The Reserve Bank is about to make critical decisions regarding debit card fees that will impact your business.
As part of our industry association, we urge you to join the fight against crippling card fees and write to your local MP. Download the template below.
Debit cards are now Australia’s most popular way to pay as less people use cash – amounting to around 8 billion transactions a year!
Use of these cards should be at the lowest cost for consumers and local businesses. Unfortunately, local businesses often pay higher fees than they should for debit card purchases because the lowest cost payment route (usually eftpos) is not the default, costing small business owners $2.3 billion each year. These higher fees ultimately hurt all Australians, with small and family businesses and poor and disadvantaged consumers impacted the most.
To keep costs down, the Reserve Bank must require:
- the lowest cost payment route to be the default for all contactless debit transactions, whether consumers tap their card, wave their phone or pay online.
- eftpos or another low cost option be available as a choice on all debit cards, so local businesses have a choice and can access the lowest cost payment option. Without eftpos on the card, everyday services like getting cash out at the check-out, real time Medicare refunds and apps like Beem It to pay your friends, are also unavailable.
The least cost payment option should always be the default for essential debit card transactions for local businesses.
