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

Questions  /  Apple/Google Pay?

Are Apple Pay and Google Pay surcharges banned?

Short answer

Effectively yes, in almost all cases. A mobile wallet like Apple Pay or Google Pay is just a container — the payment runs on the underlying card, and if that card is Visa, Mastercard or eftpos, the surcharge ban applies because it is the underlying card that is covered. The RBA’s separate mid-2026 review of mobile wallets looks at the wallet providers’ own fees, not whether you can surcharge a wallet-presented Visa, Mastercard or eftpos card.

Last updated: 30 June 2026

A wallet is a container, not a network

Apple Pay and Google Pay are not card networks — they are a way of presenting a card you have loaded into your phone or watch. When a customer pays with a wallet, the transaction still runs on that underlying card. So the real question is not “can I surcharge a wallet payment?” but “can I surcharge the card inside the wallet?” — and that is answered by which network the card belongs to.

If the underlying card is covered, the ban applies

In practice the card inside an Australian customer’s wallet is almost always an eftpos, Mastercard or Visa card — the three networks the surcharge ban covers. Because it is the underlying card that matters, a wallet-presented Visa, Mastercard or eftpos payment falls under the ban from 1 October 2026, exactly as the same card tapped directly would. There is no wallet loophole: presenting a covered card through a phone does not change the outcome.

What the RBA’s mid-2026 wallet review is actually about

It is easy to conflate two separate things. The RBA has flagged a mid-2026 review of mobile wallets, but that concerns the fees the wallet providers themselves charge within the payments chain — the economics between Apple, Google and the card networks — not whether you may surcharge a wallet-presented covered card. For your checkout, that surcharge question is already settled: follow the underlying card.

Source: RBA Review of Merchant Card Payment Costs and Surcharging — Conclusions Paper (March 2026).

This page is general information only and is not legal or financial advice. The RBA sets the final rules and timing — confirm current details at rba.gov.au.
Common questions
Related questions
Can I surcharge Apple Pay after October 2026?
In almost all cases, no. Apple Pay runs on the underlying card, and if that card is eftpos, Mastercard or Visa, the surcharge ban applies to it from 1 October 2026 just like a direct tap of the same card.
Is Google Pay covered by the ban?
Effectively yes, through the card inside it. Google Pay is a container; the payment runs on the underlying card, so when that card is Visa, Mastercard or eftpos the ban applies.
Does the card inside my wallet matter?
Yes — it is the deciding factor. The surcharge ban follows the underlying card, so a wallet holding a covered Visa, Mastercard or eftpos card is covered. A card outside those networks would follow that card’s own rules.
Then what is the RBA reviewing about mobile wallets in mid-2026?
The wallet providers’ own fees — the charges Apple and Google levy within the payments chain — not whether you can surcharge a wallet-presented covered card. That surcharge question is already answered by the underlying card.
Is there a wallet surcharge loophole?
No. Because the ban follows the underlying card, presenting a covered Visa, Mastercard or eftpos card through a wallet does not change the result — it is treated like the card itself.
Keep reading
What cards are covered by the surcharge ban? →Does the ban apply to BNPL, Afterpay or Zip? →Can I still surcharge PayPal after the ban? →Does the surcharge ban apply to online payments? →Surcharge ban explained →All questions →
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