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American Express generally costs a business more to accept than Visa. RBA data reported by money.com.au put the average Amex merchant fee at 1.35% (September to December 2024), and as an illustration of the gap, money.com.au reports the Australian Government card payment fee at 1.45% for Amex versus 0.80% for Visa and Mastercard. The difference comes from how each network is structured and prices its acceptance. Your own gap depends on your provider and plan, and Amex is not covered by the RBA surcharging changes, so confirm your current Amex position with your payment provider.
Last updated: 2 July 2026
On the published data, American Express sits above Visa on cost of acceptance. RBA data reported by money.com.au put the average Amex merchant fee at 1.35% across September to December 2024. As a clean illustration of the gap, money.com.au reports the Australian Government card payment fee at 1.45% for American Express versus 0.80% for Visa and Mastercard. RBA data reported by finder.com.au also put the average Amex surcharge at around 1.33% per transaction, reflecting that higher underlying cost. These are averages across the market rather than a quote for any one business.
The difference is structural. Visa operates as a scheme that sits between banks, with interchange as one component of the fee, and the RBA caps that interchange. American Express has historically run more of the chain itself and sets its own merchant pricing, which has tended to be higher. That is also why the RBA interchange changes from 1 October 2026 apply to Visa and Mastercard but not to Amex. For your business the practical point is that the gap between your Amex and Visa rates is set by your provider and plan, so it varies by business and provider.
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From 1 October 2026 surcharging on eftpos, Mastercard and Visa will no longer be permitted, so those card costs move onto your margin. American Express is not covered by that RBA change, though providers including Tyro and Eway have said they will remove Amex surcharging on 1 October 2026, and Eway reports Amex has announced its own change from that date, so confirm the Amex position with your payment provider. With surcharging off the table on the covered cards, the way to manage the Amex-versus-Visa gap is to compare your whole rate card, across every network you accept. MerchantRates partner rates start as low as 0.89% for businesses that qualify.
Sources: RBA Conclusions Paper media release (mr-26-10) · ACCC card surcharges guidance · Eway: RBA reform response · Tyro: surcharge ban confirmed · RBA payments data (merchant fees) · RBA data reported by money.com.au · RBA data reported by finder.com.au.
Information current as at 2 July 2026.
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