No more card surcharges? How Australian healthcare providers can prepare

Receptionist and healthcare provider speaking with a patient at the front desk of a modern Australian medical practice

Healthcare practices across Australia may soon need to adjust how they handle card payments, following a proposed Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) reform that would ban surcharges on eftpos, Mastercard, and Visa debit and credit card transactions. If adopted, the change is expected to take effect from July 2026.

While the intention is to simplify payments and improve transparency, this shift may impact how healthcare businesses manage the cost of accepting card payments if they currently surcharge. With the right preparation, practices can stay ahead by reviewing their pricing strategies, refining workflows, and making the most of Tyro Health’s flexible solutions.

What’s changing with card surcharges?

The RBA’s proposal aims to make payments simpler, fairer and more transparent. The change, if adopted, would mean healthcare providers and other Australian businesses can no longer add a surcharge when patients pay with eftpos, Visa, or Mastercard debit and credit cards.

At the same time, the RBA plans to reduce interchange fees, the bank and card network charges your practice pays each time a patient taps or swipes their card. The idea is that by lowering these costs, practices will be able to absorb processing fees more easily, without needing to pass them on.

Note: these changes are still in proposal stage and subject to final approval. However, given the RBA’s intent and alignment with broader reforms, preparing early puts your practice in control and ahead of the curve.

Who will the surcharge ban affect?

The proposed changes will apply only to healthcare providers who are currently surcharging for eftpos, Visa, or Mastercard credit and debit card payments, including:

General practices and specialist clinics
Dental and orthodontic clinics
Allied health services (physiotherapists, psychologists, podiatrists etc.
Any other healthcare businesses with card payments

If any of your patients pay with these cards, your practice could be affected.

What should you do now?

At Tyro Health, we recommend taking proactive steps to avoid last minute disruptions and keep a smooth payment experience for your patients and staff. While the changes are still in the proposal stage, we encourage practices to begin preparing. Here are some actions to consider:

1. Review your current surcharge practices

Start by conducting a quick internal review to understand how surcharges are currently applied and what accepting card payments costs your practice. This will help you identify what may need to change or absorb. Assess:

Where and how surcharges are applied
Whether staff are trained to explain them clearly to patients
If surcharges are clearly shown on invoices, signage, and digital channels
Your current cost of acceptance across different card types and payments methods

A short internal review will help you spot gaps and plan any necessary changes.

2. Turn transparency into a patient and client advantage

Use the proposed update as an opportunity to build trust. Most Australians don’t fully understand when surcharges apply, so removing them can simplify the experience.

Promote clear “what you see is what you pay” pricing and equip your staff to handle customer questions confidently, it could set your practice apart.

3. Plan to manage payment costs without surcharging

With surcharges potentially off the table, it’s important to think about how your practice can absorb or offset the cost of accepting card payments. Check out our article to understand your cost of acceptance and tips on managing your practice costs and pricing.

Need guidance? Tyro Health’s pricing model is designed to be flexible, helping practices adapt to changes like these without major disruption. We also offer tools and reporting to help you understand how much of your revenue is currently subject to surcharges and model the potential impact of absorbing these costs.

4. Talk to your payment provider

Not all providers offer the same level of visibility or flexibility when changes happen. If you’re with Tyro Health, you already have access to:

Transparent, flexible pricing
Healthcare-focused expertise
Self-serve tools to help you understand and manage your cost of acceptance (COA)

You can find resources such as, how to view your COA breakdown, and how to enable or disable surcharging and more on our site.

If you’re not with Tyro Health, now’s a good time to reach out to your provider and:

Review how this may affect your setup
Check what reporting and controls are available to manage surcharging
Get advice on managing the change smoothly

5. Stay informed

The proposed surcharge ban is still under review and yet to be finalised. We’re continuing to follow developments and remain focused on supporting healthcare providers with solutions that prioritise transparency, affordability, and operational ease. Keep an eye on updates from Tyro Health and the RBA as more details become available.

Final thoughts

This proposed reform may feel like a big shift, especially if your practice relies on surcharges to offset rising costs. But with the right preparation, it’s also a chance to improve clarity, patient trust, and future-proof your practice’s approach to cost recovery.

At Tyro Health, we’re here to support you through the transition. If you have questions about your surcharge setup or want to explore your options, get in touch or visit tyrohealth.com to learn more.

FAQs

What exactly has the RBA announced?

The RBA is continuing its review of Merchant Card Payment Costs and Surcharging to ensure the costs of accepting cards are more transparent for both small business and consumers.

As part of this, the RBA announced their recommendations, with some of the proposed changes including:

A proposed ban on surcharging for both debit and credit cards (including prepaid);

Lower caps on interchange fees;

A requirement for acquirers to publish the fees they charge to increase transparency.

These changes would come into effect from 1 July 2026, following an industry consultation period.

More information can be read in the RBA’s media release here.

You can view the RBA’s full consultation paper here.
Will my clinic still be able to charge a card payment fee after July 2026? 

If the RBA proposal is adopted, no. Surcharges for Visa, Mastercard, and eftpos debit and credit card payments will be banned from July 2026.
What’s the RBA’s reason for banning surcharges? 

The RBA wants to simplify payments, reduce consumer confusion, and lower card processing costs by also reducing interchange fees.
What types of payments will the RBA surcharge ban apply to?

The ban will apply to eftpos, Mastercard, and Visa debit and credit card transactions. It includes both in-person and online card payments processed through these networks.
Will I still be able to charge a surcharge for American Express, Union Pay, JCB, and digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Alipay if the proposed ban on surcharging goes ahead in Australia?

The proposals remain under consultation until late August 2025, with a final decision and implementation timeline expected by the end of the year.

The surcharge ban mainly targets domestic debit and credit cards; exemptions and exact scope may still change. Always refer to the latest RBA releases for final rules

For full details, see the RBA’s July 2025 Consultation Paper on Merchant Card Payment Costs and Surcharging and the summary brief.

American Express: The Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) current proposal targets most consumer debit and credit cards like Visa, Mastercard, eftpos, and Amex companion cards (issued via banks). Direct-issued American Express cards remain outside the proposed surcharge ban and surcharges may still be charged RBA Consultation, July 2025.

Union Pay and JCB: Not explicitly covered in current surcharge ban proposals. These foreign-issued cards typically fall outside the ban’s scope, so surcharges may still apply unless final legislation states otherwise RBA Consultation Paper.

Digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay): These wallets typically use card networks like Visa, Mastercard, eftpos, or American Express. The surcharge ban applies to payments made using digital wallets when the underlying card is from a regulated network (e.g. Visa, Mastercard, or eftpos). In these cases, surcharges would be banned. However, payments made via digital wallets using exempt card networks, such as American Express or other excluded schemes, may still be subject to surcharges, depending on the final regulatory settings.

Alipay: This international digital wallet is not explicitly mentioned in the RBA proposals. Currently, surcharges on Alipay transactions are likely permitted until any specific regulatory changes are made.
Will lower interchange fees actually make up for lost surcharge revenue?

It depends on your current surcharge approach and transaction volumes. While the RBA intends for lower interchange fees to ease the impact, some practices may still see a cost gap. That’s why it’s important to evaluate your current setup now.

Disclaimers

Tyro Health provides this article for general information and educational purposes and does not take into account the financial situation or need of any reader. The information provided must not be relied upon as legal, tax or financial advice.