Card surcharges are ending. What will that cost your business?
From 1 October 2026, you may no longer be able to pass Visa, Mastercard and eftpos payment fees directly to clients.
Estimate what your business may need to absorb—then see practical ways to recover the margin through payment costs, pricing, deposits and client retention.
Customers may no longer pay a separate card surcharge.
Your business will still pay payment-processing fees.
Those fees must be absorbed or recovered elsewhere.
How much could your business need to absorb?
Enter four practical numbers from a typical month. Deposit detail is optional and stays out of the way unless it matters to your setup.
Start with your business numbers
Move the sliders or type exact figures.
Approximately $1,666 per month based on the information entered.
Changing provider may reduce the cost, but it may not remove the full margin gap. The strongest response often combines two or three smaller changes.
Compare the fee structure—not just the headline rate.
Every provider from the original research is included. The figures below update to your calculator scenario, while filters and provider details keep the comparison readable.
Monthly cost in your scenario
Tyro
Terminal / in-person
$29/month terminal rental.
| Provider | Fee structure | Best-fit use | Monthly | Annual | Effective rate | Vs lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CommBankLowest | 1.10% of card revenue + $29.50/month | Terminal / in-person | $1,315.51 | $15,786 | 1.13% | — |
| Live Payments - Online Green | 1.20% + $39/month | Online payment gateway | $1,441.92 | $17,303 | 1.23% | $1,517 |
| Zeller | 1.40% of card revenue + $16.58/month | Terminal / in-person | $1,653.32 | $19,840 | 1.41% | $4,054 |
| TyroSelected | 1.40% of card revenue + $29/month | Terminal / in-person | $1,665.74 | $19,989 | 1.42% | $4,203 |
| NAB | 1.50% of card revenue + $25/month | Terminal / in-person | $1,778.65 | $21,344 | 1.52% | $5,558 |
| Fresha (In-Person) | 1.29% + transaction fees | Booking + in-person payments | $1,819.12 | $21,829 | 1.56% | $6,043 |
| Square (In Person) | 1.60% of card revenue | Terminal / in-person | $1,870.56 | $22,447 | 1.60% | $6,661 |
| Phorest | 1.40% + transaction fee + GST + $30/month | Booking + terminal | $1,894.71 | $22,737 | 1.62% | $6,950 |
| Fresha (Online) | 1.59% + transaction fees | Booking + online payments | $2,088.01 | $25,056 | 1.79% | $9,270 |
| Timely Pay | 1.75% + transaction fees | Booking + online payments | $2,291.44 | $27,497 | 1.96% | $11,711 |
| Live Payments - Online Gold | 1.99% + $39/month | Online payment gateway | $2,365.51 | $28,386 | 2.02% | $12,600 |
| Square (Online) | 2.20% of card revenue | Online payments | $2,572.02 | $30,864 | 2.20% | $15,078 |
| Live Payments - Online Black | 2.59% + $39/month | Online payment gateway | $3,066.97 | $36,804 | 2.62% | $21,018 |
Indicative modelling only. Provider pricing can vary by card type, channel, transaction volume, negotiated agreement, hardware and GST treatment. Confirm current pricing and contract terms before changing provider.
You do not need to recover it all in one place.
A blunt price rise is not the only option. The right response usually combines smaller improvements across several parts of the business.
Reduce payment costs
A lower-cost payment setup may recover part of the gap immediately. The review should account for terminal rental, online rates, transaction fees and the way deposits are processed—not just the advertised percentage.
Know the cost. Find the gap. Decide what to change first.
HostMetric reviews your calculator scenario and identifies practical ways your business could recover the margin—without defaulting to one aggressive price rise.
Confirm the likely impact
Review transaction volume, payment mix and the assumptions behind the estimate.
Identify realistic recovery options
Assess provider costs, pricing, deposits, payment workflow, rebooking and follow-up.
Prioritise the next actions
Separate quick wins from larger operational changes so you know what to address first.
Get a practical plan to make the margin back.
Send us your calculator scenario. We will review the likely fee impact and discuss the most realistic recovery options for your business.
in annual card fees to absorb
The detail, without crowding the decision.
Regulatory context and modelling assumptions are available here for visitors who need them.
Are card surcharges definitely ending on 1 October 2026?+
The Reserve Bank of Australia has changed its standards so eftpos, Mastercard and Visa can introduce no-surcharge rules from 1 October 2026. Businesses should review their provider contract and current regulatory guidance before making changes.
Does the calculator predict my exact future provider fees?+
No. It uses indicative assumptions to show the likely scale of the issue. Actual costs will depend on your provider, card mix, payment channels, transaction volume and negotiated agreement.
Do I need to change payment providers?+
Not necessarily. A provider change may reduce costs, but the strongest plan may combine payment savings with measured changes to pricing, deposits, rebooking or client follow-up.
Why not simply increase every price?+
A general increase may recover the cost, but it can affect competitiveness and client perception. A considered plan identifies where smaller changes create the least friction and the strongest commercial result.
Is this financial or legal advice?+
No. The calculator is a business-planning tool. Confirm provider pricing and seek appropriate financial or legal advice before changing pricing or payment practices.
