RBA Blocks Business Card Surcharges on October 1

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is introducing a rule change that will impact businesses across the country. Starting October 1, 2026, companies will no longer be allowed to charge customers extra for using Visa, Mastercard, or eftpos credit cards.

Visa and Mastercard have already taken steps to comply with this new regulation, while American Express has voluntarily agreed to remove its surcharging options.

This change aims to protect consumers from being charged additional fees for using certain payment methods. However, it remains to be seen how businesses will adapt to the loss of revenue from these fees.