Card surcharge ban: a checklist for swim schools, gyms and leisure centres
Since 1 October 2026, Australian businesses can no longer add a surcharge when a customer pays with an eftpos, Mastercard or Visa card. If you used to pass on card fees to families and members, that cost is now yours. This checklist helps you confirm you comply and decide what to do about the cost.
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What changed
- The Reserve Bank of Australia decided in March 2026 to end surcharging on eftpos, Mastercard and Visa cards from 1 October 2026
- It covers debit, prepaid and credit cards on those three networks
- Other payment methods, such as American Express and buy now, pay later services, sit outside the decision and have their own rules. Check with your provider
- Caps on the interchange fees behind card payments were lowered on the same date, which should reduce what providers charge you
- Card networks and payment providers enforce the rules
This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Read the Reserve Bank's summary and speak to your payment provider about your own situation.
Step 1: confirm every surcharge is switched off
- Online enrolment and booking pages
- Parent and member apps
- Recurring card payments and payment plans
- Front desk terminals
- Pay links sent by email or SMS
- Invoices and statements that show a card fee line
Download this guide as a PDF
Step 2: check your wording
- Terms and conditions and enrolment forms
- Fee schedules on your website and at the front desk
- Direct debit agreements that mention a card processing fee
- Council fees and charges, if you are a council facility
Step 3: know what card payments now cost you
- Find your last three merchant statements
- Add up total fees and divide by total card sales to get your effective rate
- Ask your provider how the lower interchange caps have changed your pricing
- Compare with the fees that large providers are required to publish
- If you were on a plan where the customer paid the fee, ask what plan you are on now
Step 4: decide how to recover the cost
| Option | How it works | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Build it into the price | Adjust lesson and membership prices at the next term or fee review | Give families notice. Councils may need to wait for the fees and charges cycle |
| Negotiate your rate | Ask your provider for a better rate, or get quotes from others | Compare the total cost, including monthly and terminal fees |
| Encourage lower-cost methods | Offer bank account direct debit for recurring fees | Ask your provider what fees and rules apply to bank debits |
| Absorb it | Accept the cost for now and review at year end | Know the dollar figure before you choose this |
How GreeneDesk handles it
For Australian facilities, card surcharging is locked off in GreeneDesk payment settings. You use the payment provider you prefer and agree your own rates with them, so you are free to move if another provider offers a better deal.
Can a swim school still charge a card surcharge in Australia?
Not on eftpos, Mastercard or Visa cards. Surcharging on those networks ended on 1 October 2026.
Does the ban cover debit and credit cards?
Yes. It covers debit, prepaid and credit cards on the eftpos, Mastercard and Visa networks.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is general information. Check the Reserve Bank of Australia's guidance and speak to your payment provider.
Download this guide as a PDF
See it with your own program in mind
Tell us your centre and what you run, and we will show you GreeneDesk in a short demo. After the demo you get a trial for your team. Setup and migration take about two weeks, and we do the move for you.
We do the migration for you. We respond to support requests within 4 hours, and straight away for critical issues.
