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Is cash dead in Australia?
(nord.pub)
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this post was submitted on 23 Aug 2026
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Unfortunately the new legislation only stops unforwarding the charge directly, there is nothing to stop the banks and card companies charging the vendor. Prices will likely go up across the board and if you pay cash, you'll technically be paying part of everyone's card surcharge.
I suspect that any attempts to discount for cash will be quashed, if it's not already buried in there.
Banks have always charged the vendor.
Yes, I realise this, my point was that the cost doesn't disappear, it's just hidden
Cash has a cost. It needs to be physically handled, counted, stored securely, moved in armed transport, and cash in all businesses is lost to theft every hour.
Small business insists on cash not to avoid bank fees, but to avoid taxes. My barber's lifestyle does not match his income on paper.
Exactly, I'm not sure how people can't fathom how expensive it used to be to run everything on cash.
The free cash cost of the past had factored into it, the 30 minutes of wage needed to clear the tills and check the balances, the bank fee that they get to process 5kg of shrapnel, armoured guards to move large sums of cash around, specialised training, firearms and custom vehicles. Cash was an industry, of which a small amount remains.
Now the extra cents they slap on your card payment at the tap, that has always been bulshit. The price on the sticker being the amount you pay is a core tenant of this country, and I'm glad they are cracking down on it.
I'm also strongly in favour of keeping the cash option there. Many many good reasons to have it around.
You seem to be laboring under the misconception that people don't want to pay for things by card.
Card payments are more convenient than cash.
They rely on a network, which costs money. Yes, the fees exceed the cost, which allows the network provider to make a profit. However, if the profit was excessive there would be alternatives, and most Australian's will be invested in that payment network through their super anyway.
In summary, consumers are enjoying convenience in exchange for a fee. You personally might find the fee unreasonable but you're the minority.
You seem fixated on the idea that when paying with cash you will be burdened with the card fee even though you're not availing yourself of that service. I'm a self employed consultant. The vast majority of customers pay electronically, by bank transfer. A few times a year someone wants to pay with cash, so I have to make a special trip to the ATM to deposit it just for them. Handling cash has a non-trivial cost.
The no-surcharge rule in itself won't prevent discounts for cash:
From: https://www.rba.gov.au/payments-and-infrastructure/review-of-retail-payments-regulation/2026-03/conclusions-paper/faqs/#can-businesses-offer-discounts-on-other-payment-methods
Business incentives to use cash is not about service fees, it's about running a business with two books and tax evasion.
Okay, though if this created a resurgence in the cash economy, I think the government would amend the legislation. A lot of companies might not want to deal with the cost/ risk of handling more cash.
Mostly I expect that the highest card surcharge will become the new price and if there is a cash price, it will just be the current price at best. It really looks like it will just mean higher prices for all consumers and less versatility - the biggest rent payment platform owned by Macquarie bank has already stated they just won't accept cards any more.