Card payment sucharges banned in Australia from 2026

[Cruiser Elite]

Who goes out with non-drinkers?

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Common payment practice defended as Aussies left with 'sour taste'

Many restaurants and cafes don't allow diners to split the bill, but the majority of Aussies want this to change.

au.finance.yahoo.com

 

[Hvr]

Who goes out with non-drinkers?

Everyone I socialise with.

 

[Happy Dude]

A few contentious and biased comments in there Poochie. Just yesterday, I split my bill at Coles across 6 cards and three payment types: a e-gift card, a credit card and four pre-paid credit/eftpos cards. A week ago, I paid $1200 at Office works using 18 x $50 third-party GCs, 1 x $e-gift card, and my credit card. There have also been many occasions where I do multiple separate transactions. If they can do it, why can't a restaurant? They're just being lazy and greedy.

 

[LondonAussie]

Common payment practice defended as Aussies left with 'sour taste'

Many restaurants and cafes don't allow diners to split the bill, but the majority of Aussies want this to change.

au.finance.yahoo.com

Another article that seems to forget there are countries other than Australia in the world. We’re becoming as bad as America in thinking our way is the only way.

If they wanted to do any real journalism they should investigate why Australia is the only country in the world where card surcharges are common and restaurants refuse to split bills.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Coles is different, as its expected.
Ie, you have to use up the balance of the gift cards, ...
But for eg, can you pay half your opal fare with 2 cards, as one is (lets) say, a visa gift card and the other your nomral use opal card.
Some places, its expected, WW would be the other.
But try as an experiment, go to a restaurant, as mentioned above AFF get togethers are hard thing, (and yes, I didnt drink alcohol that day, so had to pay the main person, cant remember who it was that set up that Adelaide get together, at the Intercontinental Adelaide, ... yes, it would be hard for the covenant of the get together)..

 

[LondonAussie]

Meanwhile thinking back to my first trip around Europe many years ago on a Contiki tour, we went to restaurants as groups of 20-30 people and they always offered for us to pay individually. Yes, it did take forever for them to process all the payments - some cash, some card - but they also just recognised this was an included part of their customer service. We also did leave them fairly generous tips, so perhaps that’s part of the difference?

 

[AuSammy]

Meanwhile thinking back to my first trip around Europe many years ago on a Contiki tour, we went to restaurants as groups of 20-30 people and they always offered for us to pay individually. Yes, it did take forever for them to process all the payments - some cash, some card - but they also just recognised this was an included part of their job to provide that service. We also did leave them fairly generous tips, so perhaps that’s part of the difference?

Yes, in some countries it is thankfully part of the expected service but also in some other countries staff have to do whatever is required so they can get a tip to subsidise their appalling wages and will go the extra mile not because they necessarily want to.

 

[transpactraveller]

Ironically Australia is the only place in the world where service staff have said things to me like "that's not my job" or "I'm not paid enough for that".

 

[Mr_Orange]

Ironically Australia is the only place in the world where service staff have said things to me like "that's not my job" or "I'm not paid enough for that".

IME, the level of entitlement here far exceeds that in other western countries.

 

[SeaWolf]

In the UK some restaurants even automatically print the bill with the amount per person.

I recall last time I was in London the EFTPOS payment terminal itself had a function to evenly split the bill. After typing in the total amount the waitress just pushed a "Split Bill" button and the terminal asked how many ways to split it, just two in this case, and then automatically divided the total value in two and ran two payments. Would be nice if that software would start to show up in Australia.

Whenever I have to organise a group booking one of the first things I'll check is if the venue has QR code ordering or ordering at the counter. If not, they're immediately struck off the list of potential venues.

 

[Waddygib]

A few contentious and biased comments in there Poochie. Just yesterday, I split my bill at Coles across 6 cards and three payment types: a e-gift card, a credit card and four pre-paid credit/eftpos cards. A week ago, I paid $1200 at Office works using 18 x $50 third-party GCs, 1 x $e-gift card, and my credit card. There have also been many occasions where I do multiple separate transactions. If they can do it, why can't a restaurant? They're just being lazy and greedy.

Curious, how long did it take them to process the transaction at officeworks? Were there people in the queue behind you?

 

[transpactraveller]

I recall last time I was in London the EFTPOS payment terminal itself had a function to evenly split the bill. After typing in the total amount the waitress just pushed a "Split Bill" button and the terminal asked how many ways to split it, just two in this case, and then automatically divided the total value in two and ran two payments. Would be nice if that software would start to show up in Australia.

The Australian software obviously replaced that with the surcharge functionality that other countries don't use

 

[Waddygib]

Australia also was an early adopter if real time bank to bank payments and with payid it is very easy to just sort it out once the restaurant is paid.

Probably less demand for bill splitting as a result.

 

[Mr_Orange]

Australia also was an early adopter if real time bank to bank payments and with payid it is very easy to just sort it out once the restaurant is paid.

Probably less demand for bill splitting as a result.

Not all banks support PayID and not all banks support Osko (Faster Payments) in both directions.

 

[Waddygib]

Not all banks support PayID and not all banks support Osko (Faster Payments) in both directions.

Right but vast majority (by account numbers) have done for some yeas and so it might be a reason bill splitting at the POS is not as common in Australia as in other places?

 

[Happy Dude]

Curious, how long did it take them to process the transaction at officeworks? Were there people in the queue behind you?

No longer than 15mins at a guess. The receipt was nearly 1m long. With hindsight, I could have saved some time if I'd prepared by opening and scratching off the silver panels beforehand. I went in not long before closing on a Saturday hoping that it would be 'quiet' but no idea, nor a lot of concern, if others had to wait behind me for service. Hardly my fault that Officeworks appears on only a few of the low value Ultimate GCs and the supermarket deals tend to exclude the variable load GCs.

 

[Waddygib]

No longer than 15mins at a guess. The receipt was nearly 1m long. With hindsight, I could have saved some time if I'd prepared by opening and scratching off the silver panels beforehand. I went in not long before closing on a Saturday hoping that it would be 'quiet' but no idea, nor a lot of concern, if others had to wait behind me for service. Hardly my fault that Officeworks appears on only a few of the low value Ultimate GCs and the supermarket deals tend to exclude the variable load GCs.

Yes, that is inconsiderate of them, it's almost like they are trying to steer clear of any money laundering concerns while also limiting the amount of liability-funded cash they carry......

 

[simmomelb]

After, I went to Max Brenner, several years ago and noticed a weekend surcharge, I walked out and have never been back since.

As long as it's displayed clearly, I really don't see the issue with it. If you don't like it, leave, as you did.
Either way, if they build weekend rates into weekday food prices, you are still paying (as you do with other businesses that don't charge weekend surcharges)
I know what I would rather have - cheaper food when penalty rates aren't payable, but I get others' views also. Each to their own - as long as they aren't hiding fees until it's time to pay, that's what pi%$#s me off!

 

[Zero]

Australia also was an early adopter if real time bank to bank payments and with payid it is very easy to just sort it out once the restaurant is paid.

Probably less demand for bill splitting as a result.

Only 10 years later than the UK, and around the same time as mainland European countries on average.

Not all banks support PayID and not all banks support Osko (Faster Payments) in both directions.

and this is still a problem. I use the HSBC debit card as a surcharge buster but keep cash in BOQ/ME bank as the highest easy access savings - HSBC can send $50k to BOQ instantly, but to get from BOQ to HSBC instantly it has to go via ANZ or CBA.