News about government contracts and decisions in the payments space
Fintech
+3
Oct 28, 2025
•
The soul crushing process of filling in piles of detailed rental applications could get a whole lot easier with the clever application of technologies like Digital ID and the Consumer Data Right (CDR), according to Sydney payments outfits Fat Zebra and AP+.
Government
+1
Oct 21, 2025
The government has announced it's drafting legislation to target a crackdown on crypto ATMs that may see the machines, which buy cash to sell crypto currency, restricted or banned.
+4
“Our message is clear: if you profit from illicit tobacco in Australia, you are operating illegally,” says Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke.
Merchant Service Fees
Oct 14, 2025
There’s uncertainty about how governments will recoup the cost of banning card surcharges, as NSW bumps up its annual fees by more than CPI and Queensland cuts American Express as payment option for transport this week.
Digital & Online
+2
Sep 30, 2025
The government has released draft laws to license exchanges and issuers, ASIC has granted temporary relief for stablecoin distribution, and global players from PayPal to IG Group are reshaping Australia’s crypto payments landscape.
A2A
Aug 26, 2025
In a big win for Australian Payments Plus (AP+), the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will require super funds to receive NPP payments from 1 July 2026, ahead of next year’s proposed payday super reforms.
Regulation
Aug 12, 2025
The ACCC prefers to do nothing when state and federal government agencies such as Transport for NSW enter deals that stifle competition in the payments industry.
Aug 5, 2025
With Treasury spokesman Ted O’Brien missing in action, mixed messages have come from coalition leadership on card payments and surcharging.
Jul 30, 2025
Assistant Treasurer, Dr Daniel Mulino, has introduced legislation that paves the way for the Government to tackle payments issues such as the dominance of Apple Pay on mobile and blended rates for card payments.
Cash
Jul 29, 2025
Free digital payments campaigner Jerome Laxale MP is returning to the Standing Committee on Economics, alongside the new Chair and former Industry and Science Minister, Ed Husic.
New Zealand retailers may be reaching for their “no tap” terminal signs again, after their government proposed a ban on surcharges for most Visa and Mastercard POS payments this week.
Jul 28, 2025
Facing hugely profitable and highly litigious Visa and Mastercard regulator chose to pull its punches
Jul 15, 2025
Is Australia moving closer to a new central bank digital Australian dollar, with the support of big banks, J.P. Morgan, three regulators, Australia’s domestic payments scheme and fintechs?
Jul 1, 2025
NSW Parliament is forming a Select Committee to look at competition reforms in electronic conveyancing.
Jun 3, 2025
As Victorian taxpayers gift millions to ANZ’s ailing partnership with French payments giant Worldline, some serious questions have emerged about the Reserve Bank’s management of an outsourcing deal with the joint venture.
May 15, 2025
The politically charged removal of the technology-savvy Ed Husic from the Albanese ministry was certainly a blow - his are large shoes to fill. His departure from cabinet comes just as the government appears to pull focus on innovation and digital services, including payments. That is both welcome and overdue.
Prospects for real competition in the electronic conveyancing sector now rest on a Senate inquiry in Canberra, after one of two prospective competitor to monopoly player PEXA walked away and payments industry body AusPayNet launched a new “code of practice” in an effort to avoid regulation.
May 12, 2025
Dr Daniel Mulino has big shoes to fill as the newly named Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services, following the retirement of Stephen Jones.
May 7, 2025
From payday super, to cash mandates, new payment system designations and a possible ban on debit card surcharging, the new-look Albanese government has a big payments reform agenda that could kick off almost immediately parliament resumes.
The clock is already ticking for the Albanese Government to lower merchant service fees and ban surcharging on debit transactions - two of the Labor Party’s policy pledges at the recent federal election.The legislative reforms create wide-ranging discretionary powers for the Treasurer to regulate payments system participants.
Mar 31, 2025
Only 8 per cent of Australians say they would be comfortable talking to their family about being scammed, a new Commonwealth Bank survey reveals.
Mar 26, 2025
AUSTRAC has warned elements of the payments industry currently supplying payments terminals and ATMs to illegal tobacco shops that it expects them to follow the law, know their customers and report illegal transactions.
The NSW Government is rolling out tap and go payment options to 400 town bus services throughout regional NSW.
Surcharging
Mar 24, 2025
Aussies are continuing to cop debit card surcharges for Federal Government services such as new passports, visas and national parks entry, despite a proposed ban.
The members of a Senate Committee Inquiry face the daunting task of shaping the future of a cornerstone of the Australian economy – buying property - against a backdrop of industry discontent, outages and big business profits.
