Australia will ban card surcharges on eftpos, Mastercard and Visa payments from 1 October 2026.

The Australian Payments Network and the three card networks have launched a new website, cardsurcharge.com.au, to help businesses and consumers get ready for the change.

The change follows a Reserve Bank of Australia review of merchant card payment costs.

The review found that surcharging no longer works as intended.

The new rules cover in-store, online and digital payments, including mobile wallet transactions.

They apply to personal, commercial, corporate, credit, debit and prepaid cards.

The ban only covers surcharges added because a customer pays by card. Other fees that don’t depend on payment method are not affected.

Surcharges allowed under a specific law, such as regulated taxi fares, can still apply.

Businesses are being asked to prepare early. They should work with their bank, payment provider, payment gateway or point-of-sale provider to remove card surcharges.

They should also review their costs, update pricing and checkout displays, and test their payment systems before the deadline.

“The value of the card networks moving in lockstep is that consumers and merchants are afforded a single, simultaneous change rather than a staggered one.

As champions of the Australian payments system, we are committed to helping ensure the successful implementation of these changes, placing importance on stakeholder education,”

said Andy White, Chief Executive of AusPayNet.

“Card payments are one of the most efficient, secure, and convenient ways for consumers and businesses to pay and be paid.

Removing surcharging makes the checkout experience more consistent for everyone – the price you see is the price you pay,”

said Alan Machet, Visa’s Group Country Manager for Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands.

Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Australia, based on image by Magnific