Home topics news Credit: supplied News News ACCC targets misleading surcharges, tells SMEs to review practices Yajush Gupta April 29, 2025 The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is calling on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to review their card payment surcharges to ensure compliance with legal requirements. The ACCC is emphasizing that surcharges must align with the actual cost of accepting card payments, known as the ‘cost of acceptance,’ and that businesses must clearly disclose these fees upfront to customers. As part of its 2025-26 compliance and enforcement priorities , the ACCC is targeting misleading surcharging practices and other add-on costs. “Businesses need to ensure their customers know about any card payment surcharges upfront, and that they are only charging what it costs them to accept those card payments,” said ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh. Clear disclosure rules for SMEs Under the Australian Consumer Law, businesses are prohibited from misleading customers about pricing. Additionally, the Competition and Consumer Act bans excessive card payment surcharges. A surcharge is deemed excessive if it exceeds the business’s cost of acceptance. For instance, if a business’s cost of acceptance for Visa credit card payments is 1 per cent, it can only charge up to a 1 per cent surcharge for customers using that payment method. To support compliance, the ACCC has launched an education and compliance campaign aimed at SMEs. The campaign includes updated guidance material, advertisements, and collaboration with industry representatives to help businesses understand their obligations. The ACCC is also encouraging