Card payment sucharges banned in Australia from 2026

JohnK said:
Im coming across more stores that have only recently incorporated surcharges.
This has to stop.
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What really kicked it up into high gear was when the payment service providers starting building the surcharge system into the payment terminal software. Before that it was a hassle to add it on and far fewer places did it. But once it was in the software it became much easier and the providers started advertising that it was "free" for the business, cause now it was an extra cost for the customer.
Then they started bundling in extra services into the cost as well...
 
SeaWolf said:
What really kicked it up into high gear was when the payment service providers starting building the surcharge system into the payment terminal software.
Click to expand...

Yes indeed, but the terminals do not display the surcharge or the total including the surcharge before you tap/insert. The price displayed is the base cost which is surely illegal when one ends up paying more.

Displaying a small sign saying, "A surcharge may apply" is not good enough. Will it or won't and, if it will, how much is it?
 
Mr_Orange said:
Displaying a small sign saying, "A surcharge may apply" is not good enough. Will it or won't and, if it will, how much is it?
Click to expand...
I agree, I can't think of any other situation where you're told one price then charged a higher one and it's OK.
The worst is the Lightspeed terminals, they're completely silent about the surcharge, not displaying a warning or the adjusted price at any time. The only way you'd know it happened is if you look closely at the paper receipt or check your statement.
 
SeaWolf said:
What really kicked it up into high gear was when the payment service providers starting building the surcharge system into the payment terminal software.
Click to expand...
I posted on AFF where I'd spent $98 at Cocos in Brisbane and used Amex to pay and after I tapped it showed the total bill as $100. They did not charge a surcharge previously and the surcharge was a total surprise to me.

I'd actually considered cancelling transaction and paying cash but didn't go through as it would have been a hassle.

Note the points are useless to me as firstly I do not earn enough points and secondly can not use the points for anything decent.
 
The new cash mandate proposal would mean most business will be exempt from having to accept cash for goods and services. This will reinforce the requirement of dropping the card surcharges altogether:

www.smartcompany.com.au

The small business exemption in Australia's mandatory cash acceptance plan

The shape of Australia's mandatory cash acceptance rules, and carve-outs for small business, are becoming clearer.
www.smartcompany.com.au www.smartcompany.com.au


www.abc.net.au

Federal government to require businesses to accept cash for fuel, groceries

The federal government will require businesses to accept cash as payment for groceries, fuel and other essentials, but will phase out cheques entirely within five years.
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au
 
Cash mandate? Society has totally lost the plot.

The mandate should be keep cash, keep it under your mattress and don't give these leeches opportunities to make money from your money.
 
There are many places that went card only in the UK during covid and have stayed that way ever since.

Similarly when travelling through Europe recently, many places that I assumed would be cash only were actually card only.

Australia once again seems behind on this one.
 
Not really plenty of card only places in Australia too (and they dont all pass on surcharges).

I dont use cash at all in Australia, haven't since Covid so if a business only takes cash they dont get my business.
 
dajop said:
Well, if they don't take cash, there should be at least one surcharge free form of payment.
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At the cash free precinct in Barangaroo, no surcharge if you pay from savings (not credit).

But as most txn account cards are now co-branded visa/mastercard if you want to avoid the surcharge you need to insert the card and select savings. If you tap and go it will be treated as a CC.

Ive never seen a surcharge anywhere on savings on a bank issued terminal. Now places that only have square where you cant insert the card probably surcharge everything as everything processed as a CC.
 
LondonAussie said:
There are many places that went card only in the UK during covid and have stayed that way ever since.

Similarly when travelling through Europe recently, many places that I assumed would be cash only were actually card only.

Australia once again seems behind on this one.
Click to expand...
I was in NZ a couple of months before COVID, we went to buy a drink in a cafe and when I pulled out a twenty, the owner kind of smiled (read: sneered) and said "cash, how quaint". As we were sitting outside enjoying our drinks in the sun he came out and locked up the cafe, and told us to stay as long as we wanted, he was just popping to the bank... BANK? Who's quaint now?
 

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