Card payment sucharges banned in Australia from 2026

[justinbrett]

I much prefer the BA Amex benefits of extra reward availability and half-price redemptions. Compared to just being thrown more QFF points that I’ll never find availability to use. The $450 travel credit and a 2 lounge passes doesn’t do much for me either.

Apples and oranges

If you have QF status it’s good, and Points Club helps you get that status. Platinum seat releases means I’m always points poor, never had a problem spending points.

Geography is likely the deciding factor between the two, not the Amex cards.

 

[Doctore1003]

Business cards still having the same interchange fee is interesting.

I do wonder if there'll be an expanded range of these available to people with an ABN. Or whether the requirements for a "business" card might become looser and instead they become a premium CC for customers still interested in the points?

You’ll still have to show business income. Responsible lending obligations are a big deal for banks.

 

[HMcM]

Nordic countries have extremely low cash suage, and lower rates of tax evasion and crime.

Whilst organised crime might move to crypto etc, your average person buying take away from local chinese restaurant or cigarettes from conveinience store is not going to buy gold bullion or barter for goods - that trade will be forced on books or cease to happen. That can only be good.

Its typical that we get a blunt instrument because the people whinging about surcharges clealery didnt want to use the "free" cash alternative.

The issue isn't buying Chinese food, it's buying things that while legal are more controversial. 3 private companies being in the position to outlaw something by simply saying "we refuse to do any transactions for x" while x is legal is not a position they should be in.

 

[DAC1]

To be clear about the whole “business card” thing, the RBA referenced commercial cards. Are commercial cards and business cards the same thing?

I always thought of commercial cards as being Corporate Amex type cards. I didn’t necessarily group business cards in that category.

 

[oz_mark]

To be clear about the whole “business card” thing, the RBA referenced commercial cards. Are commercial cards and business cards the same thing?

I always thought of commercial cards as being Corporate Amex type cards. I didn’t necessarily group business cards in that category.

The definition from the RBA paper

A commercial card is a business or corporate debit or credit card that is issued to businesses or their employees to make business-related purchases.

 

[mbe1510]

A good outcome that Australia will be like elsewhere where what the price is listed is the price that you will pay regardless of method.

The surcharge seemed to skyrocket after Covid-19 around the same time inflation took off, almost like a "price rise" without saying it is a price rise. No doubt will points credit cards will devalued. Interesting what it will mean for AMEX since they are excluded. Will businesses just not accept AMEX anymore due to it being "too hard".

 

[Mattg]

For anyone interested, I've written an article explaining the changes from an AFF perspective in a bit of detail here:

Surcharges Banned, Lower Interchange Fees: The 2026 RBA Changes Explained

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will ban card payment surcharges and lower interchange fees on credit card payments from 1 October 2026. It knows this will reduce credit card rewards, and it doesn't care.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[am0985]

You’ll still have to show business income. Responsible lending obligations are a big deal for banks.

Does this basically include anyone who works from an ABN?

 

[aaronm]

According to a post elsewhere on AFF passengers on Virgin are finding their credit card fees aren’t being refunded for cancelled flights to Doha.

This has been their policy for a while, when VA cancelled the MEL-CFS route they would only refund me the fare, not the payment fees, which I thought was a bit rough. Held their ground even after escalating a complaint too.