New card payment surcharge rules now apply

The changes follow a review by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), which concluded that card surcharging is no longer working as intended and has become increasingly complex for businesses and customers.

From 1 October 2026, businesses can no longer apply surcharges to card payments. This includes Visa, Mastercard, eftpos and American Express transactions.

Businesses should ensure any systems, pricing information and payment processes have been updated to comply with the new rules. 

The new rules only apply to card payment surcharges.

They do not affect:

• weekend surcharges
• public holiday surcharges
• booking fees
• service fees
• other non-card-related charges.

For example, hospitality businesses can still apply weekend or public holiday surcharges where permitted.

While businesses will still pay card processing fees and other payment-related costs, the RBA is also reducing interchange fee caps. These changes are expected to help lower card payment costs, particularly for small businesses, which often pay higher fees.

If your business relied on card surcharges to recover payment processing costs, it's worth reviewing how the changes may affect your pricing and operating costs.

You may need to consider alternative payment arrangements, adjust your prices or review the payment methods you accept.

The new rules started on 1 October 2026. If you haven't already done so, now is a good time to:

• review your pricing strategy
• understand how much card payments currently cost your business
• talk to your payment provider about future arrangements
• research best payment provider for your business
• ensure any systems that automatically apply card surcharges have been updated
• update customer pricing and payment information where required.

Reviewing your arrangements now can help ensure your business complies with the new rules and understands the impact on operating costs.