If you run a business, there is an important change coming on 1 October 2026. From that date, the eftpos, Mastercard and Visa card networks will introduce no-surcharge rules. This means businesses will generally no longer be able to add a separate surcharge when customers pay using these cards. The change applies to credit, debit and prepaid cards.
Which cards are affected
- eftpos
- Mastercard
- Visa
What about other payments
American Express, UnionPay and PayPal have also announced that they will remove surcharging. PayPal’s change takes effect from 5 October 2026, rather than 1 October.
The RBA’s new rules specifically concern surcharges for paying by card. They do not prevent businesses from charging other types of fees, such as booking, service, weekend or public holiday fees.
The RBA does not currently regulate surcharges on non-card payment methods.
The cost of accepting cards doesn’t disappear
Your business will still have costs for accepting card payments. The difference is that you generally won’t be able to add those costs as a separate card surcharge to the customer’s bill. You may therefore need to review your pricing and payment arrangements.
Your checklist before 1 October
- Check with your payment provider about when surcharging will be switched off.
- Check your eftpos terminal and point-of-sale settings.
- Review your online checkout and booking systems.
- Remove outdated surcharge wording from your website.
- Update quotes, invoices and terms of trade where necessary.
- Remove signs telling customers that a card surcharge applies.
- Tell your staff about the change.
- Review your pricing and margins.
- Keep your merchant statements and records.
Our invitation
If you’re a business owner and you’re unsure how the change may affect your pricing or bookkeeping, please get in touch with us on (07) 3385 0686.
Sources
- Reserve Bank of Australia – Frequently Asked Questions: Removal of Card Payment Surcharges From 1 October 2026 (rba.gov.au)
- Reserve Bank of Australia – Review of Merchant Card Payment Costs and Surcharging (rba.gov.au)
This article is general information only. It doesn’t take into account your personal circumstances and isn’t financial product advice. Please speak with us before acting on anything here.
