Price Display and Card Surcharges: What Australian Online Stores Must Show

The total price rule

The ACCC says businesses must give clear and accurate prices before consumers book, order or buy, including prices shown through online notifications or ordering apps. Businesses must display a total price that includes taxes, duties and all unavoidable or pre-selected extra fees. Optional extras that the business does not pre-select do not need to be included in the displayed total^[1].

Component pricing

Some stores show a price in parts, such as a product price plus an assembly fee. The ACCC's small business guidance says a business using component pricing must specify, as a single figure, the total amount the consumer must pay, and the total must be displayed just as prominently as any component. That single figure must include taxes such as GST, duties or levies, service fees and any other charges the consumer is required to pay^[2].

On a product page, that means the total is the headline price. A breakdown underneath is fine; a large base price with a small "plus fees" note is not.

Drip pricing

The ACCC describes drip pricing as advertising a price at the beginning of an online purchase and then adding extra fees and charges along the way. Businesses must disclose at the start of the purchase which fees will apply and when^[1].

The ACCC enforces this. In January 2026 it announced that a car rental booking platform, trading as EconomyBookings, paid a $39,600 penalty after two infringement notices. The ACCC alleged the platform failed to prominently display the total price as a single figure, leaving pre-selected optional extras out of the early price; in its example the first displayed price was $147.10 while the total with pre-selected extras was $315.04. The ACCC notes that paying an infringement notice is not an admission of a breach^[3].

Delivery fees

Delivery is the fee most stores worry about. The ACCC says delivery fees do not have to be included in displayed product prices if the customer can choose a free option. Its example: if click and collect is free, the business does not need to include delivery charges in the prices displayed for its products^[1].

The Australian Consumer Law has a related rule for the single price. A seller does not have to include a delivery charge in the single price for goods. But if it leaves delivery out and knows, at the time it shows the price, the minimum delivery charge the buyer must pay, it has to state that minimum amount as well (section 48(2) and (3))^[4]. A "Delivery from $9.95" line next to the price does that job.

If there is no free option, the safest design is to show delivery costs as early as possible: a postcode estimate on the product page, a delivery line in the cart and clear rates on a delivery page. Never leave the delivery cost to appear for the first time at the final step.

Card surcharges ended on most major networks

The Reserve Bank's Payments System Board concluded its review of merchant card payment costs and surcharging on 31 March 2026. It decided to end surcharges on debit, prepaid and credit cards on the designated eftpos, Mastercard and Visa networks, lower interchange caps for domestic card transactions from 1 October 2026, set a new cap for foreign cards from 1 April 2027 and increase transparency over fees^[5].

The RBA's FAQ explains the mechanism: its prohibition on "no-surcharge" rules ended on 1 October 2026, and eftpos, Mastercard and Visa introduced no-surcharge rules from that date. The RBA says American Express, UnionPay and PayPal also decided to remove surcharging, with PayPal's no-surcharge rule taking effect from 5 October 2026, and that card costs can be reflected in a business's overall pricing rather than charged as a separate surcharge^[6].

The ACCC's price display guidance confirms that from 1 October 2026 businesses can no longer charge a surcharge for payments made using Visa, Mastercard or American Express (and eftpos), and that other fees not based on how the consumer pays may still be charged^[1].

Payment method discounts are still allowed

Businesses can still offer discounts for particular payment methods, according to both the RBA and the ACCC^[6][1]. The ACCC adds a display rule: the displayed price must be the full price, and any discounted price must appear alongside it at no greater prominence^[1]. A "5% off with PayID" line under the full price fits that rule; a large discounted price with the full price hidden does not.

What to change on your store

New rules from 1 July 2027

The Competition and Consumer Amendment (Unfair Trading Practices) Act 2026 is now law. It is Act No. 64 of 2026^[7]. Parliament passed it on 2 July 2026, and the Treasury release that day says the new bans start on 1 July 2027, after a 12-month transition, with extra funding for the ACCC to publish guidance. The release names last-minute "service" and "handling" fees at checkout and subscriptions that are hard to leave^[8].

The Act has a Part on drip pricing, a Part on subscription contracts and a general ban on unfair trading practices^[7]. A law firm summary, which is a secondary source, describes the main points^[9]:

• Drip pricing. Mandatory transaction-based charges, such as booking, processing or service fees, have to be disclosed with the base price. If a charge cannot be worked out in advance, the way it is calculated has to be shown. Optional charges, payment surcharges and taxes such as GST are outside this rule.
• Subscriptions. Sellers will need to disclose before sign-up that the contract is a subscription, its price, its period and how renewal and cancellation work. Regulations will set reminders, such as before a free trial ends or before renewal, and cancelling must be easy to find. A subscription taken out online must be cancellable online.
• Unfair trading practices. Conduct that manipulates consumers, or unreasonably distorts the setting in which they decide, is banned where it causes or is likely to cause detriment.

For a store, the practical step is the same as the total price rule above: no fee should appear for the first time at checkout. We have not quoted the new sections word for word here. Read the Act on the Federal Register of Legislation, and the ACCC's guidance when it is published, before relying on the detail.

Common questions from store owners

Can I raise prices to cover card fees? The RBA says card costs can be reflected in overall pricing^[6]. Prices you display still have to be the total the consumer pays.

Can I charge a booking or handling fee? The ACCC says fees not based on how a consumer pays may still be charged, but unavoidable fees must be included in the displayed total^[1].

Do these rules apply to my wholesale customers? Consumer price display rules protect consumers. If your store sells to both, plan price display so consumers always see GST-inclusive totals.

This guide is general information about website content, not legal or financial advice. Check current ACCC and RBA guidance, or ask a lawyer, before making decisions for your business.