2026-10-24

Can you still charge a public holiday surcharge in Australia? Yes, and here's the Christmas 2026 wording

Yes. The ban that started on 1 October 2026 stops surcharges for paying by eftpos, Mastercard or Visa, not surcharges on public holidays. On a café or restaurant menu, the simplest compliant wording is "A surcharge of 15% applies on public holidays: Friday 25, Monday 28 December and Friday 1 January", shown at least as prominently as your most prominent price.

That's the short answer. Christmas 2026 has a twist, though: Christmas Day falls on a Friday and Boxing Day on a Saturday, so most states add an extra public holiday on Monday 28 December. And three of them have part-day holidays on the evenings of 24 and 31 December. Here's what to put on your menu, by state.

Drop card fees, keep your holiday surcharge

Since 1 October 2026, Australian businesses can't add a surcharge to eftpos, Mastercard or Visa card payments (RBA). The Small Business Ombudsman suggests checking your menus, website, invoices and booking system for any old card surcharge wording, and renaming it ("admin fee", "processing fee") doesn't make it allowed.

A public holiday surcharge is a different thing: it's about the day, not how the customer pays. It applies to everyone, cash or card, so the card ban doesn't touch it. What matters is how you show it.

Check your state's Christmas public holidays

Victoria also has Melbourne Cup Day on Tuesday 3 November (some country councils use another day). Australia Day falls on Tuesday 26 January 2027 everywhere. Always check your own state's list: the sources are at the end.

Name the days, as big as your prices

On a café or restaurant menu, the ACCC and Consumer Affairs Victoria describe a shortcut: you can show your normal prices with a clear statement of the surcharge, as long as the statement is at least as prominent as your most prominent price. In practice that means the same size and weight as your biggest price, not a footnote:

A surcharge of 15% applies on public holidays: Friday 25, Monday 28 December and Friday 1 January.

Name the days. "Public holidays" alone leaves customers guessing, especially on Monday 28 December.

For other businesses, such as salons, clinics and trades, the shortcut is described for restaurants and cafés. The safest option is to show the total price you'll charge on the public holiday, as well as the surcharge.

Everywhere a customer sees prices: your door, your counter, your online menu and booking page, and your Google Business Profile. A customer should know before they order.

A 2-minute checklist before Christmas

1. Remove any old card surcharge wording (menus, PDF menus, website, invoices, booking emails).
2. Decide your public holiday surcharge and which days it applies.
3. Put the wording on the menu at least as prominently as your biggest price, naming the days.
4. Add the same line to your website, booking page and door.
5. Post a short update on your Google Business Profile a week or two before Christmas.

Make the wording for your state, free

Our free holiday surcharge wording generator writes the menu line, the door sign, the website banner and the Google post for your state, with the right days, and prints an A4 sign. If you'd like it all ready to print, the Christmas holiday-surcharge kit (A$29) adds editable signs for every state, every public holiday to March 2027 and a calculator for building the card fee into your prices instead.

Not sure your website is clean of old card surcharge notes? Our free card surcharge check reads up to 20 pages and 3 PDF menus in about 30 seconds.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Sources

• RBA, card surcharging changes from 1 October 2026
• ASBFEO, card surcharging ban
• Fair Work Ombudsman, public holidays
• State lists: NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Northern Territory

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