RBA Announces Reforms to Remove Card Surcharging from Australian Businesses
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has announced reforms aimed at removing card surcharging from businesses in Australia. As part of this change, businesses will no longer be permitted to add a surcharge when customers pay with eftpos, Visa or Mastercard.
From 1 October 2026, lower domestic interchange fee caps will apply, and new interchange caps for foreign-issued cards will take effect from 1 April 2027. The RBA estimates that only 1 in every 6 businesses currently choose to apply a card surcharge.
The ABA is reminding businesses to prepare for these changes by disabling surcharging functions and understanding the impact of lower interchange fees on their business. Banks are supporting business customers through this transition, with some already implementing reduced fees for processing debit and credit card payments.