RBA Confirmed: Card surcharges will be banned from 1 October 2026 — check you're on the right rate →

Your questions, answered

Straight, plain-English answers to the questions Australian businesses actually ask about merchant fees and the 2026 RBA surcharge changes. Each answer leads with the bottom line, then explains the detail — and points you to the official RBA position where it matters.

The ban
Is the RBA surcharge ban actually law?
Whether the 2026 surcharge removal is legislation — and how it is really enforced.
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Is the card surcharge ban actually happening?
Confirmation the ban is real, settled and dated — not a rumour or proposal.
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When does the surcharge ban start in Australia?
The two key dates — 1 Oct 2026 and 1 Apr 2027 — and what each one brings.
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What happens if I surcharge after October 2026?
How the ban is actually enforced — and the real risk if you surcharge regardless.
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Can I still surcharge until October 2026?
What you can do in the run-up — and how to use the interim to prepare.
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What cards are covered by the surcharge ban?
Exactly which networks and card types are in — and which sit outside, for now.
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Why is the RBA banning surcharges?
The rationale behind the change — efficiency, fairness and clearer prices.
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How much will the surcharge ban save businesses?
The headline savings numbers — and the two big caveats behind them.
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Exceptions & edge cases
Can I still surcharge Amex after October 2026?
American Express isn’t covered by the removal — a compliant Amex surcharge can continue.
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Can I still surcharge PayPal after the ban?
Why PayPal sits outside the eftpos, Mastercard and Visa surcharge removal — for now.
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Does the ban apply to BNPL, Afterpay or Zip?
Where buy-now-pay-later sits relative to the eftpos, Mastercard and Visa surcharge removal.
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Are Apple Pay and Google Pay surcharges banned?
Why a wallet follows its underlying card — and the ban applies when that card is covered.
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Does the surcharge ban apply to online payments?
Why the surcharge removal follows the card network, not the sales channel.
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Does the ban apply to business or corporate cards?
Yes — business cards on Visa, Mastercard or eftpos are covered. But their fees may rise, not fall.
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Will business card fees go up after the reforms?
Why commercial-card costs can move the opposite way to consumer-card costs.
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Can I still offer a cash discount after the ban?
Why discounts for cash stay allowed while card surcharges are removed.
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Can I still charge a weekend or public holiday surcharge?
Why a holiday surcharge sits outside the card-surcharge removal.
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Can I call it an admin fee or service fee instead?
Why relabelling a card surcharge doesn’t escape the rule.
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Can I set a minimum card payment amount instead of surcharging?
Why a minimum spend is a different lever from a surcharge — with its own trade-offs.
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Costs & fees
Do I stop paying merchant fees after the surcharge ban?
Why the surcharge change moves who pays — not whether the fee exists.
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Will my merchant fees go down in 2026?
Why a fee fall depends on your provider passing the interchange cuts through.
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What is a good merchant rate in Australia?
How to judge a merchant rate against indicative benchmarks and your own card mix.
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What is the average merchant fee in Australia?
The indicative average card-acceptance costs and what makes them vary.
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What is least-cost routing and should I turn it on?
How routing dual-network debit to the cheaper network can lower acceptance cost.
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What are interchange fees?
The issuer’s slice of every card payment — and the part the RBA is capping in 2026.
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What is a merchant service fee?
The all-in price you pay to accept a card — and what’s bundled inside it.
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Interchange, scheme fees and merchant service fees — what’s the difference?
Three layers, three recipients — and why telling them apart changes how you read a rate.
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Flat-rate vs interchange-plus pricing — which is cheaper?
Simplicity versus transparency — and why the cheaper one depends on your card mix.
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What is cost of acceptance and how do I calculate mine?
Your true all-in card cost — and the number that limits what you can surcharge.
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Why are my merchant fees so high?
The handful of drivers that quietly inflate a rate — and how to spot them.
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What hidden fees are on my merchant statement?
The line items beyond the headline rate — and the 2027 transparency rules coming for them.
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What is a blended rate?
One average percentage for every card — convenient, but it hides the detail.
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Do I have to accept cards at all?
Card acceptance is generally a business decision — weighed against customer expectations.
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What’s the cheapest way to accept card payments in Australia?
There’s no single cheapest setup — but there are levers that reliably move the cost.
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Preparing for the ban
What do I need to do before October 2026?
A short checklist to get ready before card surcharging ends on covered cards.
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Do I have to change my prices when surcharging ends?
Whether the surcharge ban forces a price change — and the options if you don’t.
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Should I switch payment providers before the ban?
Why a competitive rate matters more once you can no longer surcharge.
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These answers are general information only and are not legal or financial advice. The RBA sets the final rules and timing; confirm current details at rba.gov.au.

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