{"id":3288,"date":"2025-07-16T10:56:59","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T00:56:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anp-au.com\/?p=3288"},"modified":"2025-07-16T10:57:04","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T00:57:04","slug":"2025cardsurcharges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anp-au.com\/en\/2025cardsurcharges\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia&#039;s central bank proposes abolishing card payment surcharges as early as 2026?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) recently published a review of its payment policy, recommending a complete ban on merchants charging surcharges on debit and credit card payments. The reforms are expected to take effect as early as July 2026. If implemented, the proposal is expected to impact a wide range of merchants, from supermarkets and restaurants to online retailers, and consumers are also expected to benefit directly.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_88 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Contents Overview<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseprofile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/anp-au.com\/en\/2025cardsurcharges\/#%E7%8F%BE%E8%A1%8C%E5%88%B6%E5%BA%A6%EF%BC%9A%E9%99%84%E5%8A%A0%E8%B2%BB%E7%8E%87%E7%84%A1%E7%B5%B1%E4%B8%80%E6%A8%99%E6%BA%96\" >Current system: There is no uniform standard for surcharge rates<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/anp-au.com\/en\/2025cardsurcharges\/#%E6%94%B9%E9%9D%A9%E5%BB%BA%E8%AD%B0%EF%BC%9A%E5%85%A8%E9%9D%A2%E5%8F%96%E6%B6%88%E5%8D%A1%E6%94%AF%E4%BB%98%E9%99%84%E5%8A%A0%E8%B2%BB\" >Reform proposal: Completely abolish card payment surcharges<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/anp-au.com\/en\/2025cardsurcharges\/#%E6%94%B9%E9%9D%A9%E5%BE%8C%E5%BD%B1%E9%9F%BF%EF%BC%9A%E5%95%86%E6%88%B6%E6%88%96%E8%AA%BF%E6%95%B4%E6%A8%99%E5%83%B9\" >Impact after the reform: Merchants may adjust their prices<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/anp-au.com\/en\/2025cardsurcharges\/#%E5%A4%A7%E5%9E%8B%E5%95%86%E6%88%B6%E6%94%AF%E6%8C%81_%E5%B0%8F%E5%95%86%E6%88%B6%E6%86%82%E6%88%90%E6%9C%AC%E8%BD%89%E5%AB%81\" >Large merchants support small merchants and worry about cost transfer<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/anp-au.com\/en\/2025cardsurcharges\/#%E5%B8%82%E5%A0%B4%E8%B5%B0%E5%90%91%EF%BC%9A%E9%85%8D%E5%90%88%E9%9B%BB%E5%AD%90%E6%94%AF%E4%BB%98%E6%99%AE%E5%8F%8A%E8%B6%A8%E5%8B%A2\" >Market trend: In line with the popularization trend of electronic payment<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E7%8F%BE%E8%A1%8C%E5%88%B6%E5%BA%A6%EF%BC%9A%E9%99%84%E5%8A%A0%E8%B2%BB%E7%8E%87%E7%84%A1%E7%B5%B1%E4%B8%80%E6%A8%99%E6%BA%96\"><\/span>Current system: There is no uniform standard for surcharge rates<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under current Australian regulations, merchants can charge a &quot;surcharge&quot; to customers who use credit and debit cards to subsidize the processing fees charged by payment service providers (such as Eftpos, Visa, and Mastercard). According to RBA data:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Debit card payment surcharges typically range from:<strong>0.5% to 1%<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Credit card payment surcharges usually range from:<strong>1% to 2%<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>High-end or business card surcharges can be as high as:<strong>3% or above<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In recent years, many restaurants, coffee shops and even supermarkets have passed on the relevant costs to customers through &quot;card payment surcharges&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E6%94%B9%E9%9D%A9%E5%BB%BA%E8%AD%B0%EF%BC%9A%E5%85%A8%E9%9D%A2%E5%8F%96%E6%B6%88%E5%8D%A1%E6%94%AF%E4%BB%98%E9%99%84%E5%8A%A0%E8%B2%BB\"><\/span>Reform proposal: Completely abolish card payment surcharges<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In its policy review published last week, the RBA pointed out that as payment technology matures, related costs have been significantly reduced, and there is no need to continue allowing merchants to charge surcharges. According to the bank&#039;s estimates, if the reform is implemented, Australian consumers may save more than<strong>A$2 billion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The main contents of the reform include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Prohibit merchants from<strong>Eftpos, Visa, Mastercard<\/strong>Transaction surcharge<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Covered<strong>Debit and credit cards<\/strong>Two payment methods<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fastest<strong>July 2026<\/strong>Full implementation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it is worth noting that American Express and other high-risk payment methods