# Card payment surcharge changes are coming

Date: 31 Aug 2026
Released by: business.gov.au

## MediaRelease.co Summary

Australian businesses that add card payment surcharges face new rules from 1 October 2026 after an RBA review found surcharging was no longer working as intended. Operators may need to update pricing, payment methods or provider arrangements to stay compliant. business.gov.au outlines what is changing and practical steps for small businesses.

## Original release

If your business charges a surcharge on card payments, you may need to update your pricing strategy, payment methods or provider arrangements. What is changing? The changes follow a review by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), which concluded that card surcharging is no longer working as intended and has become increasingly complex for businesses and customers. From 1 October 2026, businesses will no longer be able to apply surcharges to card payments. This includes Visa, Mastercard, eftpos and American Express transactions. Until these changes take effect, businesses must continue to follow the current card payment surcharging laws. What isn't changing? The new rules only apply to card payment surcharges. They do not affect: - weekend surcharges - public holiday surcharges - booking fees - service fees - other non-card-related charges. For example, hospitality businesses can still apply weekend or public holiday surcharges where permitted. What could this mean for your business? While businesses will still pay card processing fees and other payment-related costs, the RBA is also reducing interchange fee caps. These changes are expected to help lower card payment costs, particularly for small businesses, which often pay higher fees. If your business currently relies on card surcharges to recover payment processing costs, it's worth reviewing how the changes may affect your pricing and operating costs. You may want to review how your business will respond to the new rules including considering alternative payment arrangements, adjusting your prices or ceasing card acceptance in some circumstances. - Tips for choosing payment methods. Choose payment methods Tips for choosing payment methods. What should businesses do now? While the changes do not start until 1 October 2026, now is a good time to: - review your pricing strategy - understand how much card payments currently cost your business - talk to your payment provider about future arrangements - research best payment provider for your business - review any systems that automatically apply card surcharges - update customer pricing and payment information where required. Taking time to prepare early can help you understand the impact on your business and avoid last-minute changes before the new rules begin. - Learn how to develop a pricing strategy. Choose a pricing strategy Learn how to develop a pricing strategy. Find out more - Read more on the RBA website. Reserve Bank of Australia Read more on the RBA website.

## Key details

- Issued by: business.gov.au
- Published: 31 Aug 2026
- Publisher country: Australia
- Subject country/region: National (Australia)
- Original source: https://www.business.gov.au/news/card-payment-surcharge-changes-are-coming
- MediaRelease.co URL: https://mediarelease.co/au/mr01119-card-payment-surcharge-changes-are-coming-31082026.html

Original source: https://www.business.gov.au/news/card-payment-surcharge-changes-are-coming
MediaRelease.co canonical URL: https://mediarelease.co/au/mr01119-card-payment-surcharge-changes-are-coming-31082026.html