Is the card surcharge ban actually happening?

Yes — it’s settled, with a date

There’s no ambiguity here. The change comes from the RBA’s Review of Merchant Card Payment Costs and Surcharging Conclusions Paper, announced on 31 March 2026. It sets a clear start date of 1 October 2026 for the surcharge change, so this is a confirmed outcome rather than a consultation or a proposal still up for debate. If you’ve seen conflicting chatter online, the Conclusions Paper at rba.gov.au is the authoritative source.

What “happening” actually means

From 1 October 2026 you won’t be able to add a surcharge to payments made on eftpos, Mastercard and Visa — and that reaches across their debit, prepaid and credit cards, not just credit. It’s worth being precise about what the ban does and doesn’t touch: American Express cards issued directly by Amex, Diners Club, PayPal, BNPL services such as Afterpay and Zip, and mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay sit outside the change for now. The RBA has flagged a review of Amex, BNPL and wallets beginning mid-2026.

Why it feels uncertain (but isn’t)

Part of the confusion is how the change is delivered. It isn’t a new criminal law prosecuted by the ACCC; instead the RBA is lifting its ban on the card networks’ “no-surcharge” rules, and the networks then apply those rules through their scheme rules and your merchant agreement. The mechanism is different from a statute, but the outcome is real and dated. The practical takeaway is simple: plan on 1 October 2026 arriving.

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