The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has confirmed major reforms to how businesses can charge customers for card payments.
From 1 October 2026, businesses will no longer be allowed to charge card payment surcharges. This applies to Visa, Mastercard, American Express and eftpos card networks, which are all introducing “no surcharge” rules from that date.
This means the price a customer sees will need to be the price they pay, regardless of whether they tap, insert or pay online with a card.
Important: these changes are not in effect yet. Until 1 October 2026, businesses must continue to follow the current card payment surcharge laws.
How to Start Preparing
Review your pricing
Work out what you currently recover through surcharges and consider how that cost should be built into your overall pricing structure instead.
Update customer-facing materials
Menus, signage, websites, apps and checkout pages that mention a card surcharge will need to be updated before the changes take effect.
Talk to your payment service provider
They’ll be able to walk you through how the changes affect your specific payment setup and what needs to change on your end.
Will Accepting Card Payments Still Cost Businesses Money?
Yes. Businesses will still incur costs when accepting card payments. What’s changing is how those costs can be recovered. Rather than adding a separate surcharge at the point of sale, businesses will need to reflect these costs in their overall pricing.
Does This Affect Weekend or Public Holiday Surcharges?
No. These changes are specific to card payment surcharges. They don’t apply to hospitality sector weekend or public holiday surcharges, which can continue as normal.
What About Other Types of Fees?
The changes only apply to card payment surcharges. They don’t stop businesses from charging for other things, such as:
- Service fees
- Booking fees
- Delivery fees
If your business charges these types of fees separately from a card surcharge, this reform doesn’t restrict that.
Can I Increase My Prices as a Business Owner?
Yes. Businesses can recover the cost of accepting card payments by incorporating that cost into their overall pricing, rather than adding it as a separate surcharge at checkout.
Where to Learn More
The RBA has published a detailed FAQ covering these changes in more depth. If you want to dig further into the specifics, it’s worth a read: RBA – Conclusions Paper FAQs
