Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Allan Milostic. Photo supplied: Julia Evans
If you charge customers a fee for paying by card, there’s an important change coming on 1st October 2026.
The Whitsundays Chamber of Commerce and Industry is reminding local businesses that from 1st October, businesses will no longer be able to add a separate surcharge when customers pay by eftpos, Visa, Mastercard or American Express.
In simple terms: if you currently add 1% or 2% to a customer’s bill when they pay by card, that will need to stop.
The change applies to debit, credit, and prepaid cards.
So, what should businesses do?
First, talk to your payment provider. If you use an EFTPOS machine, online checkout, booking system, accounting software, or payment links, check what changes you need to make. Your provider may update your system automatically, but it’s worth checking.
Next, look at your pricing. Businesses will still have costs associated with accepting card payments. You may need to consider whether your overall prices need to change to account for those costs.
If you do change your prices, make sure customers can clearly see what they are paying and that your pricing complies with Australian Consumer Law.
It’s also a good time to check your menus, websites, invoices, quotes, signs, and booking systems. If they mention a card surcharge, those references may need to be removed or updated.
And don’t forget your staff. Make sure everyone knows what is changing so they can answer customer questions.
The Chamber is also reminding businesses that not every surcharge is disappearing.
The new rules are specifically about card payment surcharges. Other charges, such as clearly advertised weekend or public holiday surcharges, can still apply where permitted. However, businesses should make sure these charges are not simply a card surcharge under another name.
Until 30th September, the existing card surcharge rules continue to apply.
“Our message to local businesses is simple – don’t leave it until 1st October,” said Chamber President, Allan Milostic.
“Check with your payment provider, review your pricing and make sure your business is ready.”
For more information, visit the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) or Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) websites.
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