Important changes for businesses from 1 October 2026
Businesses that currently apply card payment surcharges need to prepare for a significant change from 1 October 2026.
From this date, eftpos, Mastercard, Visa and American Express are introducing ‘no surcharge’ rules, meaning businesses will no longer be able to charge customers a separate surcharge for paying by these card types.
The changes apply to prepaid, debit and credit cards on these networks.
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has determined that card surcharging should end from 1 October 2026. The card networks and payment service providers will be responsible for implementing and enforcing their respective no-surcharge rules through their scheme rules and merchant agreements.
What does this mean for your business?
If you currently add a card surcharge at the point of payment, you will need to remove it from 1 October.
Businesses will continue to incur costs when customers pay by card. The RBA’s reforms include changes to interchange fees and payment-cost transparency, while businesses will need to consider how payment costs are reflected in their overall pricing.
Importantly, simply renaming a card surcharge as a ‘service fee’, ‘handling fee’ or similar does not necessarily mean it is outside the rules. Businesses should seek advice if they are unsure whether a particular fee is effectively a card payment surcharge.
What should your business do now?
1. Check where you apply card surcharges
Review all the places a surcharge may currently be applied, including:
- EFTPOS terminals
- Point-of-sale systems
- Online checkout and payment platforms
- Invoicing software
- Booking systems
- Payment links and digital invoices.
2. Contact your payment provider
Speak with your bank, merchant service provider or payment platform about what changes will be required.
Your provider may contact you directly about system updates. Read these communications carefully and complete any required steps before 1 October.
This is also a good opportunity to review your merchant fees and compare payment providers.
3. Review your pricing
Consider how removing card surcharges will affect your costs and margins.
Businesses may need to review their general pricing to account for changes in payment costs. Any price changes must comply with Australian Consumer Law and should not mislead customers about the reason for an increase.
4. Update your customer information
Before 1 October, review:
- Menus and price lists
- Websites
- Online booking systems
- Invoices and quotes
- Signage
- Terms and conditions
- Payment instructions.
Remove references to card surcharges where they will no longer apply and ensure prices are consistent across your physical and online channels.
5. Prepare your staff
Make sure your team understands the changes and can confidently answer customer questions about card payments and pricing.
What about public holiday and other surcharges?
The changes specifically relate to card payment surcharges.
They do not prevent businesses from applying other permitted fees or surcharges. For example, hospitality businesses can continue to apply clearly disclosed weekend or public holiday surcharges. Booking fees and other charges are also not automatically affected, provided they are not effectively a card payment surcharge.
If you are unsure whether a particular fee is affected, seek professional advice.
What happens before 1 October?
The current card surcharge rules remain in place until 30 September 2026.
Until then, businesses applying card surcharges must continue to comply with existing requirements, including ensuring surcharges do not exceed the business’s cost of accepting that particular payment type and that applicable pricing disclosure requirements are met.
Official Resources
The following resources provide further information and practical guidance:
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)
ACCC – Card surcharges
Information about current card surcharge requirements, the changes from 1 October 2026 and business obligations.
ACCC – Price displays
Guidance on displaying prices clearly and accurately.
Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)
RBA – Removal of payment surcharges FAQs
Detailed information about the removal of payment surcharges, affected card networks and implementation.
RBA – Review of Merchant Card Payment Costs and Surcharging
Background on the broader reforms to merchant card payment costs and surcharging.
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO)
ASBFEO – Card Surcharging Ban
Small-business focused guidance, including preparation information, FAQs, factsheets and communication resources.
Key Takeaway
If your business currently applies card surcharges, now is the time to prepare.
Speak with your payment provider, review your pricing and payment systems, update customer-facing information and make sure your staff understand the changes before 1 October 2026.
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