All guides

How each merchant pricing model works in Australia, a side-by-side worked example at two business sizes, and how to tell which model fits your card mix.

How to tell whether your merchant fees and terminal rental include GST, when you can claim GST credits, how card fees are deducted, and how GST on your sales interacts with card fees.

The new RBA interchange caps for debit, prepaid, consumer and commercial credit and foreign-issued cards, how caps and benchmarks work, and what the cuts should mean for your fees.

A line-by-line explanation of the three costs inside an Australian merchant service fee, who receives each one, which are capped, and how to spot them on a statement.

How least-cost routing sends tap-and-go debit payments through the cheaper network, what the RBA expects of providers, how threshold routing works, and a worked saving.

How Australian merchant fees are built from interchange, scheme fees and provider margin, how plans package them, and what changed on 1 October 2026.

What merchant statements must show from October 2026 and April 2027, the fee data large acquirers and card networks must publish, and how to use it to check your own rates.

The RBA decision that ended surcharges on eftpos, Mastercard and Visa cards, who enforces it, what fees are still allowed, and a step-by-step plan for businesses that used to surcharge.

Why a fee like 0.9% plus 10 cents costs more than a 1.5% flat rate on a $5 coffee, how to find your crossover sale amount, and what low-ticket businesses should ask for.

Turn flat-rate, tiered and cost-plus quotes into one comparable monthly figure using your own transactions, spot the fees that quotes leave out, and negotiate with evidence.

Compare renting and buying card terminals on total cost, payback and contract terms, with a worked example, the hidden equipment fees to check, and tap-to-pay on phones.

A step-by-step way to find the best-fit card payment provider for an Australian small business, using your own statements, card mix, equipment needs and contract terms instead of rankings.

A line-by-line costing of one month of card payments for an illustrative Australian bakery under flat-rate, blended and cost-plus pricing, with the arithmetic shown.

How online card payments are priced, the gateway, acquiring, fraud and 3-D Secure costs to add up, a worked example for an online store, and what changed for online sellers in 2026.

A worked method for businesses that used to surcharge cards: calculate the price rise needed to absorb card costs, compare it with switching plans, and display prices correctly.

Work out whether moving to a cheaper card payment plan is worth it after exit fees, new terminals and set-up time, with a worked payback example and a no-downtime switching plan.

The chargeback process from the merchant's side, common reasons, time limits set by card network rules, the true cost of a dispute, and evidence that helps you win.

How to read a merchant services and terminal rental agreement, how early termination fees are calculated, and how the unfair contract terms rules protect small businesses on standard-form contracts.

Which agency does what for merchant payments in Australia, where to check the current rules, and the step-by-step complaint path for disputes with a payment provider.

The common patterns behind overpaying for card payments in Australia: outdated plans, unreviewed fees, long contracts, chargebacks, security lapses and cash-flow gaps, with fixes for each.

What PCI DSS requires of a small merchant, how to pick the right self-assessment questionnaire, non-compliance fees, card data you must never store, and links to Privacy Act breach rules.

How card settlement works in Australia, same-day versus next-business-day payouts, weekend takings, net versus gross settlement, reserves and fund holds, and reconciling deposits.