Australia’s card surcharge ban will begin on 1 October 2026, removing surcharges on designated eftpos, Mastercard and Visa debit, prepaid and credit card transactions. The reform has been welcomed as a cost-of-living measure. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has said removing surcharges will give Australians greater certainty at the checkout. But whether it will reduce inflation is a more complicated question. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) estimates that removing surcharges could