Australians who use credit cards to pay their rent could soon face a significant change, as new rules banning card surcharges are set to reshape the way businesses and payment providers handle transactions.
From 1 October 2026, surcharges on payments made through Visa, Mastercard and eftpos are set to be removed under reforms to Australia’s retail payments system.
The Reserve Bank of Australia says the changes are designed to make payments simpler and more transparent for consumers. However, the reform could have an unexpected consequence for some renters.
Why could credit-card rent payments be affected?
Some Australian tenants currently use third-party payment platforms to pay rent by credit card. These services generally charge transaction fees to cover the cost of processing card payments. Renters may choose this method for convenience, cash-flow management or to earn credit-card reward and frequent-flyer points.
With card surcharges disappearing, payment providers and businesses will have to reconsider how they recover the cost of accepting cards. An analysis published on Monday warned that the looming surcharge ban is forcing banks, businesses, government agencies and other organisations to rethink their payment arrangements.
That means some providers could decide that accepting credit cards for certain high-value transactions – including rent – is no longer commercially attractive.
Changes begin in October
The RBA has confirmed that from 1 October, eftpos, Mastercard and Visa will introduce rules preventing card surcharges. American Express has also announced that it will remove surcharging from the same date.
The RBA estimates its wider payment reforms could save Australian consumers and businesses around $1.8 billion annually, including about $1.6 billion in surcharge fees paid by consumers.
For renters, however, the important point is that the surcharge ban does not automatically guarantee that every existing credit-card payment option will remain available. Individual payment providers may change their fees, pricing models or available payment methods as they adjust to the new rules.
What should renters do?
Australians who currently pay their rent by credit card should watch for notifications from their real estate agent, landlord or payment provider ahead of the October changes.
Renters should also remember that rules around fee-free rent-payment methods vary between states and territories. In Victoria and NSW, for example, tenants must have access to a way of paying rent without additional payment fees.
For Australians who rely on credit cards to manage rent payments or accumulate reward points, the coming reforms could therefore mean more than simply saying goodbye to card surcharges — they may also change how they are able to pay their rent.
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