Card Surcharge Ban From 1 October 2026: What Nail Salons Need to Know
From 1 October 2026, Australian businesses can no longer add a surcharge when customers pay with Visa, Mastercard, American Express or eftpos cards. For nail salons — where most clients tap a card and many owners added 1–2% to cover fees — it's one of the biggest changes to the counter in years.
Here's what the change means in practice, what to update in your salon this week, and how to think about your prices now that the surcharge line is gone.
What changed on 1 October 2026
The Reserve Bank of Australia reformed card payment rules, and the ACCC's guidance for businesses is clear: from 1 October 2026, businesses can no longer apply surcharges to payments on Visa, Mastercard, American Express and eftpos cards. That covers credit, debit and prepaid cards on those networks.
For a salon, that means the price on your menu is the price the client pays by card. No "+1.5% card fee" at checkout, no surcharge sign on the counter, and no surcharge line on receipts.
For the official detail, read the guidance on card surcharges from the ACCC and the news item on business.gov.au. If you're unsure how the rules apply to your business, check with your accountant or the ACCC.
What to update in your salon
- Your POS settings. Turn off any automatic card surcharge in your salon software and on your EFTPOS terminal. Run a test sale to check the total matches your menu price.
- Signs and menus. Remove "card surcharge applies" signs from the counter, your price list, your website and your booking page.
- Online booking and deposits. Check your booking page and deposit settings don't add a card fee.
- Receipts and invoices. Make sure no surcharge line appears on printed or emailed receipts.
- Your team. Tell everyone at the desk so nobody adds a fee manually out of habit.
The card fees haven't gone away
The surcharge has gone, but the merchant fees your payment provider charges have not. A salon taking most of its revenue by card still pays those fees — it just can't pass them on as a separate line any more. That makes two things more important than before:
- Knowing your real merchant fee rate. Look at your last few monthly statements and work out the average cost per card payment.
- Comparing providers. Rates, terminal rental and monthly fees differ a lot between providers. A small difference in rate adds up quickly on a busy salon's card volume. Our guide to EFTPOS fees for nail salons explains what to look for.
Should you raise your prices?
Many small businesses are reviewing prices after the change. If card fees were a meaningful part of your costs, building them into your service prices is a reasonable approach — but do it deliberately rather than by rounding everything up.
- Work out what your card fees cost per month as a share of revenue.
- Look at your most popular services first — gel manicures, BIAB, acrylic refills, pedicures.
- Round to clean, easy prices clients remember.
- Update your menu, booking page and Google Business Profile at the same time.
- Tell regulars before they notice at the desk. A short, honest message goes a long way.
For help structuring your menu, see how to price nail services.
Other ways to protect your margin
- Bank transfer and PayID for larger amounts, such as gift vouchers or packages, where clients are happy to pay that way.
- Fewer no-shows. An empty chair costs far more than card fees — reminders and deposits matter more than ever.
- Rebooking at checkout, so the next visit is in the calendar before the client leaves.
How Ukilu handles it
Card surcharges in Ukilu are switched off where the law requires, so the total sent to your terminal matches your menu price. Sales go straight from the iPad to KPay or your bank terminal through Linkly, GST is calculated for you, and you can record PayID and bank transfers at checkout. See the salon POS system for details.