Merchant Service Fees

News about fees including interchange, scheme fees and margin

Peaking too early - beware premature terminal offers

Jun 24, 2026

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Peaking too early - beware premature terminal offers

Ahead of the publication of new interchange rates and “no surcharge” rules being imposed on October 1, acquirers are suddenly overflowing with bonus gift cards, fee free periods and soon-to-be-redundant “zero cost EFTPOS” offers. To say that the payments market is in a state of chaos would be an understatement.

Merchant Service Fees

Small business locked out of merchant fee deals as big banks refuse to fund advisors

Jun 24, 2026

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Small business locked out of merchant fee deals as big banks refuse to fund advisors

Merchants must lock in post-surcharging deals from 1 October, but the fee data that would tell them whether they are paying too much does not arrive until April 2027 and even then, will not provide full transparency.

Merchant Service Fees

eftpos moves first on “no surcharge” rule but may face resurgence of terminal service fees

Jun 10, 2026

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eftpos moves first on “no surcharge” rule but may face resurgence of terminal service fees

eftpos owner Australian Payments Plus (AP+) plugs least cost routing as merchants prepare to swallow billions in fees and questions swirl about policing “no surcharge” rules and a potential resurgence of terminal service fees.

Merchant Service Fees

Punters to pay for rewards, as costly Amex applies “no surcharge” rule and Tyro complies

Jun 10, 2026

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Punters to pay for rewards, as costly Amex applies “no surcharge” rule and Tyro complies

Struggling small businesses and their customers will be forced to pay for costly premium Amex rewards programs and international card fees, after the RBA gave non-designated card schemes like Amex, Discover and China UnionPay a temporary green light to apply “no surcharge” rules from October 1. Tyro has joined Fiserv in bowing to the international card schemes “no-surcharge” rules without question.

Merchant Service Fees

The RBA hasn't banned surcharges — and the difference matters

Jun 10, 2026

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The RBA hasn't banned surcharges — and the difference matters

Misunderstanding the scope of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s change of position will cost merchants real money and acquirers real customers — and that's a surcharge nobody agreed to.

Merchant Service Fees

Credit cards and international transactions spur bank fee boom ... but it could get worse come October

Jun 3, 2026

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Credit cards and international transactions spur bank fee boom ... but it could get worse come October

If warnings from Australian Banking Association (ABA) CEO Simon Birmingham are anything to go by, Australia’s growing bank fee bill is about to get even bigger.

Fintech

Fiserv doubles down - bans its merchants from recovering fees from all networks and international tourists

Jun 3, 2026

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Fiserv doubles down - bans its merchants from recovering fees from all networks and international tourists

While the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and ACCC have only talked about surcharge restrictions for Visa, Mastercard and eftpos, US payments giant Fiserv’s Australian operation is going the whole hog - banning its unwitting merchant customers from surcharging everything from Amex, China Union Pay and Discover.

Merchant Service Fees

Yale professor tells Federal Court of Mastercard’s “carrot and stick”

Jun 3, 2026

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Yale professor tells Federal Court of Mastercard’s “carrot and stick”

Over the past five weeks, Mastercard have squared off with the ACCC in what is proving to be an epic competition law trial in the Federal Court in Sydney, reports Ian Rogers from inside the court.

Merchant Service Fees

Webjet falls victim to RBA payments changes as Virgin returns to in-house package tours

May 27, 2026

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Webjet falls victim to RBA payments changes as Virgin returns to in-house package tours

Virgin is quickly following Qantas into package tours and non-card partners as it moves to counter cuts to interchange and the card surcharging ban ahead of their implementation on October 1.

Merchant Service Fees

From Orlando: what America's surcharge surge says about Australia's October 1 scheme rule

May 20, 2026

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From Orlando: what America's surcharge surge says about Australia's October 1 scheme rule

While the Reserve Bank has given the green light for the US card schemes to impose their “no surcharge” bans on merchants in Australia from 1 October, our travelling reporter Alex Zaharov-Reutt discovers that merchants in their home country are not restricted by the same rules.

Merchant Service Fees

No clarity on murky surcharge rules as high-cost Amex considers its own Aussie ban

May 13, 2026

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No clarity on murky surcharge rules as high-cost Amex considers its own Aussie ban

Industry insiders say Amex may seize the opportunity to jump on the “no-surcharge” bandwagon despite its high fees, lack of regulation and the practice being allowed in its home country, the United States. But locally-owned eftpos is likely to move first, ahead of Visa and Mastercard where their scheme rules could get murky for corporate and international cards.

Merchant Service Fees

Will Aldi hike prices to cover card fee hit?

May 13, 2026

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Will Aldi hike prices to cover card fee hit?

Are Aldi prices about to rise for price-sensitive customers who can least afford it? The German chain already faces a cost disadvantage on payments to its larger rivals Coles and Woolworths, now it faces a government dictated hit to its competitive advantage.