Card surcharges are ending. What will that cost your business?
From 1 October 2026, you may no longer be able to pass Visa, Mastercard and eftpos payment fees directly to clients.
Estimate what your business may need to absorb—then see practical ways to recover the margin through payment costs, pricing, deposits and client retention.
Customers may no longer pay a separate card surcharge.
Your business will still pay payment-processing fees.
Those fees must be absorbed or recovered elsewhere.
How much could your business need to absorb?
Enter four practical numbers from a typical month. Deposit detail is optional and stays out of the way unless it matters to your setup.
Start with your business numbers
Move the sliders or type exact figures.
Approximately $1,666 per month based on the information entered.
Changing provider may reduce the cost, but it may not remove the full margin gap. The strongest response often combines two or three smaller changes.
Compare the fee structure—not just the headline rate.
Every provider from the original research is included. The figures below update to your calculator scenario, while filters and provider details keep the comparison readable.
Monthly cost in your scenario
Tyro
Terminal / in-person
$29/month terminal rental.
| Provider | Fee structure | Best-fit use | Monthly | Annual | Effective rate | Vs lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CommBankLowest | 1.10% of card revenue + $29.50/month | Terminal / in-person | $1,315.51 | $15,786 | 1.13% | — |
| Live Payments - Online Green | 1.20% + $39/month | Online payment gateway | $1,441.92 | $17,303 | 1.23% | $1,517 |
| Zeller | 1.40% of card revenue + $16.58/month | Terminal / in-person | $1,653.32 | $19,840 | 1.41% | $4,054 |
| TyroSelected | 1.40% of card revenue + $29/month | Terminal / in-person | $1,665.74 | $19,989 | 1.42% | $4,203 |
| NAB | 1.50% of card revenue + $25/month | Terminal / in-person | $1,778.65 | $21,344 | 1.52% | $5,558 |
| Fresha (In-Person) | 1.29% + transaction fees | Booking + in-person payments | $1,819.12 | $21,829 | 1.56% | $6,043 |
| Square (In Person) | 1.60% of card revenue | Terminal / in-person | $1,870.56 | $22,447 | 1.60% | $6,661 |
| Phorest | 1.40% + transaction fee + GST + $30/month | Booking + terminal | $1,894.71 | $22,737 | 1.62% | $6,950 |
| Fresha (Online) | 1.59% + transaction fees | Booking + online payments | $2,088.01 | $25,056 | 1.79% | $9,270 |
| Timely Pay | 1.75% + transaction fees | Booking + online payments | $2,291.44 | $27,497 | 1.96% | $11,711 |
| Live Payments - Online Gold | 1.99% + $39/month | Online payment gateway | $2,365.51 | $28,386 | 2.02% | $12,600 |
| Square (Online) | 2.20% of card revenue | Online payments | $2,572.02 | $30,864 | 2.20% | $15,078 |
| Live Payments - Online Black | 2.59% + $39/month | Online payment gateway | $3,066.97 | $36,804 | 2.62% | $21,018 |
Indicative modelling only. Provider pricing can vary by card type, channel, transaction volume, negotiated agreement, hardware and GST treatment. Confirm current pricing and contract terms before changing provider.
You do not need to recover it all in one place.
A blunt price rise is not the only option. The right response usually combines smaller improvements across several parts of the business.
Reduce payment costs
A lower-cost payment setup may recover part of the gap immediately. The review should account for terminal rental, online rates, transaction fees and the way deposits are processed—not just the advertised percentage.
Know the cost. Find the gap. Decide what to change first.
HostMetric reviews your calculator scenario and identifies practical ways your business could recover the margin—without defaulting to one aggressive price rise.
Confirm the likely impact
Review transaction volume, payment mix and the assumptions behind the estimate.
Identify realistic recovery options
Assess provider costs, pricing, deposits, payment workflow, rebooking and follow-up.
Prioritise the next actions
Separate quick wins from larger operational changes so you know what to address first.
Get a practical plan to make the margin back.
Send us your calculator scenario. We will review the likely fee impact and discuss the most realistic recovery options for your business.
in annual card fees to absorb
The detail, without crowding the decision.
Regulatory context and modelling assumptions are available here for visitors who need them.
Are card surcharges definitely ending on 1 October 2026?+
The Reserve Bank of Australia has changed its standards so eftpos, Mastercard and Visa can introduce no-surcharge rules from 1 October 2026. Businesses should review their provider contract and current regulatory guidance before making changes.
Does the calculator predict my exact future provider fees?+
No. It uses indicative assumptions to show the likely scale of the issue. Actual costs will depend on your provider, card mix, payment channels, transaction volume and negotiated agreement.
Do I need to change payment providers?+
Not necessarily. A provider change may reduce costs, but the strongest plan may combine payment savings with measured changes to pricing, deposits, rebooking or client follow-up.
Why not simply increase every price?+
A general increase may recover the cost, but it can affect competitiveness and client perception. A considered plan identifies where smaller changes create the least friction and the strongest commercial result.
Is this financial or legal advice?+
No. The calculator is a business-planning tool. Confirm provider pricing and seek appropriate financial or legal advice before changing pricing or payment practices.