From 1 October 2026, businesses will no longer be able to charge customers a surcharge for paying by Visa, Mastercard, American Express or eftpos, including credit, debit and prepaid cards.

The change affects businesses that currently add a separate fee when customers pay by card. Until 30 September 2026, businesses can continue to charge card surcharges, provided they comply with the existing rules limiting the surcharge to the business’s actual cost of accepting that payment type.

From 1 October, businesses will need to remove card surcharges from their payment systems, websites, menus and other customer-facing materials.

Businesses will still incur costs for accepting card payments. They can recover these costs by incorporating them into their overall prices, rather than charging a separate card surcharge.

Importantly, the change does not apply to other types of fees or surcharges, such as weekend or public holiday surcharges charged by hospitality businesses, booking fees or delivery fees, provided these comply with existing consumer law requirements.

Businesses should contact their payment provider before 1 October to ensure their payment terminals and systems are updated.