The surcharge ban isn’t a price hike
Australia’s card surcharge ban has started, and the key point is this: it’s not about prices going up. It’s about consumers finally being able to see the actual price they’re paying.
Since I came to Australia, there have been countless times when I thought I was paying one price, only to be charged more because of a card surcharge.
That’s not much different from a bait-and-switch.
“Prices are going up because of the ban”? No. The price was already there. The surcharge just made consumers think they were paying less than the actual cost.
Now, consumers can finally compare prices properly and make decisions based on the real price, without
being caught off guard by an extra fee at checkout.
Small businesses have been using this pricing trick for years, and now they’re playing the victim.
Don’t play the victim when consumers are simply
asking to see the actual price upfront.