Card Payment Surcharges Banned in Australia from 2026

[RealtimeY]

With the amount of attention now on those apparently trying to skirt the surcharging rules, I wouldn’t expect those to be particularly long lived or pervasive. Australian consumers don’t like drip pricing, just look at the poll results.

 

[SeaWolf]

The ACCC has a page now specifically dedicated to card surcharges and the changes.

Card surcharges

From 1 October 2026, businesses can no longer add a surcharge for payments made using Visa, Mastercard, American Express and eftpos cards.

www.accc.gov.au

Also includes a section down the bottom, "Next steps for Consumers" that links to the pages of Visa, Mastercard and AmEx to report a business that is still surcharging. For eftpos it suggests contacting the bank that issued your card instead.

 

[DC3]

Lots of great photos going around today:

View attachment 523618

Does anyone still carry cash?

 

[kpc]

Does anyone still carry cash?

Yes. You dont eat much at Asian restaurants?!

 

[Pushka]

Media are covering how this is failing due to many places increasing their prices.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

If anyone slaps me with an additional service fee I'll be declining to purchase their product

 

[Pushka]

If anyone slaps me with an additional service fee I'll be declining to purchase their product

If you know in advance.

 

[zig]

Does anyone still carry cash?

Yes, in the last 12 months I have started to use cash as I was tired of paying ridiculous surcharges which I thought outweighed the value of points I would get by paying on cards.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

If you know in advance.

Yeah well I will be walking away even if they've made the coffee already if it's not made clear in advance. (as an example)

 

[kpc]

As I'm trying to spend 38K on my HSBC Star Alliance Visa card by Nov 17 to guarantee STAR A Gold with Aeroplan and Virgin lounge access til 31.12.28, I just prepaid the 3 remaining installments of my Council rates with my credit card. Normally, there is a 1% surcharge to use a credit card, but this is no longer, and I saved $15.24

You win some, you lose some with the RBA changes!

 

[Buzzard]

Does anyone still carry cash?

Yes, I always carry some. You never know when the banking system will go down.
With cash I can still grab that coffee.

 

[MelbFlyer]

Does anyone still carry cash?

Yes, at least $20-$50 at all times.

I think not carrying cash at all (especially when overseas) is an incredibly silly thing - I don't know how some people can arrive into another country without a cent in cash, either AUD or local.

Nowadays if more and more businesses will start offering a discount for cash payment, I'd suspect cash may become more prevalent.

As per below:

You never know when the banking system will go down.

 

[Pushka]

Yes, at least $20-$50 at all times.

I think not carrying cash at all (especially when overseas) is an incredibly silly thing - I don't know how some people can arrive into another country without a cent in cash, either AUD or local.

Nowadays if more and more businesses will start offering a discount for cash payment, I'd suspect cash may become more prevalent.

As per below:

Well currently the ones I’m asking are not. And if people presume that cash payments are dodgy and will report them because no one wants an audit, then they won’t. Why would they?

 

[DC3]

… at least $20-$50 at all times.

And here's me thinking that it was only the old dear in front of me in the supermarket line, taking forever to count out small change from a purse, instead of tap-and-go.

 

[piec]

Yes, I always carry some. You never know when the banking system will go down.
With cash I can still grab that coffee.

How often does the banking system go down? I can't remember an instance being impacted by that.

 

[Ade]

If anyone slaps me with an additional service fee I'll be declining to purchase their product

There are so many small business (I'm CBR based) that rely on payment processors to collect payment for the services they provide. ACK that there are no surcharges on the CC, but there is still the *platform fee* that ALL payment processors levy, which is, sadly, passed on to the customer, tacked on to their final bill. The small businesses don't have the capacity to absorb this platform fee in any form or shape and are forced to pass it on to the customers.

I know of one small business that collects payment online via a weblink and they are not informing customer like - this is the price, this is the platform fee, your total = price + platform fee.

If you know in advance.

Totally. Should be informed in advance.

 

[SeatBackForward]

he small businesses don't have the capacity to absorb this platform fee in any form or shape and are forced to pass it on to the customers.

That's a sorry excuse. It's all part of running a business, should the same apply to supplies, staff, leasing, utilities, registrations, insurances, costs as well?

Taken to the other extreme, they could well say "Hey I'm only charging your 50c for making the coffee, but the total cost will be $5.50 due to all the fees involved".

 

[dajop]

For small items I wonder how much an incentive a 5% discount will be.

If you’re paying $100, you get a nice $5 note in change.

I’ve your paying $7 for a coffee you’re going to end up with 20c+10c+5c piece … Lot of people probably couldn’t be bothered unless they are disciplined to manage their loose change.

 

[MooTime]

I purchased a decent amount of timber to build fence at home, coincidently around this change in fee time.

On 30th Sept invoice stated bank transfer only, I called to pay wit CC, was a 2.2% charge so I said I'd pay with bank transfer as was ~$40 for CC. called today to make payment as asked can I pay with CC (pretended I hadn't called other day) & they said sure, no surcharge, obviously couldn't bake in the surcharge into the price as invoice issued & goods dispatched.

I'll be interested to see if their prices rise in coming months or another fee of sorts is added. Delivery was $70 so guess they could increase that without question, most get delivered.

As opposed to Albo's statement, we won't be paying any less moving forward, more lies.

 

[serfty]

I don't carry loose change but generally carry about $30 in notes. Often that lasts several months.