Merchant Service Fees

Fee fog thickens as Visa and Mastercard sidestep parliamentary scrutiny

Apr 29, 2026

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Fee fog thickens as Visa and Mastercard sidestep parliamentary scrutiny

As the Reserve Bank moves to increase transparency on fees, the global card giants deflect detailed parliamentary questions on $2 billion in scheme fees. They have instead leaned on global narratives, while avoiding direct answers on Australian cost increases and merchant impacts.

Merchant Service Fees

The NFC chip, the banks, and the distraction from the bigger payments fight

Apr 22, 2026

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The NFC chip, the banks, and the distraction from the bigger payments fight

As the Reserve Bank mulls over the scope of its second payments consultation, it must consider whether regulating Google and Apple will really produce a more resilient and efficient payments system for consumers and merchants, or just deliver a win for the banks?

Merchant Service Fees

Wake up! Only 162 days before surcharge ban kicks in

Apr 22, 2026

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Wake up! Only 162 days before surcharge ban kicks in

With just 162 days left until the first round of changes to Australia’s retail payment system, the payments industry is having mixed reactions to the most significant changes in a generation, but you wouldn’t know it.

Merchant Service Fees

ACCC takes on Mastercard in Federal Court

Apr 15, 2026

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ACCC takes on Mastercard in Federal Court

The ACCC's landmark competition case against Mastercard opened in the Federal Court on Monday, with senior counsel for the regulator, John Sheahan, walking Justice Wigney through the evidence.

Merchant Service Fees

Commercial card printing frenzy as banks chase interchange

Apr 15, 2026

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Commercial card printing frenzy as banks chase interchange

The RBA's commercial card carve-out has handed banks, schemes and loyalty programs a licence to hunt 4m ABN holders in Australia to fill $910m revenue hole.

Merchant Service Fees

Schemes allow surcharging in the US as RBA shuts the door here

Apr 15, 2026

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Schemes allow surcharging in the US as RBA shuts the door here

In a cruel irony for Australian small businesses, Mastercard and Visa have changed the rule book in the US to allow surcharging on credit cards, just as the Reserve Bank of Australia bans the practice in Australia.

Fintech

Shift4 in the frame as Cuscal moves on NZ Paymark

Apr 15, 2026

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Shift4 in the frame as Cuscal moves on NZ Paymark

Cuscal is buying New Zealand’s answer to eftpos - Paymark – in a deal that may secure a brighter future for one of its biggest customers, Shift4, in the land of the long white cloud.

Merchant Service Fees

The RBA killed the one tool that could help SMEs navigate the surcharge ban

Apr 15, 2026

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The RBA killed the one tool that could help SMEs navigate the surcharge ban

The Reserve Bank, the same regulator that banned surcharging, has also killed the idea of a payments comparison website, the one tool that would have let small businesses actually shop around for a better deal on card acceptance fees. And it did so despite Australia's biggest bank offering to pay for it.

Merchant Service Fees

“Own goal”: 87% of Aussies brace for 3.5% price hike after surcharge ban

Apr 8, 2026

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“Own goal”: 87% of Aussies brace for 3.5% price hike after surcharge ban

New research from Money.com.au reveals that just one-third of Australians support the government's surcharge ban, with 87% expecting retailers to respond by raising prices, potentially triggering a fresh inflation spike at the worst possible time.

Cash

"The fees don't disappear": voices calling foul on Australia's surcharge ban

Apr 8, 2026

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"The fees don't disappear": voices calling foul on Australia's surcharge ban

Over the past week, commentary from across industry - Brad Kelly, the co-founder of the Independent Payments Forum (IPF), John Arnott, Director of AMP Bank Go, Jason Bryce, a Melbourne-based financial journalist and founder of CashWelcome.org, and Dr Fei Gao, Lecturer from the University of Sydney Business School - has highlighted the level of concern about the RBA’s decision during a period of high inflation and economic uncertainty.

Merchant Service Fees

Small businesses are scratching their head at how banning surcharges can be good for them

Apr 1, 2026

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Small businesses are scratching their head at how banning surcharges can be good for them

A wide range of businesses and small business groups are convinced that the RBA has kicked an own goal on inflation with an April Fool’s joke that is not funny.

Merchant Service Fees

Payments fees surge as oil accelerates inflation

Mar 25, 2026

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Payments fees surge as oil accelerates inflation

Higher ticket prices are creating a surge in payment fees for small businesses, in an economy that Commonwealth Bank and others believe will see the Consumer Price Index rise above 4%.

Merchant Service Fees

Cards close to the chest – RBA mum on fees and surcharge decision

Mar 11, 2026

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Cards close to the chest – RBA mum on fees and surcharge decision

The decision has already been made but the Reserve Bank isn’t giving away any clues as it prepares for the official release of its final verdict on merchant fees and surcharging later this month.