In this guide you will see an overview of frequently asked questions regarding the surcharge changes in Australia. For more information, see our help guide 1st October 2026 Surcharge changes.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
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Which payment types are affected?
The surcharge ban is expected to apply to most consumer card payments made using:- Visa debit
- Mastercard
- EFTPOS
- Prepaid and credit cards
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Has Timely already made an update to comply with the new rules?
Yes. If you’re using TimelyPay, we’ve already made the necessary product updates to support compliance with the new regulations. There’s nothing else you need to do.
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Do I need to change any settings or workflows?
No. There’s nothing you need to change in Timely right now. You can continue using TimelyPay as normal.
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Can I still pass on surcharges for in-person payments?
No. As of 1 October 12am AEST, surcharges on EFTPOS, Visa, Mastercard debit and credit can no longer be passed on and the feature will not be available in Timely to comply with the changes. If you have added your own fee to cover surcharging manually, you will need to remove this.Important: you cannot just rename the surcharge. Calling it a "payment administration fee" or a "technology fee" when it only applies to card payments breaches Section 18 of Australian Consumer Law. The ACCC enforces this.
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What should I do now? How will this change affect me?
If you haven’t already, now is a good time to review how the change affects your business. You may want to:- Check your current TimelyPay transaction rates.
- Review how much you were previously recovering through surcharging.
- Calculate the impact of no longer passing card processing costs on to clients.
- Review your service pricing to make sure it still works for your business.
- Update any client-facing pricing or communications if you’ve made changes
You can find your TimelyPay transaction rates by heading to Setup > TimelyPay and scrolling down to the Fees section.
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How can I offset losing surcharge revenue?
Some businesses may choose to review their service prices before the surcharge ban begins. Others may decide to absorb some or all of their payment processing costs as part of doing business. See our guide here.
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Will TimelyPay rates be reduced?
We’ve taken the time to review the expected impact across different card types and transaction volumes and have decided to reduce standard domestic card rates for both in-person and online payments by 0.05% for all Australian TimelyPay customers. International and Amex rates remain unchanged.The reduction follows recent changes to card processing costs in Australia, including lower domestic interchange costs.
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What payment rates have been reduced?
Timely is reducing domestic card rates by 0.05% across both online and in-person payments. This applies to domestic card payments processed through:- Timely terminals
- Tap to Pay
- Online payments
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
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International and Amex rates are unchanged.
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Why is Timely not announcing any changes to international card rates as well?
The Reserve Bank of Australia changes include a rate reduction to international cards from next year – 1 April 2027. We’ll review the expected impact and announce any changes close to the effective date next year.
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Why didn’t I receive 30 days’ notice for this rate change?
We want to pass on the payment reduction to you as soon as possible, so your new reduced domestic rate has been communicated and applied automatically from 1 October 2026. Our terms require us to provide 30 days' notice of a rate increase but this notice period does not apply to a rate reduction.
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Can I request a better TimelyPay rate or deal?
We know that payments are an important part of your business and that you have a choice when it comes to selecting your payment provider. We believe using Timely payments delivers exceptional value to your business by:- Syncing directly to your Timely account.
- Helping you reduce no-shows and cancellations.
- Making reporting easier.
If you transact over [AU] $8,000 in card payments every month, year-round, we’ll be happy to review your account and talk through the options available for your business.Please get in touch with our Support Team via one of our available channels.
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Where do I find my current/new rates in Timely?
You can see your current rates at any time in Timely.
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Can I switch to taking cash instead of cards?
Yes, you can choose which payment methods your business accepts. However, relying on cash can create a lot more admin, is more open to error, and makes it harder to protect your revenue.
Taking payments with Timely means clients can pay deposit when they book online – helping you reduce no-shows and late cancellations. At checkout, payments are automatically synced to appointments, so clients can tap and pay the right amount every time, and tipping is automatically built into your checkout flow. Payments are automatically recorded in Timely too, giving you clearer records with less counting, chasing and reconciling.
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Do these rules apply in all the states?
Yes. The surcharge ban is being introduced nationally in Australia. It isn’t limited to a specific state or territory. That means the rules are expected to apply across all of Australia.
Timely note: NZ surcharge changes are not confirmed and still under review by the government.
For more information, you can read our Timely Blog: The in-person payment surcharge ban. We'll continue to update this article as more information becomes available. For information from the RBA, please refer to ACCC guidance on card surcharges and RBA FAQs on the removal of payment surcharges.