Banning card surcharges will make paying simpler – but not necessarily cheaper
- Written by Vibhu Arya, PhD Student, UTS Business School, University of Technology Sydney
From October 1, 2026, Australians will no longer pay a fee for debit, prepaid and credit payments using eftpos, Mastercard and Visa cards. The Reserve Bank of Australia estimates the change could save consumers around A$1.6 billion a year.
The case for change sounds simple enough: one price, no add-ons, no surprises at the end of a transaction.
But...
