Payment options compared:
what are Australian merchants actually paying?
Seven providers, side by side. Rates, monthly fees, lock-in contracts, chargeback costs, and payout times, updated for 2026.
| Provider | In-person rate | Online / keyed | Monthly fee | Contract | Chargebacks | Rolling reserve | Payout time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square | 1.9% | 2.2% keyed | None | No | $15–$25/dispute | Risk-based | 1–2 business days |
| Stripe | 1.7% + $0.30 | 1.7% + $0.30 | None | No | $25/dispute | Risk-based | 2 business days |
| Tyro | From 1.4% | N/A (in-person only) | ~$29/mo terminal | Some plans | $35/dispute | Risk-based | Next business day |
| Zeller | 1.4% | 1.7% keyed | None | No | $15/dispute | Risk-based | 1–2 business days |
| SumUp | 1.65% | 2.5% keyed | None | No | $25/dispute | Risk-based | 1–3 business days |
| Bank EFTPOS | 0.5%–2%+ | N/A (in-person only) | $20–$60+/mo | Often 2–3 yr | $20–$50/dispute | Common on new accounts | 1–3 business days |
| UniPay ★ | Maximum 1.2% service rate | Maximum 1.2% service rate | None | No | None | Never | On demand, free |
What the surcharge ban changes
From October 2026, Australian businesses will no longer be able to add a surcharge to card payments. Every merchant who currently passes on card fees will need to absorb them directly.
At an average card rate of 1.8%, a business processing $50,000/month in card payments will absorb $10,800 per year in fees that previously came from the customer. The higher your card volume, the more significant this shift becomes.
That's not a rounding error. It's a real margin impact, and it arrives at the same time as persistent cost pressures across labour, rent, and COGS.
Why UniPay is different
UniPay charges a single, transparent service rate on every UniCash payment you receive, from 0.6% depending on your tier. No interchange. No card scheme fees. No chargebacks. No lock-in contract.
When you're ready to move funds to your bank account, the payout is free. You receive exactly your available balance, with no deduction at payout. You choose when to request a payout: daily, weekly, or on demand.
There are no chargebacks. You don't need to worry about dispute windows, chargeback fees, or fraudulent reversals. The payment system simply doesn't have that mechanism.
UniPay also has no integration fees and no minimum monthly spend. Merchants can accept payments via the app, a physical UniPay terminal, or integrated into existing systems via the UniPay API or WooCommerce plugin.
The surcharge ban creates a real problem. UniPay is one way to solve it.
If your customers are already UniCash users, you benefit immediately. But even if they're not, the October 2026 ban creates a window: merchants who adopt UniPay now will have built a customer base and operational familiarity before the ban hits.
The comparison above doesn't tell the full story, it shows transaction rates, but not what happens when chargebacks, terminal rental, and monthly fees stack on top. Read the full cost breakdown
Wondering what the October 2026 surcharge ban will cost your business specifically? Use our free calculator to get an instant estimate based on your actual card volume.
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