Card Surcharge Ban Starts on 1 October 2026

When the card surcharge ban was announced, we wrote about what it would mean for businesses. It's now close enough to be worth a second look. From 1 October 2026, surcharges on most card payments end, and that's roughly two months away. If you currently add a card fee at the checkout, this is a good time to have your plan in place rather than sorting it out in the last week of September.

A quick refresher on what's changing

From 1 October 2026, you won't be able to add a surcharge on Eftpos, Mastercard and Visa payments. That covers debit, credit and prepaid cards, both in store and online. American Express, Diners Club, PayPal and buy now, pay later aren't directly regulated by the RBA, so it's worth checking with your provider whether anything changes there too.

The change comes from the Reserve Bank of Australia and works through the card networks' own rules, applied via your merchant agreement with your bank or payment provider.

If you don't currently surcharge

For a lot of businesses, this is a non-event. If you don't pass a card fee on to customers today, nothing needs switching off on 1 October. It's still worth a look at what you pay in merchant fees, because the RBA is also lowering some of the underlying card costs, and that's a fair reason to check your provider is passing any reduction on.

The task people tend to leave too late

If you do surcharge, the sharp one is your point-of-sale and payment setup. Many systems apply the surcharge automatically, so it needs to be switched off before 1 October. That sounds like a five-minute job, and sometimes it is, but it's the kind of thing worth testing early in case a terminal or online gateway doesn't behave as expected. Your payment provider can tell you exactly how surcharging is configured on your account.

A short list to work through before October

If you'd like a simple way to be ready, you might want to:

• Check how much you currently pay in merchant fees each month, so you know the number you're working with.

• Decide how you'll handle that cost once the surcharge goes: absorb it, build it into your prices, or a mix of both.

• Confirm with your payment provider how and when surcharging will be turned off, and leave time to test it.

• If a price adjustment is part of your plan, work it out now so it isn't a rushed decision in late September.

  
  

One thing that isn't a way around it

It can be tempting to rename a card surcharge as an “admin fee” or “service fee” and carry on. That doesn't work. If a fee only applies to card payments, it's still a card surcharge whatever it's called, and the ACCC treats dressing it up as misleading conduct. Cleaner to make a clear pricing decision and move on.

Where this leaves you

For most businesses this is a manageable change, and the earlier you look at your numbers, the more room you have to make a calm decision. Two months is plenty of time if you start now.

If you'd like a hand working out what removing your surcharge does to your margins, or reviewing your merchant fees before October, we're happy to run the numbers with you.

Disclaimer: This article is intended to provide general guidance and is not specific advice. We encourage you to seek tailored advice for your circumstances.