{"id":2690,"date":"2026-09-29T01:40:03","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T01:40:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/platforms.globalpayments.com\/en\/?p=2690"},"modified":"2026-09-29T05:00:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T05:00:16","slug":"what-is-changing-with-card-surcharging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/platforms.globalpayments.com\/en\/blog\/what-is-changing-with-card-surcharging\/","title":{"rendered":"Card surcharge changes explained: What businesses need to know"},"content":{"rendered":"
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From 1 October 2026, all businesses in Australia, will no longer be permitted to apply a surcharge to Visa, Mastercard, eftpos or American Express (Amex) card payments. As this is an industry wide transition, changing payment providers will not alter this requirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We've spoken with many businesses since these changes were announced, and one thing is clear: there is a need for more clarity about what\u2019s changing and what it means in practice. This guide explains the upcoming changes and provides some practical considerations for businesses as they prepare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is surcharging?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Surcharging is when a business adds an extra charge to a customer\u2019s purchase because they choose to pay using a particular payment method, such as a card. For example, if a customer buys a coffee for $5 and pays $5.10 after a card surcharge is applied, the additional $0.10 is the surcharge. A surcharge is separate from the advertised price of a product or service and is different from other fees a business may apply in some circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What\u2019s changing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Today<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Businesses can choose to apply a surcharge to some card payments to help recover payment acceptance costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From 1 October 2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Businesses will no longer be permitted to apply a surcharge to Visa, Mastercard, eftpos or Amex card payments. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) reforms will apply to Visa, Mastercard and eftpos payments. Amex has separately announced that it will also remove surcharging for Australian merchants from the same date. This means customers will no longer be charged with a separate surcharge when paying with these card types.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What isn't changing?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Businesses will generally continue to incur payment processing fees when customers pay via Visa, Mastercard, eftpos and Amex cards. These fees don&#39;t disappear. They key change is that these costs can no longer be added as a separate surcharge to card transactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What does this look like in practice?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Today (Before 1 October 2026)<\/th>After changes (From 1 October 2026)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Businesses can apply a surcharge to card payments<\/td>Surcharges on Visa, Mastercard, eftpos and Amex card payments are no longer permitted in Australia from 1 October 2026<\/td><\/tr>
Payment processing fees apply when accepting cards<\/td>Payment processing fees still apply when accepting cards<\/td><\/tr>
Customers may see an extra charge at checkout<\/td>No separate surcharge can be added at checkout<\/td><\/tr>
Businesses may use surcharging to offset payment costs<\/td>Businesses will need to consider how costs are managed within their overall pricing model<\/td><\/tr>
Ancillary fees such as dishonour and admin fees can be passed on to customers<\/td>There are no changes to these fees under the reform, the reform affects transaction surcharges only<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Will my settlement amount change from 1 October 2026?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you currently recover applicable card transaction fees from customers through surcharging, the way these fees are handled will change from 1 October 2026.
For most impacted merchants, applicable transaction fees will be deducted prior to settlement. This means the amount deposited into your bank account may be lower than the gross value of the card payments processed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your gross transaction values and transaction reporting will continue to show the full payment amount. This may affect reconciliation, accounting or automated workflows that rely on settlement amounts matching gross transaction values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What if I use a trust account?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Trust account regulations may restrict card transaction fees from being paid from a trust account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your settlement or billing account is a trust account, or you\u2019re unsure whether Global Payments for Platforms holds the correct account details for transaction fee collection, please contact our Support team as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We may need to confirm or update your settlement and billing arrangements before 1 October 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How do I know if I currently apply a surcharge or if my business will be affected?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If your customers currently pay an additional fee when they use a Visa, Mastercard, eftpos or Amex card, these changes are likely to affect your business. If you don\u2019t currently apply card surcharges, the impact on your business may be smaller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not sure whether you are currently surcharging?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n