Card payment sucharges banned in Australia from 2026

[kookaburra75]

“Some customers don't carry cash, while others use business cards. We've also had people suggest increasing menu prices by 2% and then offering a discount to those who choose to pay with cash,” she said.

Which is how the world worked when credit cards started to become mainstream for sales, and the rules around surcharges were a lot different. With AMEX, if a merchant added a service fee, AMEX would refund it if you had proof.

The cash-ie discount is an old and proud Australian tradition after all.

 

[aplmac]

This just in from Westpac, for Westpac Altitude Qantas Black credit card: Interest rate, cash rate, and annual fee all UP from 30th September!
So if the bank is now going to charge us instead of the business, what changed - except the cc user is actually worse off! And banks can vary their charges on a whim!

 

[Mr_Orange]

This just in from Westpac, for Westpac Altitude Qantas Black credit card:

Assuming that you clear the balance each month, the annual fee increase is the only impact. The fee increase seems like a better outcome compared with reducing the points earning rates.

 

[LondonAussie]

Which is how the world worked when credit cards started to become mainstream for sales, and the rules around surcharges were a lot different. With AMEX, if a merchant added a service fee, AMEX would refund it if you had proof.

The cash-ie discount is an old and proud Australian tradition after all.

It is quite literally how rest of the world works - surcharges are rare outside Australia and NZ.

 

[dajop]

Perhaps Australia needs a low fee QR payments scheme for these supposedly marginal businesses.

Many of you would be familiar with hawker stalls in Singapore. A lot don’t take credit cards but now many allow QR code scanning via bank or payment app. The cost to merchants of these start as low as 0c or 20c for bank to bank transfers (like PayID) or 0.5% if through a local processing app and of course over 1% if paid through a US based payment company such as Stripe.

 

[Mr_Orange]

Perhaps Australia needs a low fee QR payments scheme for these supposedly marginal businesses.

Many of you would be familiar with hawker stalls in Singapore. A lot don’t take credit cards but now many allow QR code scanning via bank or payment app. The cost to merchants of these start as low as 0c or 20c for bank to bank transfers (like PayID) or 0.5% if through a local processing app and of course over 1% if paid through a US based payment company such as Stripe.

You can't make a living off 1 or 2% though so businesses that claim that these charges make a difference aren't well planned businesses in the first place.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Without sounding like a smart cough but I have to ask this question - Mr Orange you have made several posts regarding business planning etc - you have been / currently are a business owner / operator?

And if you care to share if yes what industry / scale?

 

[lovestotravel]

Perhaps Australia needs a low fee QR payments scheme for these supposedly marginal businesses.

Many of you would be familiar with hawker stalls in Singapore. A lot don’t take credit cards but now many allow QR code scanning via bank or payment app. The cost to merchants of these start as low as 0c or 20c for bank to bank transfers (like PayID) or 0.5% if through a local processing app and of course over 1% if paid through a US based payment company such as Stripe.

Chemist Warehouse Has Launched Australia’s First In-store Pay by Bank Via QR Code - ALA

Chemist Warehouse has introduced a new way for customers to pay while earning cashback and rewards. The pharmac_ and retail giant said the move was an

australianloyaltyassociation.com

 

[Mr_Orange]

Chemist Warehouse Has Launched Australia’s First In-store Pay by Bank Via QR Code - ALA

Chemist Warehouse has introduced a new way for customers to pay while earning cashback and rewards. The pharmac_ and retail giant said the move was an

australianloyaltyassociation.com

Avoid the fees until 1st October, after which date CW can't charge the fees. The only "advantage" will be getting Shopback cashback instead of credit card points, if that is a customer's preference.