Important change to card surcharges from 1 October 2026

From 1 October 2026, Australian businesses will no longer be able to charge customers a separate surcharge for EFTPOS, Visa or Mastercard payments.

For example, if you currently invoice a customer $1,000 and your payment provider charges a 1.5% card processing fee, you may currently pass that $15 fee on to your customer, meaning they pay $1,015 and you still receive your $1,000 (less any other applicable fees).

From 1 October, you will no longer be able to add that separate $15 card surcharge. Your customer would pay $1,000, and the $15 processing fee would become a cost to your business.

If you currently pass card processing fees on to your customers, it is worth reviewing how your customers pay you and considering whether you need to factor these costs into your pricing or encourage lower-cost payment methods, such as bank transfer or direct debit.

If you're unsure whether this change affects the way your own customers pay your business, please feel free to get in touch and I can have a look at your current setup with you.