From 1 October 2026, the way Australian businesses handle card payment surcharges will change substantially. The Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) reforms mean surcharging on debit and credit card payments will end on that date, with the change applying to payments made on the eftpos, Mastercard and Visa networks.
Any “no-surcharge” restrictions will operate through card scheme rules and merchant contracts, and the ACCC has indicated it will not be responsible for enforcing scheme-imposed surcharge bans.
What’s changing on 1 October 2026
- Card surcharging ends from 1 October 2026 for payments on the eftpos, Mastercard and Visa networks (debit/credit and, per scheme rules, often prepaid products on those networks).
- Until 1 October 2026, the current surcharge framework continues to apply, so existing obligations still need to be followed during the transition period.
- Some related reforms roll out later: American Express and other “third party” schemes and foreign-card interchange caps and some transparency changes are scheduled for 1 April 2027.
Compliance timeline for businesses: what to do, and when
Now → June 2026: Assess and plan
- Audit where surcharges appear: POS terminals, online checkout, invoices/payment links, booking platforms, subscriptions, and any third-party ordering apps.
- Gather evidence of payment acceptance costs: merchant statements, gateway fees, terminal rental/maintenance, fraud tools. Even before the change, cost visibility helps with pricing decisions and supports compliance under current rules.
- Contact your acquirer/payment provider to confirm how and when they will implement scheme rule changes, and what needs to be updated across terminals, gateways and integrations.
July → August 2026: Update pricing and customer materials
- Decide your margin strategy: move costs into headline prices (across-the-board) or apply targeted price adjustments to products/services where card usage is highest.
- Update all customer-facing references to surcharges (menus, signage, websites, FAQs, T&Cs, invoices, quotes), so nothing conflicts with the post‑ 1 October settings.
September 2026: Implement and test
- Disable surcharge settings for relevant payment methods by close of business 30 September; test edge cases, e.g. tips, split payments, deposits, refunds, partial captures, recurring billing.
- Train staff and update scripts so customer questions are answered consistently (“the displayed price is the final price when paying by card”).
From 1 October 2026: Monitor and document
- Run a post‑go‑live check: spot-check receipts, online orders and settlement reports to ensure no surcharges are being applied.
- Benchmark and renegotiate fees using improved transparency measures and interchange-related changes over time.
In summary – Treat 1 October 2026 as a firm operational deadline: remove surcharge functionality, update customer communications, and lock in a pricing approach that protects margins while keeping checkout simple and transparent.
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