Quick answer
Use FeeReady as a client conversation starter: collect merchant statements, model surcharge revenue that may disappear, stress-test provider pricing and document assumptions before advising on price or contract changes.
Use with caution
This page is a planning aid based on RBA and ACCC public material. It is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Final network rules, provider contracts and business-specific obligations should be checked before decisions are made.
Who this page is for
This guide is for accountants, bookkeepers, BAS agents, outsourced CFOs and business advisers who need a structured way to discuss merchant fees, payment processing fees, card surcharge recovery and client pricing decisions.
Client triage signals
Prioritise clients with
- High card-sales percentage.
- Low gross margins.
- Current surcharge recovery.
- Large card-not-present or online payment fees.
- Provider contracts renewing before October 2026.
Lower urgency, still review
- Mostly cash or account-transfer clients.
- Very low transaction volumes.
- Recently renegotiated provider pricing.
- Businesses already pricing all payment costs into products or services.
Client discovery checklist
- Collect three to six recent merchant statements, including gateway and terminal invoices.
- Ask whether the client currently applies card surcharges at POS, online checkout or invoice payment links.
- Separate card sales from total sales and estimate the share of eftpos, Visa and Mastercard payments.
- Identify fixed monthly fees, per-transaction fees, terminal rental, gateway charges and chargeback/dispute costs.
- Record whether advertised prices, menus, ecommerce pages or invoice terms mention surcharges.
Client meeting script
“The card-surcharge rules are changing from 1 October 2026. We should not assume your provider fees will fall enough to offset lost surcharge recovery. Let’s use your merchant statements to model the range: current cost, no surcharge recovery, written provider quote and any price or payment-method changes.”
Copyable client email template
Subject: 2026 card-payment cost review Hi [Client], Ahead of the 1 October 2026 card-surcharge changes, please send your last three merchant statements, any terminal/gateway invoices and a note on where you currently apply card surcharges. We will use those figures to estimate payment-cost exposure and identify questions for your provider. FeeReady is a general-information calculator only; final decisions should be checked against provider terms and professional advice.
File note template
Document the source statements used, the rates entered into FeeReady, the scenario assumptions, who supplied provider quotes, and the date reviewed. Keep a copy of any provider statement about post-October pricing or interchange pass-through.
Related FeeReady resources
Cafe and restaurant worksheet
Shareable checklist for hospitality clients.
Provider comparison framework
Neutral checklist for reviewing merchant payment quotes.
Accounting treatment notes
Planning prompts for merchant fees and surcharge recovery.