Card surcharge changes now in effect: what businesses need to know

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Card surcharge rules changed on 1 October 2026—here is what your business needs to check across terminals, invoices, and pricing.

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Card surcharge changes now in effect: what businesses need to know 

Since 1 October 2026, businesses have not been able to add a card-payment surcharge on eftpos, Mastercard or Visa debit, prepaid and credit card transactions. The change applies to both in-person and online payments, including cards issued overseas. 

The RBA does not directly regulate merchants. It removed the restriction that prevented designated card networks from introducing “no-surcharge” rules, and eftpos, Mastercard and Visa applied those rules from 1 October 2026. American Express, UnionPay and PayPal also removed surcharging from the same date. 

What this means for your business 

  • No separate card surcharge: You cannot add an extra fee because a customer chooses an affected card network. 

  • All acceptance channels are included: Review EFTPOS terminals, point-of-sale systems, online checkouts, payment links and card-enabled invoices. 

  • Business card-processing fees may still apply: Your payment provider can continue charging you for terminals, transaction processing and related services. These provider fees are not customer card surcharges. 

  • Other genuine fees are not automatically banned: Weekend or public holiday surcharges, booking fees and service fees are outside this change where they are not imposed because the customer pays by card. 

  • You cannot simply rename a card surcharge: A fee based on the customer’s choice to pay by card remains a card surcharge, regardless of its label. 

  • Payment costs should become easier to compare: The reforms also reduce interchange-fee caps and introduce clearer, more standardised fee information so businesses can seek accurate quotes from providers. 

Your options 

  • Absorb the cost: Keep current prices and treat card fees as a business expense. 

  • Review your overall pricing: Adjust product or service prices where commercially appropriate, using your actual payment mix, transaction values, margins and provider fees rather than applying an automatic percentage increase. 

  • Encourage lower-cost alternatives: Continue offering options such as EFT or direct debit where they suit the transaction and customer experience, without applying a prohibited card surcharge. 

  • Negotiate or change providers: Compare merchant statements and obtain like-for-like quotes. Ask whether lower interchange caps will flow through to your pricing plan. 

  • Change the card methods you accept: Discuss available card networks and payment products with your provider before removing any option customers rely on. 

  • Use a combination: Many businesses may choose a modest pricing review, lower-cost payment options and a better provider arrangement. 

What to check now 

  • Confirm with your payment provider that surcharge settings have been disabled across all affected payment methods. 

  • Check EFTPOS terminals, point-of-sale systems, online checkouts, payment links and card-enabled invoices, and complete test transactions. 

  • Remove any remaining surcharge wording from invoices, websites, checkout screens, signs, receipts and customer communications. 

  • Review your latest merchant statement, calculate your actual card-acceptance cost and request comparable quotes. 

  • Confirm whether your current approach is to absorb costs, revise prices, promote alternative payment methods, renegotiate provider fees or combine these options. 

  • Ensure staff understand the change and can explain it clearly and consistently to customers. 

Source: RBA frequently asked questions — Removal of Card Payment Surcharges From 1 October 2026. This is general information. Confirm the affected payment products, current settings and any required system changes with your payment service provider.