The surcharge crackdown is coming: what the government just signalled

If you add a card surcharge at the till, listen up. The federal government has put it on notice.

In October 2024, the government said it wants to ban surcharges on debit card payments. It's not law yet. But the direction is clear, and it's worth getting ahead of. Here's what's been proposed, why, and what you can sensibly do now without jumping the gun.

What's actually been proposed

In October 2024, the government announced it wants to stop businesses charging customers extra for paying with a debit card. The plan comes with a big condition: it's subject to a review by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). A possible start date of 2026 has been floated.

So nothing's switching off tomorrow. The government has signalled intent, and the RBA has been asked to do the homework first.

That review matters. The RBA has been tasked with looking at what it actually costs merchants to accept cards, and at how surcharging works across the board. The final shape of any ban — what's covered, when, and how — will hang on what that review finds.

Why the government's stepping in

Surcharging has crept into more and more transactions. Tap your card for a coffee and you might cop an extra few cents. Pay for a haircut and there's a line on the receipt.

Part of the issue is how some businesses surcharge. Rather than charging the true cost of each card type, plenty apply one blended rate across all cards. That can mean debit card users — often the cheapest cards for a business to accept — pay the same surcharge as someone using a premium credit card.

The government's stated aim is simpler, more transparent pricing. The idea is that the price on the shelf is closer to the price you pay, with fewer surprises at the terminal.

The bit that's still up in the air

Here's the honest part: as things stand in late 2024, the detail isn't settled.

We don't yet know exactly which payments would be covered, what the final start date is, or how the rules would treat credit cards versus debit. All of that depends on the RBA review. Until that lands, anyone telling you precisely how this plays out is guessing.

So treat this as an early heads-up, not a deadline. The smart move is to understand your own numbers now, so whatever lands, you're ready.

What to do now

You don't need to overhaul anything today. But a few low-effort steps will put you in a strong spot:

• Review your true cost of acceptance. Dig out your merchant statements and work out what you actually pay to accept cards — debit and credit separately, not one blurred average. Plenty of owners are surprised. You can't price sensibly for a rule change if you don't know your real numbers.
• Watch the RBA review. This is the piece that turns intent into rules. Keep half an eye on it through 2025 rather than reacting to every headline.
• Don't panic-reprice yet. Ripping out your surcharge or rebuilding your menu prices right now, before the rules are set, risks doing the work twice. Wait for the detail, then move once.

A quick reality check on your numbers today beats a scramble later.

Where a modern POS helps

This is one of those changes that's far easier to ride out if your point-of-sale already shows you the full picture. With a cloud POS like Weeklify, your card costs and takings sit in one place, so when the rules firm up you can see what a change to surcharging would mean for your margins — without hunting through paper statements.

The bottom line

The government has signalled it wants debit card surcharges gone, pending the RBA's review, possibly from 2026. The intent is real; the detail isn't final. Know your true cost of acceptance, keep an eye on the review, and hold off on big repricing until the rules are set. Do that, and you'll meet whatever comes calm and prepared.

Sources: Credit card surcharges explained — Canstar; Review of Retail Payments Regulation: Consultation Paper — Reserve Bank of Australia

General information only. This article isn't financial advice and doesn't take your circumstances into account. Rules around card surcharging may change — check the current position with the RBA or a qualified adviser before making decisions for your business.

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