The landscape for online transactions in Australia is taking a major turn. Effective 1 October 2026, new Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) regulations permanently eliminate card surcharging across eftpos, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.
Card scheme enforcement will automatically block surcharge additions at digital checkouts, terminal setups, and invoicing gateways.
If your online sales model or service billing currently relies on passing merchant processing fees directly to customers, your margins will absorb those operational costs unless you adjust your strategy.
3 Critical Technical & Compliance Priorities
- Update Website Disclosures & Legal Copy
Australian Consumer Law (ACCC) guidelines strictly prohibit displaying outdated payment disclosures once the ban hits.- Audit Digital Assets: Scour landing pages, checkout sidebars, pricing tables, and footer policies to remove phrases like “A 1.5% processing fee applies at checkout.”
- Eliminate Workaround Phrasing: The RBA and ACCC have confirmed that relabelling surcharges as “processing charges,” “handling fees,” or applying non-genuine “cash discounts” will be treated as regulatory breaches.
- Configure Online Payment Forms & Invoices
Automated payment rules mean merchant gateways will automatically stop appending surcharge line items.- Digital Invoicing: Outstanding client invoices issued prior to October 1 containing surcharge line items will automatically drop the additional fee when paid on or after the deadline.
- Online Payment Portals: Ensure website payment forms, custom checkout scripts, and recurring subscription tools are updated so total charge values reflect accurate base rates without unexpected calculations.
- Re-Configure Base Pricing to Protect Profits
Because merchant fees can no longer be added at checkout, merchant costs become a standard overhead line item.- Bake Costs into Core Rates: Adjust overall product prices, hourly rates, or package retainers slightly to account for average payment handling spend.
- Leverage Reduced Checkout Friction: Unexpected extra fees during checkout are a primary trigger for online cart abandonment. Standardising your displayed pricing removes a major hurdle in your online sales funnel, typically driving higher conversion rates that help balance transaction costs.
Alternative Payment Channels to Reduce Processing Overhead
Diversifying how clients pay on your website helps control transaction expenses while offering convenience:
- Real-Time Bank Transfers: Enabling direct account-to-account payments allows clients to approve transactions instantly through their online banking, delivering immediate settlement with significantly lower processing costs than credit cards.
- Direct Debit Systems: Setting up recurring retainers or payment schedules through automated direct debit minimises processing overhead while ensuring reliable cash flow.
Stellar Digital Will Update Your Site
You don’t need to worry about adjusting payment settings or updating copy yourself. The team at Stellar Digital will audit your checkout forms, update your payment gateway settings, and update your site copy so your website remains fully functional and compliant before the 1 October deadline.
