Last checked: 1 November 2026. Based on the RBA's media release and Conclusions Paper linked below.
Short answer: yes, for most cards. Since 1 October 2026, you can't add a surcharge to debit, prepaid or credit card payments on the eftpos, Mastercard and Visa networks. So if you're wondering whether it's legal to charge a 3% card fee on an invoice... for those cards, that fee is now off the table.
I'll be honest, I'd got used to the old rules. We added a card fee to invoices for years because Stripe's cut came straight out of our margin. That option has changed, so here's what's actually in force, what's still open, and what to do about it.
What is a card surcharge?
A card surcharge is an extra fee a business adds to a bill when the customer pays by card, usually to recover what the business pays its bank or payment provider to accept that card. It's separate from the price of the work, which is why it's been a sore point for years: the customer sees a fee on top, and often can't tell what it's covering.
Are card surcharges banned in Australia?
For debit, prepaid and credit cards on the eftpos, Mastercard and Visa networks, yes. The RBA's Payments System Board decided on a package that includes "removing surcharging on debit, prepaid and credit cards on the designated eftpos, Mastercard and Visa card networks", and the RBA says most of the changes started on 1 October 2026 (RBA media release, 31 March 2026). The detail is in the Conclusions Paper, which says surcharging on debit and credit cards should end from 1 October 2026.
One thing worth knowing. The RBA's own wording isn't "ban on businesses" so much as "surcharging ends on the designated networks". The rules sit with the card networks and the banks, and I couldn't confirm from the RBA pages how enforcement against an individual merchant works. Check your payment provider's terms.
What is still open or coming?
Two things, and I'd rather be clear about what I could and couldn't confirm.
- 1 April 2027: the RBA says a cap on interchange fees for foreign cards and some payment-cost transparency changes start then. These aren't about your invoices directly, but they affect what your provider pays.
- Cards and wallets outside the review: the RBA's media release says mobile wallets, three-party card networks, buy-now-pay-later services and e-commerce platforms weren't covered by this review, with a public consultation planned for mid-2026. I haven't found a published outcome from that consultation, so I can't tell you what applies to, say, American Express or a BNPL option today. Check with your provider rather than assuming.
I also tried to read the ACCC's card surcharge page, but the ACCC site blocked me, so I'm not quoting it. Look at accc.gov.au yourself for how it treats pricing and disclosure.
Is it legal to charge a 3% card fee?
For eftpos, Mastercard and Visa payments, not any more, going by the RBA's decision above. A flat 3% fee on those cards is no longer something you can add.
For anything else (a different card scheme, a BNPL product), I can't give you a verified answer, and this isn't legal advice. Ask your payment provider what their merchant agreement says, and if you're unsure, ask an accountant or a lawyer.
What do you do about the cost of card payments now?
The cost hasn't disappeared. It's just back in your lap. I'm not going to tell you what the ACCC allows on discounts or price display, because I couldn't verify it, but here are the options as I see them:
- Build it into your pricing. Treat card fees as a cost of doing business, like software.
- Make the other route easy. If a bank transfer costs you nothing to accept, the question is how easily your client can use it.
- Know your volume. On a $500 invoice the fee is small. On a $25,000 retainer invoice it's real money. Our guide to what a Stripe invoice really costs your agency walks through the maths.
When should you offer bank transfer instead?
Bank transfer makes sense when the invoice is big enough that the card fee stings, when the client pays through a finance team that prefers a bank payment anyway, or when you're invoicing overseas clients and want to avoid cross-border card costs. Plenty of agencies offer both and let the client choose, so nobody has to be talked out of their card.
The trick is that it has to be on the same invoice. If you send a second email saying "or pay by bank transfer, details attached", half your clients won't see it.
Can you offer bank transfer and card on the same invoice?
In Handl, yes. When you send an invoice, the client can be offered card and bank transfer together. Card needs your Stripe Connect account to be active, and bank transfer needs you to have added your bank details. The client then picks which to use. You can see how the pieces fit on the invoice automation page, and the pricing page has the plans.
Two honest caveats. This is a per-client setting, so you decide who gets the choice. And I'd rather not over-promise on reconciliation: bank payments land in your own account, not Stripe, so how quickly they show as paid depends on how you've set things up.
What about passing on card fees in the US?
In the US the rules are different, and they vary by state. Some states restrict or limit credit card surcharges, and the card networks have their own conditions. I haven't verified any specific state rule for this post, so I'm not going to quote one. If you bill US clients, check the rules for your state and your clients' states, and read your card processor's terms before adding a fee. Many US agencies end up pricing the cost in instead, same as the option above.
The bottom line
Are card surcharges banned in Australia? For eftpos, Mastercard and Visa debit, prepaid and credit cards, yes, since 1 October 2026. Other payment types may sit outside that, so check with your provider. And if card fees are eating your margin, offering bank transfer on the same invoice is the cleanest answer I've found.
General information only, not legal or financial advice. Sources: RBA media release 2026-10, RBA Conclusions Paper.