Changes to card payment fees
2026-09-16
From 1 October 2026, businesses in Australia will no longer be able to charge you an additional fee for paying with an eligible debit or credit card.
This means that when you use your eligible Bank of China debit or credit card to make a purchase in Australia, the business you are paying should not add an extra fee simply because you choose to pay by card.
What does this mean for you?
You do not need to do anything.
From 1 October 2026, when you pay a business in Australia using an eligible debit or credit card:
- you should not be charged an additional fee simply because you pay by card; and
- the price you are asked to pay should not increase simply because you choose to pay by card.
These additional card payment fees are sometimes called card surcharges.
What should you do if you are charged an extra fee for paying by card?
If you are charged an extra fee because you paid by card, check your receipt. The fee may appear as ‘surcharge’, ‘card surcharge’, ‘card payment fee’ or similar.
From 1 October 2026, you can report such a charge to our customer service hotline:
- Debit Card: 1800 095 566 (Australia); +613 9670 6200 (Overseas)
- Credit Card: 1800 026 228 (Australia); +612 8235 5995 (Overseas)
- Email: card.au@bankofchina.com
It may be helpful to keep your receipt or other evidence showing the additional fee when making a report.
The changes only apply to fees charged because you pay by card. Other charges, such as booking fees, service fees, weekend surcharges or public holiday surcharges, may still apply.
For more information about your Bank of China cards, please see the attached Frequently Asked Questions, visit our website or contact us.
The above information is provided in Chinese and English. To the extent permitted by law, if there is any inconsistency between the Chinese and English versions, the English version prevails.
Bank of China (Australia) Limited
ABN 28 110 077 622
Australia Credit Licence and Australia Financial Services Licence No. 287322.
16 Sep 2026
