Can’t surcharge anymore?
Still take cards and get paid in full.
From 1 October, it’s wear the card fees or stop taking cards. Sniip gives you a third option. Your customers choose how to pay, see any card fee upfront, and you receive 100% of the invoice. Free for your business.
What the reform actually does
The RBA handed down its final position on 31 March 2026, after an 18 month review of merchant card payment costs.
Surcharges end
From 1 October 2026, businesses can no longer add a surcharge to eftpos, Mastercard or Visa payments, including debit, prepaid and credit.
Interchange comes down
Caps on domestic interchange drop, which is intended to offset some of the lost surcharge revenue.
The networks enforce it
The ban runs through merchant agreements with the card schemes, and may be enforced by the ACCC.
Can’t surcharge. Can’t raise prices.
Card acceptance still costs you. The reform does not remove merchant fees – it removes your ability to pass them on to the customer. For most businesses, increasing prices is not realistic, so the cost erodes your margin.
Removing the option to pay with a card costs more than it saves
Many businesses are already deciding it is cheaper to stop accepting cards. That decision has a trickle-down effect on your business.
You get paid later
Customers who pay by card usually do it the day the bill arrives. Take that away and they wait for payday.
You do more chasing
Fewer payment options means more reminders, more follow up calls, more time on collections.
Your customers lose choice
People who were budgeting around a card, or earning points on a bill they had to pay anyway, now have one option and it is not the one they wanted.
Sniip: a proper payment option, not a loophole.
Sniip has operated as a bill payment platform since 2014, long before this reform was announced. We sit between you and your customer.
When someone pays a bill through Sniip, we process the payment, not you. You are never the merchant on the card transaction.
So you can remove credit cards as a direct payment option on your invoice and simply replace it with Sniip.
Your customer chooses
They pick how they want to pay, and see the cost of that choice before they confirm it.
Sniip processes the payment
The card transaction sits with us. You are never the merchant of record. We receive the funds and remit to you.
You receive a bank transfer
Standard bank transfer, the same way you receive today. Nothing changes in your reconciliation or your banking.
Your customer chooses to pay their way…
You get paid your way.
Add Sniip to your bill
We help you update your invoice template. It works with Xero and most invoicing software.
Your customer chooses
Amex, credit card, debit card, PayTo Plus+, or a free bank account payment. They see the cost of each option before they confirm.
We process the payment
Sniip handles the card transaction.
You get paid by bank transfer
Full invoice amount, reconciled in the usual way.
Prefer to pay by credit card? You can choose to use Sniip to pay your invoice on your behalf. Sniip is an independent payment service provider and any processing fees are charged by Sniip, not by the business issuing this invoice.
Pay this invoice with credit card
Pay
Pay
We’ve partnered with Sniip so you can pay this bill with the card you’d rather use, and keep the points that come with it.
Tap or scan to pay this invoice by card
The Sniip banner sits at the foot of your existing invoice.
Sniip costs you nothing.
The processing fee is paid by the customer who chooses a premium payment method, and it is shown to them before they confirm. Customers who do not want to pay a fee can pay from a bank account for free.
A few things to be across
For invoice payments, not point of sale
Already have a terminal like Tyro or Square? Keep it. Sniip is for invoices, rates notices, levies, memberships and trade accounts, not over-the-counter sales.
American Express has its own rules
Amex treats Sniip as a third party payment provider and restricts payments to certain billers, and reviews that list periodically.
Some industries are restricted
A small number of industries cannot be onboarded. We will confirm your eligibility before any agreement is signed.
Your customer still pays a processing fee if they choose a premium method
The difference is that it is their choice, it is disclosed to them upfront, and a free option is always available.
Make the change today.
You do not have to choose between wearing the cost and taking payment options away from your customers.
Already using DEFT? See how it works with your bills →
Ready to get paid faster?
Send us a quick enquiry with your details and an example invoice. Your personal Sniip rep takes it from there.