Small businesses can accept digital payments without adding a separate card fee by choosing a suitable payment provider and covering acceptance costs through their overall pricing, absorbing them, or—where local rules allow—offering a clearly disclosed discount for another payment method. The rules are jurisdiction-specific: in Australia, card-network no-surcharge rules took effect on 1 October 2026. Elsewhere, check local law, network rules, and your provider agreement before changing how you charge.
Choose the payment channels your business actually needs
Digital acceptance can mean more than a countertop terminal. Match the setup to how customers pay, and confirm that the provider supports the methods, devices, and software you use in your country.
| Payment channel | What to check |
|---|---|
| In-person card payments | A reader or terminal may accept tap, dip, or swipe. Check whether you must buy or rent hardware and whether it works with your point-of-sale system. |
| Phone-based contactless | Some providers support tap-to-pay on a compatible phone without an additional reader. Availability and device compatibility vary. |
| Online checkout | Check the provider’s e-commerce fees, supported payment methods, and integration with your website or sales platform. |
| Payment links | A link can let a customer pay remotely without a conventional online store. Confirm the fee category: it may differ from in-person processing. |
| Manually keyed or virtual-terminal payments | Useful when a card is not physically presented, but fees may be higher than for an in-person transaction. Verify the provider’s rate and rules. |
For example, Chase for Business in the United States says its reader supports tap, dip, or swipe; its Tap to Pay option needs no additional hardware; and its virtual terminal and e-commerce options also work without additional hardware. Those features are provider- and market-specific, not a guarantee of availability elsewhere. Chase for Business payment options and rates
Compare the total cost against your own sales
A headline percentage is not the whole cost. Payment providers may charge a percentage, a fixed amount per transaction, monthly or account fees, and terminal costs. The cheapest-looking rate may not be the least expensive plan for your average sale or mix of channels.
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- Gather your actual figures. Use recent statements or a provider quote to identify transaction volume, typical sale size, and the share of sales taken in person, online, by link, or manually keyed.
- List every charge. Include percentage and per-transaction fees, monthly or account charges, reader purchase or rental, and any other mandatory costs.
- Calculate by channel. Apply each channel’s rate to the transactions that use it. A provider may price keyed and online payments differently from in-person payments.
- Check service conditions. Confirm accepted cards and wallets, settlement timing, support, and compatibility with your devices and point-of-sale software. Treat funding promises as conditional on the stated account and solution.
- Compare another suitable provider. Ask for the current quote and compare the total cost for your sales pattern, not just the advertised starting rate.
As a US-only illustration, Chase listed advertised processing fees accessed 4 October 2026 of 2.6% + 10¢ for tap, dip, or swipe; 3.5% + 10¢ for manually keyed transactions or payment links; and 2.9% + 25¢ for e-commerce. Chase notes monthly fees may apply to some products and custom pricing may be available based on volume. These are changeable provider rates, not an industry average or Australian pricing. Chase for Business payment options and rates
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) advises merchants to understand their statements and cost drivers and to shop around. Its estimate of around A$910 million per year in reduced wholesale card-payment costs from interchange changes is a system-wide estimate, not a forecast of an individual business’s savings or total payment-service fees. RBA conclusions paper on retail payments regulation
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Decide how to cover payment costs
Removing a separate card fee does not remove the provider’s charge to your business. Depending on local rules and your pricing strategy, you can absorb that cost, reflect it in the general price of your goods or services, or offer a discount for another payment method.
Australia: no card surcharges from 1 October 2026
As of 4 October 2026, eftpos, Mastercard, Visa, and American Express network no-surcharge rules are in effect in Australia. Businesses cannot add a card-use surcharge for covered payments, and the ACCC warns against evading the rules by giving a surcharge another name. The RBA says businesses still incur payment-service costs, which may be reflected in overall prices. RBA review of retail payments regulation ACCC guidance on card surcharges Australian Payments Plus guidance on the no-surcharge rule
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The ACCC illustrates incorporating a 1.0% processing cost on a $60 haircut into an overall price of $60.60. If a business also raises the price to $65 for other cost increases, it must not falsely attribute the full increase to card-payment changes. ACCC guidance on card surcharges
Offer a payment-method discount only with clear disclosure
ACCC guidance says a payment-method discount must be disclosed before the customer books, orders, or pays. The full undiscounted price must remain displayed and at least as prominent as the discounted price. Its example shows a $5 coffee offered for $4.75 with a clearly disclosed 5% cash discount. This is an illustration, not a required discount or a recommendation. ACCC guidance on price displays
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Not every additional charge is a card surcharge: the ACCC distinguishes these from charges such as weekend or public-holiday hospitality surcharges, which may continue where otherwise permitted. A charge that applies only to some payment methods may still count as a card surcharge regardless of its label. Check the applicable network and provider rules and price-display requirements for your circumstances. ACCC guidance on card surcharges ACCC guidance on price displays
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Check the rules where you operate
Australia’s rules should not be applied automatically to businesses elsewhere. Before deciding how to display prices or handle card costs, check local law, the card networks’ rules, and your payment provider’s agreement. Those rules, available payment methods, provider rates, and hardware support can vary by country and provider.
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