SINCE 1 OCTOBER 2026
Card surcharges ended on 1 October 2026.
If you used to add a card fee, it now belongs in your prices. Try one price below and see the new number.
In short
Since 1 October 2026 Australian venues can no longer add a card surcharge to eftpos, Visa or Mastercard payments under the Reserve Bank of Australia's rules, and Amex has dropped card surcharges too. It applies to restaurants, bars, food trucks and every other venue that added a card fee. Venues that used to add one should now fold the card cost into their listed prices.
Sources: RBA FAQ - removal of payment surcharges and Small Business Ombudsman (ASBFEO) - card surcharging help · Last reviewed
What changes
- Since 1 October you cannot add a fee for paying by eftpos, Visa, Mastercard or Amex.
- You can still build that cost into your prices - the RBA says so.
- Ordering-app service fees are not surcharges and are not affected.
Key facts
- In force since
- 1 October 2026
- Who decided
- Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), payments regulation review, March 2026 conclusions
- Cards covered
- eftpos, Visa and Mastercard under the RBA rule, plus Amex, which dropped card surcharges too
- Who it applies to
- Any Australian business that adds a fee for paying by card
- Not affected
- Weekend and public-holiday surcharges, and ordering-app service fees
- What to do
- Reprice your menu so the card cost sits inside the listed price
Two things people mix up
- Card surcharge
- A fee added at the terminal for paying by card. Banned since 1 October 2026.
- Weekend or holiday surcharge
- A time-based percentage on the whole bill. Not part of the ban; still allowed and still shown on the menu.
A worked example
Chicken parmi $24.00, 1.5% card fee, most customers pay by card -> $24.30 (rounded to 10c).
Reprice your menu
Round prices to
$24.00becomes$24.30+$0.30
We add your card fee for the share of sales paid by card, then round. Prices never go down.
Questions, answered
Does this apply to me?
Yes, if you used to add a card fee for eftpos, Visa, Mastercard or Amex payments. If you never added a card fee, nothing changes for you.
Can I still charge for Amex?
No. Amex is outside the RBA rule, but it chose to drop card surcharges from the same date, so the answer is the same.
What about my weekend surcharge?
Weekend and public holiday surcharges can stay, as long as customers are told clearly before they buy. Only the card fee is gone.
Can I call it an admin or service fee instead?
No. A fee you add only because someone pays by card is still a card surcharge, whatever you call it. The price you show should be the price a card customer pays.
Can I give a discount for cash?
Yes. You can offer a discount for paying by cash or PayID, as long as it is shown clearly before the customer buys.
Can I put my prices up instead?
Yes. The RBA says card costs can be built into your overall prices. Be clear about the new prices and do not mislead customers about why they changed.
I sent an invoice before 1 October. Can I still add a card fee to it?
Probably not. If the card payment is made on or after 1 October 2026, the RBA says a card surcharge may no longer be allowed, even if the invoice went out earlier.
Does it cover payments from other businesses?
Yes. Card payments between businesses are covered too, unless a card network's own rules say otherwise.
What if my signs or till still show a card fee?
Take them down and switch the fee off. The card networks are responsible for making sure the rule is followed, and customers can report misleading prices to the ACCC. Ask your bank or payment provider if you are not sure your terminal is updated.
Does Queshot charge card fees?
Your venue pays Stripe's standard card processing on Queshot orders, at cost with no markup. Customers never pay a card fee.
Can Queshot reprice my menu for the card surcharge ban?
Card surcharges ended on 1 October 2026. Queshot's free calculator and the venue dashboard's price tool fold your old card fee into your prices.
When did card surcharges end in Australia?
On 1 October 2026. Since 1 October 2026 Australian venues can no longer add a card surcharge to eftpos, Visa or Mastercard payments under the Reserve Bank of Australia's rules, and Amex has dropped card surcharges too.