Information checked: November 6, 2026, at 01:07 UTC (UTC+00:00).
Australians should no longer see a separate surcharge for paying with Visa, Mastercard, American Express or eftpos cards under rules introduced on October 1, 2026. But that does not mean every extra charge has disappeared: a café may still add a disclosed weekend surcharge, and a booking can still involve fees unrelated to the payment method.
Before agreeing to a purchase, check the final dollar amount, what each extra charge covers and whether an optional item has been selected for you. If a fee appears because you used a covered card, ask the business to explain it and request a refund if it confirms the charge is a card payment surcharge.
Destaques
According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), businesses can no longer add a surcharge for paying with Visa, Mastercard, American Express or eftpos credit, debit or prepaid cards from October 1, 2026. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) changed its rules so card networks could introduce their own no-surcharge rules; the networks or payment service providers enforce those rules.
The RBA says the rules for Visa, Mastercard and eftpos generally apply to cards issued overseas as well as in Australia. It also notes that exceptions may apply under a network’s rules or by law. Its card surcharge FAQs say American Express, UnionPay and PayPal also decided to remove surcharging. If you use another payment method, check its terms rather than assuming every payment-related fee is covered by the same rules.
The previous advice that a covered card surcharge merely had to be no more than the business’s acceptance cost is out of date for payments under the new rules. A label alone also does not settle the issue: the ACCC says a charge called a “service fee” may still be a card surcharge if it covers the cost of accepting the card.
Look at the menu before ordering for a weekend or public holiday percentage, then calculate the amount on your planned order. For example, a $40 meal with a 15% public holiday surcharge would cost $46, assuming the surcharge applies to the whole meal and there are no other charges. Ask staff which items the percentage covers if the menu is unclear.
Restaurants and cafés have a specific menu exception for surcharges on certain days. They do not have to build that day-specific surcharge into each displayed menu price if they show the required notice stating the percentage and applicable day or days. The notice must be at least as prominent as the most prominent price on the menu. If the menu lists no prices, the information must be displayed prominently another way.
That exception does not mean an unavoidable charge that applies every day can simply be left out of the base price. The ACCC says an everyday surcharge forms part of the minimum total cost. Its price display guidance explains the distinction and gives examples.
Compare the advertised price with the amount on the final confirmation screen. Booking fees, service fees, delivery charges and other additions can change the value of a deal even when there is no card surcharge. Check whether a fee is per person, per item or per booking, and whether it changes with your choices.
Businesses generally must display the minimum total price as a single figure, including taxes, unavoidable fees and extras they have preselected. If a cost cannot be calculated until you provide details, look for disclosure that it applies and check the full amount once those details are entered. A mandatory booking fee that can be calculated must be included in a prominently displayed total price.
Before paying, remove any preselected options you do not want, such as optional seat selection, and compare the final total with alternatives. Save a screenshot of the advertised price and checkout breakdown if the amounts or explanations look inconsistent. The ACCC describes the gradual addition of charges during an online purchase as “drip pricing” and advises shoppers to consider all charges together.
Yes. A business may offer a discount for a payment method such as cash or PayID. The ACCC says the discount should be disclosed before you choose to book, order or pay, and the displayed full price without the discount must be at least as prominent as the discounted price. Check that you qualify and that the discount appears in the total before completing payment.
Businesses may also include the cost of accepting cards in their ordinary prices. They must not mislead customers about prices or the reasons for an increase. This means the end of a separate card surcharge does not guarantee that every listed price will fall. The practical comparison is the full amount you would pay for the same purchase, including any applicable fees.
First, ask the business what the charge covers. Keep the receipt, the payment record and any menu, sign or checkout screenshot showing the price. If the business confirms that the extra amount is a card payment surcharge, ask for it to be refunded.
If that does not resolve the issue, the ACCC suggests contacting the relevant card network or, if you know it, the business’s payment service provider. For an eftpos payment, contact the bank that issued your card. You can also alert your own bank. If you believe the business has misled you about its pricing, report that concern to the ACCC or your state or territory consumer protection agency. The ACCC does not enforce the networks’ no-surcharge rules or resolve individual pricing complaints.
Payment costs and business prices may continue to change. The RBA’s implementation schedule includes further payment-fee reporting and changes in 2027, but their effect on any particular store’s prices is uncertain. Continue to check the amount shown immediately before you pay.
Yes. They are separate from card payment surcharges. Restaurants and cafés must clearly disclose applicable day-specific menu surcharges under the relevant display rules.
No. A fee unrelated to the payment method may still apply, subject to pricing and disclosure rules. Ask what it covers if it appears to be a charge for paying by card.
A covered card payment should not attract a separate card surcharge under the current network rules. Cash may qualify for a clearly disclosed discount, so compare the final prices for the available payment methods.
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