Australia's surcharge rules are changing
Here's what that means for our merchants.
Updated on 24 September 2026
Updated on 24 September 2026
From 1 October 2026, businesses in Australia will no longer be permitted to apply a surcharge to Visa, Mastercard, eftpos or American Express (Amex) card payments.
If your business currently applies a surcharge to card payments, these changes may affect how you recover your payment costs.
Payment processing fees will continue to apply. The key change is that these costs can no longer be recovered through a separate card surcharge to customers.
As this is an industry-wide transition, changing payment providers will not alter this requirement.
This Resource Centre brings together practical information to help you understand what is changing, what isn't changing, and the steps you can take to prepare.
| Today - before 1 October 2026 | From 1 October 2026 |
| Businesses can apply a surcharge to card payments | Surcharges on Visa, Mastercard, eftpos and Amex card payments are no longer permitted in Australia from 1 October 2026 |
| Payment processing fees apply when accepting cards | Payment processing fees still apply when accepting cards |
| Customers may see an extra charge at checkout | No separate surcharge can be added at checkout |
| Businesses may use surcharging to offset payment costs | Businesses will need to consider how costs are managed within their overall pricing model |
| Ancillary fees such as dishonour and admin fees can be passed on to customers | There are no changes to these fees under the reform, the reform affects transaction surcharges only |
Review whether your business currently applies a surcharge, how payment costs are managed and whether changes to your settlement amounts may affect your reconciliation, accounting or automated software workflows.
If your settlement or billing account is a trust account, or you're unsure whether Ezidebit holds the correct account details for transaction fee collection, please contact our Support team as soon as possible.
From 1 October 2026, businesses in Australia will no longer be permitted to apply a surcharge to Visa, Mastercard or eftpos card payments. Amex has separately announced that surcharging on Amex card transactions will also end from the same date.
No. Businesses will continue to incur payment processing costs when customers pay by card. The changes relate to surcharging, not the underlying costs of accepting card payments.
No. These changes apply to card payments and do not affect direct debit payments from bank accounts.
Yes. The surcharge changes apply regardless of whether a card payment is one-off or recurring.
If customers currently pay an additional fee when using a Visa, Mastercard, eftpos or Amex card, these changes are likely to affect your business.
Not sure whether you currently surcharge? Ask yourself:
Depending on your payment solution, surcharging may be configured within your payment provider, software platform or another integrated solution. If you're unsure, contact your software provider or our support team.
You can view the fees that apply to your account in the EziOnline portal.
If you're unsure how to interpret the information or need further assistance, please contact our support team.
Review your transaction reports, settlement reports or speak with your accountant or bookkeeper. If you are unsure where to find this information, contact our support team.
Every business is different. Businesses should consider their own circumstances when deciding how to manage payment costs following the end of surcharging. You may wish to seek advice from your accountant or business adviser.
No. The changes apply across the Australian payments industry. Changing payment providers will not allow businesses to continue applying card surcharges after 1 October 2026.
No. The changes apply across the Australian payments industry. Changing payment providers will not allow businesses to continue applying card surcharges after 1 October 2026.
Trust account regulations may restrict card transaction fees from being paid from a trust account.
If your settlement or billing account is a trust account, or you're unsure whether Ezidebit holds the correct account details for transaction fee collection, please contact our Support team as soon as possible.
We may need to confirm or update your settlement and billing arrangements before 1 October 2026.
No. BPAY is a separate payment system, so the card surcharge changes taking effect from 1 October 2026 do not apply to payments processed through BPAY, even where a customer funds the BPAY payment from a credit card account.
Businesses should continue to check any applicable BPAY, financial institution or payment provider terms relating to fees for BPAY payments.
If you're unsure about your current surcharging setup, settlement or billing arrangements, or where to find relevant information, contact our Support team on 1300 763 256 or via support@ezidebit.com.au