobile-food-facility.pdf","accessedAt":"2026-07-09"},{"field":"ca_hsc_113831_mff_definition","url":"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=113831","accessedAt":"2026-07-09"},{"field":"ca_hsc_113751_commissary_definition","url":"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=113751","accessedAt":"2026-07-09"},{"field":"ca_hsc_114295_commissary_operation","url":"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=114295","accessedAt":"2026-07-09"},{"field":"ca_hsc_114297_daily_service","url":"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=114297","accessedAt":"2026-07-09"},{"field":"ca_hsc_chapter_10_mff","url":"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&division=104.&title=&part=7.&chapter=10.&article=","accessedAt":"2026-07-09"}],"calculatorUrl":"https://lafoodtruckguide.com/tools/fee-calculator"},{"slug":"payment-setup-for-food-trucks","title":"How should a food truck set up card payments?","url":"https://lafoodtruckguide.com/guides/payment-setup-for-food-trucks","datePublished":"2026-07-08","dateModified":"2026-07-09","authorName":"Aaron Tomlinson","directAnswer":"Choose hardware and pricing for the way a truck actually works: a reader or terminal that keeps taking taps when the network drops, published flat-rate pricing you have verified for your entry method, and a plan for the fees you can avoid - keyed-in cards cost more on both of the pricing pages cited below.","assumptions":["Rates referenced are published standard US rates accessed on 2026-07-08; plan tiers, negotiated pricing, and promotions differ.","Hardware purchase costs, monthly software fees, and chargeback fees are out of scope here.","No specific processor is recommended; the right answer depends on your volume, ticket size, and card share - run your own numbers."],"sourceCount":4,"sources":[{"field":"stripe_rates_and_keyed_surcharge","url":"https://stripe.com/pricing","accessedAt":"2026-07-08"},{"field":"stripe_terminal_tap_to_pay","url":"https://stripe.com/terminal","accessedAt":"2026-07-08"},{"field":"square_entry_method_rates","url":"https://squareup.com/us/en/payments/our-fees","accessedAt":"2026-07-08"},{"field":"square_offline_payments","url":"https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/7777-process-card-payments-with-offline-mode","accessedAt":"2026-07-09"}],"calculatorUrl":"https://lafoodtruckguide.com/tools/fee-calculator"},{"slug":"reconcile-cash-card-food-truck-events","title":"How to reconcile cash and card sales at food truck events","url":"https://lafoodtruckguide.com/guides/reconcile-cash-card-food-truck-events","datePublished":"2026-07-08","dateModified":"2026-07-09","authorName":"Aaron Tomlinson","directAnswer":"Close each event day by matching three places: the cash drawer (starting cash vs counted close), the POS sales/payment-method totals for that window, and the processor payout or settlement report that eventually hits your bank. Square documents cash-drawer sessions with starting cash, cash sales, cash refunds, and expected cash; Stripe documents payout reconciliation so you can see which charges, refunds, and fees sit inside each bank deposit.","assumptions":["Examples cite Square and Stripe official help/docs accessed 2026-07-09. Other POS/processors have different report names and settlement rules - verify your own tools.","Sales taken outside the POS (cash not rung up, side Venmo, etc.) cannot be reconciled against POS or processor reports.","This is an operating checklist for planning, not accounting, tax, or legal advice. Report metrics and payout timing change; confirm against your current dashboard."],"sourceCount":4,"sources":[{"field":"square_cash_drawer_sessions","url":"https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/8344-start-and-end-a-cash-drawer-session","accessedAt":"2026-07-09"},{"field":"square_sales_and_payment_methods","url":"https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/5381-in-app-summaries-and-reports","accessedAt":"2026-07-09"},{"field":"stripe_payout_reconciliation","url":"https://docs.stripe.com/payouts/reconciliation","accessedAt":"2026-07-09"},{"field":"square_offline_payments","url":"https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/7777-process-card-payments-with-offline-mode","accessedAt":"2026-07-09"}],"calculatorUrl":"https://lafoodtruckguide.com/tools/fee-calculator"},{"slug":"tips-payouts-food-truck-staff","title":"How do tips and staff payouts work for an LA food truck?","url":"https://lafoodtruckguide.com/guides/tips-payouts-food-truck-staff","datePublished":"2026-07-08","dateModified":"2026-07-09","authorName":"Aaron Tomlinson","directAnswer":"In California, tips are the employee's property: you cannot count tips toward minimum wage - unlike the federal FLSA scheme, which permits a tip credit - you cannot deduct card processing fees from tips, and you must pay out credit-card tips no later than the next regular payday after the charge. On the tax side, an employee who receives $20 or more in cash tips in a month must report them to you in writing by the 10th of the following month, and you withhold on wages plus reported tips.","assumptions":["This summarizes California and federal rules as published on the cited official pages, accessed 2026-07-08. It is not legal, tax, or payroll advice, and rules change.","City or county ordinances can add requirements beyond state law; they are not covered here.","Payroll mechanics - forms, deposit schedules, payroll-provider handling - are simplified; confirm details with your payroll provider."],"sourceCount":3,"sources":[{"field":"california_tip_rules","url":"https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/faq_tipsandgratuities.htm","accessedAt":"2026-07-08"},{"field":"federal_flsa_tip_rules","url":"https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/flsa/tips","accessedAt":"2026-07-08"},{"field":"irs_tip_reporting","url":"https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc761","accessedAt":"2026-07-08"}],"calculatorUrl":"https://lafoodtruckguide.com/tools/fee-calculator"}],"notes":["This feed mirrors indexable operator guides only.","Each guide includes assumptions and official/source URLs so agents can cite the source trail instead of scraping summaries.","Truck profile and weekend HTML pages remain noindex and excluded from sitemap."]}