WATCH NOW: Watch our webinar for the full breakdown, then read on for the key dates and details. From 1 October 2026, card surcharges are banned for hospitality venues across Australia, covering EFTPOS, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and UnionPay. It's one of the biggest changes to payment rules in years, affecting your pricing, POS setup, and how staff talk to guests about it at the till.
I hosted this webinar alongside Tara Tubman (Head of Sales) and Suzanne Casey (Head of Schemes and Regulatory Compliance) from NAB's Merchant Services business, where we broke down exactly what's changing, when it's changing, and the practical steps your venue can take to be ready. Watch the full session below, or read the transcript for a detailed breakdown of the changes, key dates, and answers to common questions.
This is a lightly edited transcript of our live webinar recording. Some conversational filler has been removed for readability, but the content remains faithful to what was discussed.
Kym Eaton: Hi everyone, and thanks for joining us today. You'll notice a change to today's session. Shaun Munro, our CEO, was supposed to be running this webinar, but something's come up and he's no longer available, so I'll be your host. I'm Kym Eaton, Marketing Manager at Triniteq.
We're talking about the payment reforms coming into effect from 1 October, including the ban on card payment surcharging, which covers EFTPOS, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and UnionPay International transactions. For pubs, clubs, cafes, restaurants and other hospitality venues, this is one of the biggest changes to payment rules in years, and it affects pricing, POS setup, and how staff talk to guests at the till.
We put this webinar together because it's a big change and there's been a lot of noise out there that can be confusing. Today we'll cover the changes in plain English. Exactly what's changing, when it's changing, and the practical steps you can take to be ready.
This session runs for about 30 minutes, followed by Q&A.
Today we'll cover timeline and terminology, what's actually changing, what it means for your venue, what it means for your customers, how to plan for the change, and a few other things worth knowing.
I'm joined by Tara Tubman, Head of Sales, and Suzanne Casey, Head of Schemes and Regulatory Compliance in NAB's Merchant Services business. NAB is one of Australia's major banks and plays a key role on the acquiring and payments side of this change. Tara and Suzanne will be taking us through the banking and payments perspective throughout the session.
Please note that today's information is general in nature, current at the date of this webinar, and based on the RBA's confirmed reforms. Every business is a little different, and rules, dates and provider arrangements may still be updated before 1 October 2026. Nothing in this session should be taken as financial or legal advice. We'd always recommend seeking independent advice from your accountant, financial advisor or payment provider, and confirming details with your provider closer to the date.
Kym Eaton: Right now, up until 30 September, we're in a transition period. Surcharges can still be applied during this time, but it's the ideal window to prepare by contacting your payment and POS providers, adjusting pricing if that's the path you choose, and training your staff.
From Thursday, 1 October, surcharges can no longer be applied to payments at all. This is a complete ban across EFTPOS, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and UnionPay International, covering debit, prepaid and credit transactions. Revised domestic interchange rates also become effective on this date.
On 1 April 2027, caps on international interchange fees come into effect. In simple terms, this caps the fee banks charge merchants every time a customer pays by card.
Kym Eaton: Before we get into the detail, let's run through a few terms so we're all speaking the same language.
The RBA's rationale for the change is to reduce the cost of card acceptance for businesses and remove confusing or excessive surcharges for customers.
Suzanne Casey: A lot of venues think of the surcharge as just one fee, but it's actually made up of several components. It's worth understanding these, because they don't disappear just because the surcharge line does. They still exist, they just move into the general cost of doing business.
When we talk about absorbing the surcharge line, we mean absorbing all four of these components into your pricing or operating costs, rather than passing them on as a separate line at checkout.
Suzanne Casey: The RBA confirmed three main changes as part of the payment reform announced on 31 March.
1. Surcharges are being banned. Venues will no longer be able to add a separate card surcharge at checkout for any card: EFTPOS, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and UnionPay.
2. Interchange fees are coming down. The RBA is reducing interchange caps on domestic card transactions from 1 October 2026, and introducing a cap on international transactions from 1 April 2027. This should help lower merchant service fees, particularly for small businesses currently paying higher rates.
3. Greater fee transparency. Card networks and large acquirers will be required to publish fee information, making it easier for venues to compare providers and negotiate better deals.
