The RBA surcharge ban: what it means for your business

What is the RBA card surcharge ban?

Short answer: From 1 October 2026, following the Reserve Bank's review of merchant card payment costs and surcharging, businesses can no longer add a surcharge to debit, prepaid and credit card payments on Mastercard, Visa and the domestic debit network. The RBA's FAQ says the ban covers card-triggered surcharges, not booking or service fees that apply regardless of payment method.

The change came out of the RBA's review of how much merchants pay to accept cards and how those costs are passed to customers. The RBA's materials are on rba.gov.au, and they are the authoritative source; this guide explains the practical consequences for a business that pays and receives bills, not the law.

B2Bpay does not give legal advice. If you need to know how the rules apply to a fee you charge your own customers, read the RBA's guidance and speak to your adviser.

What changed for businesses paying bills?

Paying a bill by card directly to a biller should no longer attract a card surcharge. The ATO, for example, stopped charging a card payment fee from 1 October 2026. For a business that pays by card to billers that accept cards and earn full points, that is a straight saving.

The second effect was less welcome. Some billers that had relied on surcharges to cover their card costs stopped accepting cards rather than absorb the cost. From 1 October 2026 several payment platforms used by strata managers, property managers and insurance brokers stopped taking cards, and some strata platforms now accept cards only where the individual scheme has opted in. The ATO has gone further and will stop accepting credit cards altogether after 30 June 2027; see ATO credit card changes 2027.

So the ban made card payments cheaper where they are still available, and removed them in a number of places where businesses had been using them for cash flow and points.

Is B2Bpay's fee a surcharge?

No. B2Bpay's fee is a platform fee for the bill payment service, charged by B2Bpay for what it does: accepting your payment, verifying and paying the biller by bank transfer or BPAY, reporting, accounting integrations and the rewards program. It is charged whichever way you pay, including by bank account and PayTo, not only by card.

The RBA's FAQ distinguishes between a surcharge that is triggered by paying with a card and a fee for a service that applies regardless of payment method. B2Bpay's fee is the second kind. The biller you are paying receives a bank transfer and adds no card charge of their own.

The fee is shown before you confirm each payment, appears on the tax statement you download from the portal, and is generally a business expense. See platform fees, GST and tax deductions for rates and GST treatment.

How does the ban interact with the ATO's decision on credit cards?

They are two separate decisions with one shared cause: the cost of accepting cards. The RBA ban stopped billers passing that cost on as a surcharge. The ATO, which had been charging a card fee, said it could not absorb almost $200 million a year in merchant fees and could not build them into tax liabilities set by legislation, so it is ending credit card acceptance after 30 June 2027. The Commissioner's reasoning is in his statement.

Dates are as published by the ATO at the time of writing and may change.

What does the ban mean if I receive card payments from customers?

If your business accepts cards from customers, you can no longer add a card surcharge on the affected networks. You either absorb the cost, build it into your prices, or offer other payment methods. That is a commercial and legal question for your business, and the RBA's guidance is the place to start.

One option is to let customers pay your invoices by card through B2Bpay's biller product, where B2Bpay receives the card payment and forwards the funds to you. The arrangement for who bears the processing fee under the new rules is something the team confirms for your business; see accept card payments.

Whichever route you take, make sure any fee you charge customers is structured in line with the RBA's guidance, and get advice if you are unsure.

Will the surcharge ban reduce credit card rewards?

Commentators expect pressure on rewards, because the RBA's review also addressed the fees banks earn when a card is used, and that revenue helps fund points. Some issuers have already adjusted annual fees and benefits. B2Bpay cannot predict what any issuer will do.

What you can control is adding a layer of points that does not depend on your card issuer. B2B Points are earned on Earn Plus (1 per $2) and Earn Max (1 per $1) on every eligible payment through B2Bpay, by card, bank account or PayTo, and convert 1:1 to Qantas or Velocity Points, 2:1 to Avios or 1:2.5 to Luxury Escapes Société Points. See points maths.

If your card's rewards do shrink, the bank account route through B2Bpay still earns B2B Points on tax, rent and supplier payments at 1.00% or 1.87% ex GST.

What should a business do now?

Check which of your billers still accept your card, and on what terms, because several changed on 1 October 2026 and the ATO changes again in 2027.

1. List your large regular payments: ATO, rent, strata, insurance, key suppliers.
2. Check each biller's current card position. Some that took cards no longer do.
3. For any that do not take your card, or where your card earns reduced points, add them as billers in B2Bpay and pay by card; they receive a bank transfer or BPAY payment.
4. Review your card for any changes to earn rates or caps, and consider B2B Points as a second layer.
5. If you receive card payments, review how you cover the cost under the new rules and take advice.

Register at the B2Bpay sign-up page or call 1300 205 575. Our guide to how B2Bpay works covers setup.