may not be included in the recommended scope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E6%94%B9%E9%9D%A9%E5%BE%8C%E5%BD%B1%E9%9F%BF%EF%BC%9A%E5%95%86%E6%88%B6%E6%88%96%E8%AA%BF%E6%95%B4%E6%A8%99%E5%83%B9\"><\/span>Impact after the reform: Merchants may adjust their prices<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Market participants pointed out that if the surcharge ban is officially implemented, merchants may instead incorporate transaction fees into product pricing. The RBA believes that this move will help increase market transparency and prevent consumers from having to pay extra for payment methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Take a coffee shop as an example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>project<\/th><th>Before the reform<\/th><th>After reform (expected)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Coffee Pricing<\/td><td>A$5.00 + 1.5% surcharge<\/td><td>Direct price A$5.10<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Display amount when paying<\/td><td>A$5.08 (including surcharge)<\/td><td>A$5.10 (cost included)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some supermarket chains such as Woolworths and Coles may also adjust their checkout processes, but the specific arrangements are yet to be announced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E5%A4%A7%E5%9E%8B%E5%95%86%E6%88%B6%E6%94%AF%E6%8C%81_%E5%B0%8F%E5%95%86%E6%88%B6%E6%86%82%E6%88%90%E6%9C%AC%E8%BD%89%E5%AB%81\"><\/span>Large merchants support small merchants and worry about cost transfer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Australian Retailers Association initially expressed support for the RBA&#039;s reforms, believing they would help simplify the customer experience. However, some small businesses and hospitality industry representatives expressed concerns that they would not be able to absorb the associated payment costs themselves and would ultimately have to raise retail prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One coffee shop owner admitted in an interview with reporters, &quot;If we don&#039;t charge a surcharge, our profits will be reduced. But we understand that customers have concerns about the surcharge, and it&#039;s a good thing the government is clarifying the rules.&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E5%B8%82%E5%A0%B4%E8%B5%B0%E5%90%91%EF%BC%9A%E9%85%8D%E5%90%88%E9%9B%BB%E5%AD%90%E6%94%AF%E4%BB%98%E6%99%AE%E5%8F%8A%E8%B6%A8%E5%8B%A2\"><\/span>Market trend: In line with the popularization trend of electronic payment<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fact, the use of electronic payments in Australia has increased dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to RBA data, by 2024, credit and debit cards will account for more than<strong>80%<\/strong>, the proportion of cash use has dropped to less than<strong>20%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The RBA believes that the Australian payment market will become further digitised in the coming years and that removing surcharges will help promote a fair competitive environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The RBA is currently working on the proposals<strong>Public consultation<\/strong>The consultation period ends in October 2025. If the recommendations are implemented, it will mark Australia&#039;s official transition from a &quot;pay-as-you-go&quot; model to an &quot;all-inclusive price&quot; model, bringing it in line with countries like the UK.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u6fb3\u6d32\u5132\u5099\u9280\u884c\uff08Reserve Bank of Australia, RBA\uff09\u8fd1\u65e5\u767c\u8868\u652f\u4ed8\u653f\u7b56\u6aa2\u8a0e\u5831\u544a\uff0c\u5efa\u8b70\u5168\u9762 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3289,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3288","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/anp-au.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3288","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/anp-au.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/anp-au.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anp-au.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anp-au.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3288"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/anp-au.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3288\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3290,"href":"https:\/\/anp-au.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3288\/revisions\/3290"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anp-au.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/anp-au.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3288"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anp-au.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3288"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anp-au.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}