Australia / Small business / 2026-27
The rules are changing. Your whole day shouldn't have to. Ten changes, the dates that matter, and a practical way forward.
Independent by design. Sources before sales pitches.
01 / Know what's changing
Who each change hits and the one thing to do about it. Sources are the regulators' own pages, never news coverage.
As of 17 Oct 2026. Every date checked against the RBA, ATO or AUSTRAC.
Card networks, and acquirers processing over $10 billion a year
First quarterly fee data due, covering July to September 2026. Useful for comparing what your provider charges.
RBA source Checked 17 October 2026
Card acquirers
First quarterly pass-through report due, covering October to December 2026. If your rate did not fall, this is the evidence to re-quote.
RBA source Checked 17 October 2026
Card acquirers, and every business that takes card payments
Expect standardised fee details on statements from the first full period after 1 April. A good moment to re-quote your terminal.
RBA source Checked 17 October 2026
Every employer paying super guarantee
The ATO is focused on helping employers transition until 30 June 2027. Get per-payday super right before then.
ATO source Checked 17 October 2026
Card acquirers first, then merchants if the savings are passed on
Domestic consumer credit capped at 0.3% (was 0.8%); debit and prepaid at 8 cents, or 0.16% if charged as a percentage. Check your next statement shows a lower rate.
RBA source Checked 17 October 2026
Any business that surcharged eftpos, Mastercard or Visa debit, prepaid or credit cards
Remove the surcharge, then decide whether to absorb the fee, reprice, or switch terminal.
RBA source Checked 17 October 2026
Lawyers, accountants, conveyancers, real estate professionals and precious-metal dealers
Enrol with AUSTRAC (due by 29 July 2026) and put an AML/CTF program in place.
AUSTRAC source Checked 17 October 2026
Employers who paid super through the ATO clearing house
Move super payments to your payroll software or a commercial clearing house.
ATO source Checked 17 October 2026
Every employer paying super guarantee
Super guarantee is now 12% of qualifying earnings (ordinary time earnings plus commissions, salary sacrifice and similar). Check your pay items are mapped correctly.
ATO source Checked 17 October 2026
Every employer paying super guarantee
Super must reach the fund within 7 business days of each payday. Check your payroll software runs it per pay run.
ATO source Checked 17 October 2026
02 / Make your next move
You don't need to read everything. Just the bit that matters to your business.
Work out what absorbing the card fee means for your margin.
Try the repricing calculatorCompare the total monthly cost, not just the headline rate.
See the fee changesPayday Super started 1 July 2026. Check your payroll runs it per pay run.
See the calendar entryThe right fit matters more than the commission.
See the commission gap03 / Put a number on it
If you now absorb your card fees, what does that cost you? Enter your own numbers to see the price rise that would recover them.
Your inputs, not a provider's fees. General information only.
04 / Nothing behind the counter
Some providers offer commission. Some don't. That should never decide what's right for you. How we make money.
| What you're choosing | Programs that offer commission | Alternatives paying us nothing |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting software | MYOB A$115-185 | Xero A$0 |
| EFTPOS terminal | Zeller A$40-80 | Tyro, Stripe, SumUp and the banks A$0 |
What we earn today: nothing.
We have joined none of these programs. When we do, this line will say which, and rankings will still follow fit, not payouts.
05 / Good questions
An independent guide to the rule changes hitting Australian small businesses in 2026-27, and to the payment, accounting and payroll decisions they force. Each change is listed with its effective date, who it applies to and a link to the regulator's own page.
No. Everything here is general information. For anything specific to your business, speak to your accountant, BAS agent or another qualified adviser.
American Express, UnionPay and PayPal have also removed surcharging (PayPal from 5 October 2026), but by their own business decisions, not RBA regulation, so they could change. The RBA rule change itself covers eftpos, Mastercard and Visa. See the RBA's FAQs.
Not today. Some providers, such as MYOB and Zeller, run affiliate programs, and we have joined none of them. If that changes, every affected page will say so, and how we make money lists each provider.
Less noise. More know-how.