When does the surcharge ban start in Australia?

1 October 2026 — the main changes

This is the headline date. From 1 October 2026 you can no longer surcharge eftpos, Mastercard and Visa payments across debit, prepaid and credit cards on those networks. The same date brings lower interchange caps: the consumer credit cap falls from 0.80% to 0.30%, and domestic debit and prepaid moves from 10c-or-0.20% to 8c-or-0.16%. One nuance to note — commercial and business-card interchange is retained at current levels and the 0.50% benchmark is abolished, which means business-card costs could actually rise.

1 April 2027 — foreign cards and transparency

The second date completes the package. From 1 April 2027 caps on foreign-card interchange take effect, along with extra statement-transparency measures designed to make your merchant statements clearer about what you’re paying. If most of your customers tap domestic cards, the 2026 date will matter more to you day to day; if you take a high share of overseas cards, 1 April 2027 is the one to watch.

What to do between now and then

The dates are fixed, so the useful work is preparation. Because the surcharge route closes on 1 October 2026, the cost you currently pass to customers will sit with your business unless your effective rate is competitive. Interchange is only one component of your Merchant Service Fee, and savings only reach you if your provider passes them through — so reviewing your rate ahead of these dates is where the value is. These figures are indicative and this is general information, not advice.

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