August 2026 | Newsletter 36
From 1 October 2026, businesses will no longer be allowed to add a surcharge on EFTPOS, Mastercard or Visa payments. However, other payment types (such as American Express) do not fall under this regulation. That means the familiar line item at the bottom of a receipt, sometimes 1%, sometimes closer to 2%, simply disappears for the vast majority of card transactions Australians make every day.
The ban is comprehensive within its scope. Merchants will no longer be permitted to impose surcharges on card payments made via eftpos, Mastercard, and Visa networks, including debit, prepaid, and credit cards. Tap-and-go transactions at cafés, supermarket purchases, online retail and even airline bookings paid by eligible card will all be covered.