One exception worth understanding: business and corporate card interchange fees are treated a little differently to consumer cards. The 50-basis-point benchmark that currently exists is being abolished, which may mean some interchange fees on commercial card transactions actually rise rather than fall.
Tara Tubman: A few things worth calling out. Card processing costs won't disappear. They simply become a cost of doing business, similar to rent or electricity, rather than a fee added at point of sale.
You'll need to start thinking about your menu and service pricing, reviewing it so these costs are built into the price customers see rather than added at the time of payment. Point of sale systems and payment terminals will also need their surcharge settings checked and switched off ahead of the deadline. We strongly recommend double-checking with your provider on how that's being removed, or whether it's being done on your behalf.
Kym Eaton: At Triniteq, most customers have surcharges applied on the payment side, so for these customers, nothing needs to change on your Triniteq POS. Just work with your payment provider if they haven't already reached out. If you've set your POS to add the surcharge before payment, you can turn this off yourself or contact Triniteq support and we'll sort it out. If you're not sure how surcharging works on your POS, get in touch with our support team. If you're on a different POS, check with that provider directly, since we can't advise on other systems.
Tara Tubman: At NAB, we're being compliant by design, removing surcharge capability from all our terminals and gateways ahead of 1 October. NAB customers will see a message on their terminal. If you're not a NAB customer, reach out to your provider for an update directly.
You also need to think about briefing your front-of-house staff so there's a simple, consistent explanation for guests about why the surcharge line has disappeared. Interestingly, guests may not ask why it's gone, but if you haven't removed it, they may ask why it's still there. So it's important to be ready for 1 October.
Kym Eaton: This is a good time to look closely at your current arrangements and any new offers on the table, because not every provider has your best interests at heart. Some are simply protecting their own margins, so it pays to ask the right questions before you sign anything or roll out new systems.
These are simple questions your provider should be able to answer easily. If they're unable or unwilling to, that's worth treating as a red flag.
Tara Tubman: Interchange savings are not guaranteed to be passed on, and there are differences across card types that may impact your pricing. Check your statements and ask questions.
Since a separate surcharge line won't be permitted, absorbing the cost or adjusting your pricing is really the only option to cover your card acceptance costs, sometimes a combination of both.
Your signage and menus will need updating. Surcharging has had plenty of media coverage, so many customers already understand it's changing. If you haven't removed the surcharge, staff may get asked about it.
Train your staff ahead of 1 October with a simple, consistent way to explain the change to guests, so it doesn't become an awkward conversation at the till.
Check your own provider's timeline for removing surcharge functionality, and review all your payment channels. Surcharges can be applied through your terminal, your payments ecosystem, or your point of sale, so make sure you're clear on where it sits. And get any pricing or commitments from providers in writing.
Tara Tubman: This is the number one question we've been asked over the last few months, and the answer is no. You can't rename or repurpose the fee. If it looks like a card payment fee tied to cost of acceptance, it cannot be renamed. We'd encourage venues to look at alternate ways to cover those costs, and to get professional advice from your financial advisor, bank, POS provider or terminal provider. It's a highly nuanced area.
Are weekend or public holiday surcharges affected? No. Card payment fees are different to weekend or public holiday service fees, which are not included in these reforms. Venues can still charge a public holiday or weekend service fee.
What's the difference between the 1 October and 1 April dates for international cards? Domestic interchange rate changes take effect 1 October 2026. International interchange changes don't come into effect until 1 April 2027. However, the surcharging ban itself applies to all cards, both domestic and international, from 1 October 2026. You cannot continue surcharging international cards until the 2027 date.
What about minimum charges for card payments (e.g. no cards under $10)? This isn't related to the RBA surcharge reform. It's a separate matter to check directly with your individual acquirer, as rules vary by provider.
What about American Express and UnionPay, are they included? Yes. The RBA's original 31 March announcement covered "designated products": Visa, Mastercard and EFTPOS. Since then, Amex and UnionPay International have voluntarily aligned to the same 1 October 2026 date, so the ban now covers all card schemes and all card types, including credit, debit and prepaid.
Kym Eaton: If you've got any questions about your POS setup or what changes you need to make, Triniteq customers can reach out to our support team directly via our support line or support@triniteq.com. If you're not a Triniteq customer, we're still happy to answer any questions. Thanks so much to Suzanne and Tara for joining us today, and thank you all for being here.
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