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Merchant fees by industry

What you pay to accept cards isn't one-size-fits-all. A cafe taking hundreds of $5 taps and a mechanic invoicing $1,500 jobs feel fees in completely different ways. Pick your industry below to see its specific card-payment dynamics, an indicative fee range, and what to look for in a provider.

Why merchant fees vary by industry

Two things mostly drive the gap: your average ticket size and your card mix. Low-ticket, high-volume businesses like cafes feel fixed per-transaction fees the most, while high-ticket businesses like tyre shops feel the percentage rate. A heavier share of premium credit, Amex or international cards lifts the blended rate; a debit-heavy mix lowers it. Seasonality, recurring membership billing, booking deposits and health-fund claiming all add further wrinkles. The guides below break it down per industry — all figures are indicative.

Restaurants
Higher tickets and a heavier credit/Amex mix push restaurant blended rates up.
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Cafes
Tiny tickets, huge volumes — fixed per-transaction fees hurt cafes most.
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Bars & Pubs
Fast contactless rounds plus big tabs and busy function nights.
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Retail Stores
Broad card mix, BNPL and least-cost routing all shape retail fees.
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Mechanics
High-ticket repair invoices make the percentage rate matter most.
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Tyre Shops
Big-basket tyre sales and fleet accounts, with sharp seasonal swings.
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Hair Salons
Appointment payments, deposits, tipping and retail product sales.
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Beauty Salons
Deposits, no-show fees, gift cards and prepaid packages.
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Dental Practices
HICAPS claiming, gap payments and big-ticket treatment invoices.
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Gyms
Recurring membership billing, failed-payment fees and the January surge.
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Takeaway & Fast Food
Fast small orders — but delivery-aggregator commissions dwarf your card fees.
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Food Trucks
Mobile and connectivity-dependent: portable readers, markets and event seasonality.
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Clothing & Fashion
Heavy BNPL share and frequent returns set fashion apart from general retail.
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Convenience Stores
Tiny tickets plus thin-margin tobacco, lottery and gift-card lines.
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Liquor Stores
An $8 tap to a $300 case — a wide ticket spread and sharp festive peaks.
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Newsagents
Card fees can swallow the thin commission on lottery and gift-card sales.
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Butchers & Bakers
Weight-priced tickets and big festive pre-order deposits.
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Car Washes
Unattended card-only kiosks and recurring wash-club billing.
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Auto Parts
A B2B/retail hybrid: trade accounts, parts returns and phone orders.
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Barbershops
Walk-in speed, fixed low-ticket cuts and the cash-to-tap shift.
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Tattoo Studios
Non-refundable deposits, big sessions and chargeback risk on custom art.
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Day Spas
Gift vouchers, prepaid packages and group bookings drive the payment mix.
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Florists
Valentine's and Mother's Day surges plus heavy phone/online gift orders.
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Physiotherapy & Chiropractic
HICAPS gaps plus NDIS, Medicare and WorkCover third-party billing.
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Vet Clinics
Owners pay the full bill themselves — and emergencies can be big-ticket.
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Optometrists
Bulk-billed eye tests, but high-ticket optical retail and gap-by-card.
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Medical Clinics
Bulk-billing means low card volume; private and mixed billing changes that.
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Plumbers
Emergency callouts paid on-site, plus deposits for parts and big jobs.
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Electricians
Big install tickets, progress-payment deposits and commercial account work.
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Builders
Huge progress claims go by EFT; cards suit deposits and small jobs.
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Landscapers
Recurring maintenance billing plus a strong spring project surge.
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Yoga & Pilates Studios
Payments bundled inside Mindbody-style booking apps, plus class packs.
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Accountants
Invoice pay-now links, an EOFY spike and surcharged professional fees.
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Real Estate Agencies
Trust money stays off-card; cards cover marketing and admin fees.
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Pet Groomers
Mobile grooming vans, breed-priced appointments and no-show deposits.
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