---
title: "Payment Fees in Australia 2026: Stripe, Square, PayPal, Shopify Payments and Afterpay Compared | Croissant & Baguette"
description: "Stripe 1.65% + 30c, Shopify Payments 1.7%, Square 2.2%, PayPal 2.9% + 30c: every Australian payment fee side by side, and what the surcharge ban changes."
url: "https://croissantbaguette.com.au/guides/payment-fees-in-australia/"
---

# What does it cost an Australian online store to take a payment?

https://croissantbaguette.com.au/guides/payment-fees-in-australia/

Stripe 1.65% + 30c, Shopify Payments 1.7%, Square 2.2%, PayPal 2.9% + 30c: every Australian payment fee side by side, and what the surcharge ban changes.

## What does it cost an Australian online store to take a payment?

Between $1.75 and $3.20 on a $100 order paid with an Australian card, through the providers you can join online, about double on a card issued overseas, and over $6 through Afterpay. Since 1 October 2026, none of it can go on the customer's bill as a surcharge. Every rate side by side as at 11 October 2026, what the ban changes at an online checkout, and a calculator for your own store.

**Quick answer**

- **Stripe** 1.65% + 30c
- **Shopify Payments** 1.7% + 30c on Basic
- **Square** 2.2% online
- **PayPal Checkout** 2.9% + 30c
- **Afterpay** about 6% + 30c
- **Surcharges** not allowed since 1 October

Published online rates for Australian cards, read on 11 October 2026.

## $1.75 to $3.20 on a $100 order, and none of it on the customer.

Taking a $100 payment on an Australian card costs $1.75 to $3.20 through the providers an online store can join in a day: eway charges $1.75, Stripe $1.95 at 1.65% plus 30 cents since 1 October 2026, Shopify Payments $2.00 on the Basic plan, Square $2.20 and the PayPal Checkout button $3.20. A card issued overseas costs about twice as much, $3.55 to $4.20, and buy now, pay later more again: Afterpay about $6.30 and Zip $5.79, at the rates Stripe publishes for them. A bank facility can undercut all of them, and Westpac's online flat rate is 1.25%, but it needs approval and comes with conditions, such as fewer than a quarter of sales on overseas cards. Since 1 October 2026 a store cannot pass any of this on as a surcharge: eftpos, Mastercard and Visa ban surcharges on every card, online as in shops, once the Reserve Bank stopped preventing them, and American Express, UnionPay, JCB and PayPal did the same. What is left is building the cost into prices, discounting cheaper ways to pay such as PayID or bank transfer, and choosing the provider that costs least for your own mix of cards, which for a small store means watching the 30-cent fixed fee and the overseas rate more than the headline percentage.

## Price your store on every provider.

Choose WooCommerce or your own site to compare Stripe, Square, PayPal, WooPayments, Airwallex, Pin Payments and eway on your own numbers, or a Shopify plan to see Shopify Payments against the providers Shopify lets you add. The same month is priced on every option underneath, cheapest first.

Worked example: 200 orders a month at $80 on WooCommerce or own site, 10% of orders on overseas cards, 5% on American Express and $60 a month of apps. With Stripe, the month comes to $414 ($4,963 a year), and payments take 2.21% of sales.

| Payments by | Payments a month | Share of sales |
| --- | --- | --- |
| eway Online Payments | $322 | 2.01% |
| Pin Payments | $345 | 2.15% |
| Airwallex | $353 | 2.21% |
| Stripe | $354 | 2.21% |
| WooPayments | $364 | 2.27% |
| Square Online | $376 | 2.35% |
| PayPal Checkout | $540 | 3.38% |

Card rates as each provider publishes them: Stripe, eway, Airwallex and Pin Payments include GST, WooPayments charges it on top for a business not registered for it, and Square and PayPal do not say. On Shopify, any provider but Shopify Payments also pays Shopify's third-party fee.

Every rate read from the provider's own Australian page on 11 October 2026. Chargebacks, currency conversion and occasional program fees are left out; refunds return none of the fees shown.

## Fourteen ways to be paid, and what each one keeps.

Published online rates on 11 October 2026, and what each takes from a domestic order of $50, $100 and $250. The first ten you can join online; the two banks need approval; the last two are buy now, pay later.

| Provider | Australian card | Overseas card | On $50 | On $100 | On $250 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| eway Online Payments, Amex at the same rate | 1.5% + 25c | 3.49% + 25c | $1.00 | $1.75 | $4.00 |
| PayPal card payments, Advanced Credit and Debit Card | 1.5% + 30c | 3.6% + 30c | $1.05 | $1.80 | $4.05 |
| Pin Payments, published as a starting rate | 1.6% + 30c | 3.4% + 30c | $1.10 | $1.90 | $4.30 |
| Stripe, cut from 1.7% on 1 October 2026 | 1.65% + 30c | 3.5% + 30c | $1.13 | $1.95 | $4.43 |
| Airwallex, new customers since 26 August 2026 | 1.65% + 30c | 3.45% + 30c | $1.13 | $1.95 | $4.43 |
| Shopify Payments, Basic, Shopify stores only; Amex 2.9% + 30c | 1.7% + 30c | 3.5% + 30c | $1.15 | $2.00 | $4.55 |
| Shopify Payments, Advanced, on the $575 a month plan | 1.35% + 30c | 3.3% + 30c | $0.98 | $1.65 | $3.68 |
| WooPayments, WooCommerce; plus 10% GST unless registered | 1.75% + 30c | 3.25% + 30c | $1.18 | $2.05 | $4.68 |
| Square Online, no fixed fee; overseas cards add 1.5% | 2.2% | 3.7% | $1.10 | $2.20 | $5.50 |
| PayPal Checkout, the PayPal button | 2.9% + 30c | 3.9% + 30c | $1.75 | $3.20 | $7.55 |
| Westpac OnlinePay, approval; under 25% overseas cards; Amex separate | 1.25% | 1.25% | $0.63 | $1.25 | $3.13 |
| NAB Gateway, approval; $30 a month | 1.3% + 25c | not published | $0.90 | $1.55 | $3.50 |
| Afterpay, the rate Stripe, Square and WooPayments publish | about 6% + 30c | +1.5% on Stripe | $3.30 | $6.30 | $15.30 |
| Zip Pay, the rate Stripe publishes | 5.49% + 30c | not published | $3.05 | $5.79 | $14.03 |

Standard rates from each provider's Australian page, read on 11 October 2026; the fees are our arithmetic, rate times order plus the fixed fee, rounded to the cent. GST is included by Stripe, Shopify Payments, eway, Airwallex, Pin Payments and Westpac, added by WooPayments, and not stated by Square, PayPal or NAB. Tyro, CommBank and ANZ Worldline quote on application, and CommBank's own gateways are closed to new customers while it moves to a new platform in 2026. Stripe's overseas rate falls to 2.8% plus 30 cents on 1 April 2027.

## What changed on 1 October 2026, and what comes next.

The Reserve Bank did not ban surcharges itself. It lifted the rule that stopped the card networks from banning them, and the networks did the rest.

- **[No surcharges on eftpos, Mastercard or Visa](https://www.rba.gov.au/payments-and-infrastructure/review-of-retail-payments-regulation/2026-03/conclusions-paper/faqs/)** 1 Oct 2026 All three networks now forbid surcharges on every credit, debit and prepaid card, including cards issued overseas, commercial cards, mobile wallets and payments between businesses. — The checkout total is the price. A card fee line, a surcharge app or a card-only "handling fee" has to come off.
- **American Express, UnionPay and JCB followed** 1 Oct 2026 None of the three is regulated by the Reserve Bank; each removed surcharging on its own the same day. — There is no card left to surcharge instead. Articles calling Amex a loophole are out of date.
- **PayPal** 5 Oct 2026 PayPal's rules forbid a surcharge or any other fee for paying with PayPal, and for the card payments it processes. — A PayPal fee at checkout goes too.
- **Afterpay** Already Afterpay's merchant agreement has long forbidden surcharging customers for choosing it. — The dearest way to be paid is one you could never pass on.
- **Lower interchange on Australian cards** 1 Oct 2026 The wholesale fee inside each card payment fell to 8 cents or 0.16% on debit and 0.3% on consumer credit. — Stripe cut its domestic rate to 1.65%, and Westpac and CommBank cut theirs; Square and PayPal did not. Shopify's Basic rate now reads 1.7%.
- **The big acquirers publish their fees** 30 Oct 2026 Acquirers handling more than $10 billion a year publish what they charge merchants each quarter, by merchant size and card type, and the Reserve Bank republishes it. — For the first time, a store can check its rate against the average for businesses its size.
- **Overseas cards capped, statements itemised** 1 Apr 2027 Interchange on cards issued overseas is capped at 1.0%, and every merchant receives statements that split fees by card type, online and in person. — Overseas card rates should fall; Stripe's drops to 2.8% plus 30 cents that day.

From the Reserve Bank's [FAQ](https://www.rba.gov.au/payments-and-infrastructure/review-of-retail-payments-regulation/2026-03/conclusions-paper/faqs/) and Conclusions Paper of 31 March 2026, the [ACCC](https://www.accc.gov.au/business/pricing/card-surcharges), PayPal, Afterpay and the providers, read on 11 October 2026. The networks and payment providers enforce the rules, not the Reserve Bank or the ACCC: Square, for one, may suspend an account still surcharging two days after a warning. The ACCC's job is misleading prices, including a surcharge renamed as something else.

## What the Reserve Bank counted.

- **$1.6bn a year in card surcharges paid by consumers** — of $1.8bn charged on eftpos, Mastercard and Visa in 2024/25
- **16% of merchants surcharged** — 85% of small merchants and 89% of large ones did not
- **1.4% what a small merchant pays to accept cards** — on average on a single-rate plan, against 0.9% on an unblended one
- **$910m a year off merchants' wholesale card costs** — from the lower interchange caps

Reserve Bank of Australia, Review of Merchant Card Payment Costs and Surcharging, Conclusions Paper, 31 March 2026. Estimates, not measurements, and the share of the $1.6bn shoppers keep depends on how much stores add to their prices.

## The checkout after the ban, on Shopify or WooCommerce.

- **Take the surcharge off.** On Shopify, remove the fee app and check checkout for a leftover line. On WooCommerce, delete the gateway-fee rule or plugin; even WooPayments' own documentation still suggests one.
- **Work out what cards really cost you.** Three months of fees divided by card sales, or the calculator above on your own mix. Small merchants on single-rate plans average 1.4%, by the Reserve Bank's count.
- **Build it into prices, and say nothing misleading.** Spread it across the range or onto thin-margin lines. The ACCC's own example is a $60 haircut with a 1% surcharge becoming $60.60, not $65.
- **Reward the cheaper ways to pay, if you want to steer.** A discount for bank transfer or PayID is allowed if the full price is shown first. WooCommerce plugins can do it by payment method; Shopify has no built-in way, so stores pair a bank-transfer method with a discount code.
- **Move provider if your mix says so.** Overseas customers make the international rate the one that matters. Price the same month on each option, Shopify's third-party fee included, before you switch.

## Who sets up payments in Australia, and what to ask them.

- **The all-in rate on your card mix.** Overseas cards, Amex and the fixed fee move a small store's bill more than the headline percentage. Ask for a month priced on your real orders.
- **What the platform adds.** On Shopify, any provider but Shopify Payments costs Shopify's fee on top, 2% of every order on Basic, Afterpay included.
- **The fees beyond the rate.** Monthly and program fees, and chargebacks, which run from $15 at PayPal to $44 at eway, depending on the provider.
- **How fast the money lands.** Shopify Payments pays out in two business days at the soonest; Afterpay takes up to five. Cash flow is a cost too.
- **Whether the October cuts reach your rate.** From 30 January 2027 the big acquirers publish how much of the interchange cut they passed on. Ask your provider now.
- **We do.** Croissant & Baguette is a small Sydney studio with a network of Australian specialists, and a Shopify Partner. Payments are part of every store we build, on Shopify Payments where the store runs on Shopify and on the provider that suits the card mix where it does not, with the checkout tested end to end before launch. — Built in Sydney, never offshored.

## What we charge.

**Why the cheapest gateway is not the whole answer** Because the gap between providers is a few tenths of a percent, and a checkout that loses one buyer in ten costs far more. We choose the provider that costs least for your card mix, then make the checkout fast and short, which is worth more than any rate.

- **Headless storefront** from $12,000 (Shopify checkout, storefront built by us)
- **Custom Shopify theme** from $9,000 (built from a clean base, not a marketplace theme)
- **Care plan** from $250/month (monitoring, updates, small changes, monthly performance snapshot)

What moves our price within those ranges:

- how many ways to pay, and whether any need a provider of their own, such as buy now, pay later or bank transfer
- subscriptions, deposits or payment plans
- payouts to other sellers, as POP Local pays its 343 makers
- more than one currency or market
- a point of sale beside the online store

Fixed quote after a scoping call. Payment fees go to your provider, not to us.

## Ask away.

Eight things people ask about paying for payments. Still one missing? [Ask us](https://croissantbaguette.com.au/contact/).

- **Are credit card surcharges still allowed in Australia?** No, on almost every card since 1 October 2026. eftpos, Mastercard and Visa ban surcharges on all their credit, debit and prepaid cards, online and in store, including cards issued overseas; American Express, UnionPay and JCB did the same that day, and PayPal on 5 October. A business can still raise its prices, discount cheaper ways to pay, and charge fees that apply to everyone, such as a booking fee.
- **How much is the Stripe fee for $100?** $1.95 on an Australian card: 1.65% plus 30 cents, Stripe's rate since 1 October 2026, down from 1.7%. A card issued overseas costs $3.80 at 3.5% plus 30 cents, falling to $3.10 when that rate drops to 2.8% on 1 April 2027, and converting a currency adds 2%. Stripe's Australian pricing page says its fees include GST, and there is no monthly fee.
- **What is cheaper, Stripe or PayPal?** Stripe, for most stores: $1.95 on a $100 Australian card against $3.20 through the PayPal Checkout button, and $3.80 against $4.20 on a card issued overseas. PayPal's separate card processing, its Advanced Credit and Debit Card service, is cheaper than both at 1.5% plus 30 cents, or $1.80, but it is a different integration from the PayPal button most stores show.
- **How much does Afterpay charge merchants?** About 6% plus 30 cents an order, or $6.30 on $100, at the rate Square, Stripe and WooPayments publish for Afterpay; Afterpay itself says only that its fee is a fixed amount plus a percentage set in the merchant agreement. That is three times a card payment, and the agreement forbids passing it on. On Shopify, Afterpay orders also pay Shopify's third-party fee, 2% on Basic.
- **How do I avoid a 3% fee on PayPal?** Take cards through PayPal's Advanced Credit and Debit Card processing at 1.5% plus 30 cents instead of the PayPal Checkout button at 2.9% plus 30 cents, or offer a card gateway beside PayPal so fewer customers choose it. A 3% fee on PayPal is usually its currency conversion fee, charged when a payment changes currency. Since 5 October 2026 a store cannot pass PayPal's fee to the customer.
- **Can you use Stripe in Australia?** Yes, at 1.65% plus 30 cents on Australian cards, priced in Australian dollars, with WooCommerce or a custom-built store. It is not offered as a payment provider on Shopify in Australia, where Shopify Payments, which runs on Stripe, takes its place at 1.7% plus 30 cents on Basic. Stripe also processes Afterpay and Zip, at about 6% and 5.49% plus 30 cents.
- **What are the typical credit card processing fees for merchants?** 1.4% of sales on average for a small Australian merchant on a single-rate plan, 0.9% on an unblended plan and 0.6% for large merchants, by the Reserve Bank's figures. Online rates run higher because of the fixed fee: 1.5% to 2.2% plus up to 30 cents through the main providers, which is $1.75 to $2.20 on a $100 order, and about double on a card issued overseas.
- **Is GST charged on Stripe fees?** Yes, and Stripe's Australian pricing page says its published fees include it, so 1.65% plus 30 cents is the whole amount. Stripe's support pages add that GST is otherwise charged on top unless GST-inclusive pricing is agreed, so check your invoices. eway, Airwallex and Pin Payments also include GST; WooPayments adds 10% unless you are registered for GST and give it your ABN.

## Sources

Every rate and rule on this page was read on its source on 11 October 2026.

- **[Review of Merchant Card Payment Costs and Surcharging, FAQ](https://www.rba.gov.au/payments-and-infrastructure/review-of-retail-payments-regulation/2026-03/conclusions-paper/faqs/)** Reserve Bank of Australia · dates, scope, what merchants may still do
- **[Conclusions Paper, executive summary](https://www.rba.gov.au/payments-and-infrastructure/review-of-retail-payments-regulation/2026-03/conclusions-paper/executive-summary.html)** Reserve Bank of Australia · 31 March 2026, savings estimates
- **[Card surcharges](https://www.accc.gov.au/business/pricing/card-surcharges)** ACCC · pricing after the ban, discounts, renamed fees
- **[Updates to card pricing in Australia from October 2026](https://support.stripe.com/questions/updates-to-card-pricing-in-australia-from-october-2026)** Stripe · the 1.65% rate and the April 2027 change
- **[Stripe pricing, Australia](https://stripe.com/au/pricing)** Stripe · cards, disputes, currency conversion
- **[Square pricing, Australia](https://squareup.com/au/en/pricing)** Square · online, in person and Afterpay rates
- **[PayPal business fees, Australia](https://www.paypal.com/au/business/paypal-business-fees)** PayPal · Checkout and card processing rates
- **[Shopify pricing, Australia](https://www.shopify.com/au/pricing)** Shopify · Shopify Payments and third-party fees
- **[eway Online Payments](https://www.eway.com.au/online-payments/)** eway · flat rate and program fee
- **[WooPayments fees](https://woocommerce.com/document/woopayments/fees/)** WooCommerce · Australian rates and GST
- **[Airwallex fee schedule](https://www.airwallex.com/en-au/terms/fee-schedule)** Airwallex · last updated 18 September 2026
- **[Pin Payments pricing](https://www.pinpayments.com/pricing)** Pin Payments · domestic and international rates
- **[Westpac OnlinePay](https://www.westpac.com.au/business-banking/merchants-and-payments/online-payments/)** Westpac · flat rate and its conditions
- **[Afterpay merchant fees](https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/afterpay-merchant-fees)** Afterpay · how its fee is set

- **[Shopify fees.](https://croissantbaguette.com.au/guides/shopify-fees-in-australia/)** Every Shopify plan, card rate and extra fee, with one real store's monthly bill.
- **[Shopify store costs.](https://croissantbaguette.com.au/guides/how-much-does-a-shopify-store-cost-in-australia/)** What a store costs to build, band by band, with a real one itemised.
- **[Headless or theme?](https://croissantbaguette.com.au/guides/headless-shopify-vs-shopify-theme/)** Which stores want which, the faster options, and what to ask a builder.
- **[eCommerce.](https://croissantbaguette.com.au/web-development/ecommerce/)** Headless or a custom theme. What we build, and how.

## Building or moving a store?

Two lines is enough. We recommend a theme or headless, and price the payment setup and its monthly cost alongside the build, a business day after the call.