Charged a card surcharge in Australia since 1 October 2026? Run the AU Card Surcharge Refund Checker — four questions, a straight verdict, and a copyable message to send the business.
From 1 October 2026, card surcharging has been banned in Australia: the three designated card networks introduced no-surcharge rules, and Amex, UnionPay and PayPal also removed surcharging. Three points in the detail matter:
The ban covers card surcharges only — fees added because you paid by card. The ACCC confirms the other common fee types are still allowed, as long as they were disclosed before you agreed to pay:
| Fee on your receipt | Status since 1 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|
| Card surcharge / credit card surcharge | Banned |
| Card fee / card processing fee (for paying by card) | Banned |
| EFTPOS fee / tap-and-go fee (for paying by card) | Banned |
| Weekend or public holiday surcharge | Still allowed |
| Booking fee / service fee / convenience fee | Still allowed |
| Cash handling fee | Still allowed |
The honest complication: some businesses relabel a card surcharge as a "service fee" to look compliant. The exact wording on your receipt is what matters — if the fee was described as paying-for-card (card processing, credit card surcharge, tap-and-go fee), the surcharge ban applies. If it genuinely is a booking, service, convenience, weekend, public holiday or cash-handling fee, it is not covered by the ban. Unsure which yours is? The checker has an "unclear" verdict that walks you through the wording.
Visa AU's own surcharging page confirms the consumer route: ask the business first, then report to the card network if it refuses or ignores you. Step by step:
Two warnings. First: act while the receipt is fresh. Receipts fade, and a business that surcharges illegally rarely fixes it voluntarily. Second: merchant exemptions may apply — some merchant types may be exempt, so check the RBA FAQ's current exemption list before you assume. A refund is not automatic; the steps above are your route, not a promise of the outcome.
Yes. From 1 October 2026, the three designated card networks introduced no-surcharge rules, and Amex, UnionPay and PayPal also removed surcharging. From that date, businesses covered by the ban must not add a card surcharge to your bill.
Ask the business in writing first — an email or in-app message you can screenshot, not a phone call. If it refuses or ignores you, report the business to the card network (Visa AU and Mastercard AU publish consumer surcharging pages with a reporting route), and report to the ACCC as well.
No. The ban covers card surcharges only — fees added because you paid by card. Weekend and public holiday surcharges, booking fees, service fees, convenience fees and cash-handling fees are still allowed, as long as they were disclosed before you agreed to pay.
The ban covers payments on or after 1 October 2026 on the designated networks (plus Amex, UnionPay and PayPal, which also removed surcharging), including business-to-business transactions — unless a merchant exemption applies. The RBA's conclusions-paper FAQ lists the current exemptions. Fees charged before 1 October 2026 were allowed at the time and are not covered by the ban.
Verified 22 October 2026 — only primary sources:
