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Questions  /  Hidden statement fees

What hidden fees are on my merchant statement?

Short answer

Beyond the headline transaction rate, merchant statements often carry fees that are easy to miss: terminal rental, minimum monthly service fees, PCI compliance charges, statement or account fees, and chargeback fees. Flat or tiered pricing can also obscure how much each card type really costs by folding everything into bands. From 1 April 2027, extra statement-transparency measures are due to take effect to make these costs clearer.

Last updated: 2 July 2026

Beyond the headline rate

The percentage you were quoted is rarely the full cost. Statements commonly carry a terminal rental or hire fee for the hardware, a minimum monthly service fee that applies when your volume is low, PCI compliance or security charges, and account or statement fees. Chargeback and dispute fees can appear when a transaction is contested. Individually small, these line items add up — and they don’t show in the advertised transaction rate at all.

How pricing models hide cost

The pricing structure itself can be the disguise. Flat-rate pricing folds cheap and expensive cards into one number, so you can’t see where the cost actually sits. Tiered or bundled pricing sorts transactions into rate bands with rules that aren’t always obvious, meaning a card you expect at the low band quietly qualifies for a higher one. Neither is dishonest by nature, but both can make it hard to know your true cost without calculating cost of acceptance from the raw figures.

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What changes from 1 April 2027

Transparency is set to improve. As part of the RBA’s 2026 package, extra statement-transparency measures are due to take effect from 1 April 2027 alongside foreign-card interchange caps. Until then, the practical defence is to read every line, total all card-related charges, and divide by your card turnover to get your real cost of acceptance rather than trusting the headline rate. This is general information, not financial advice, and any figures are indicative.

Source: RBA Review of Merchant Card Payment Costs and Surcharging, Conclusions Paper (March 2026).

Information current as at 2 July 2026.

This page is general information only and is not legal or financial advice. The RBA sets the final rules and timing, so confirm current details at rba.gov.au.
Common questions
Related questions
What hidden fees appear on merchant statements?
Common ones include terminal rental, minimum monthly service fees, PCI compliance charges, statement or account fees, and chargeback fees — none of which show in the headline rate.
What is a minimum monthly fee?
A charge applied when your transaction volume is low, effectively topping your account up to a minimum the provider expects to earn each month.
Why can’t I see my real cost on the statement?
Flat and tiered pricing average or band card types together, hiding per-card cost. Calculating cost of acceptance from the raw totals reveals the true figure.
Are statements becoming more transparent?
Yes. From 1 April 2027, extra statement-transparency measures are due to take effect as part of the RBA’s 2026 package.
What is a PCI compliance fee?
A charge related to meeting payment-card security standards. It’s a recurring line item on many merchant statements separate from your transaction rate.
Keep reading
Why are my merchant fees so high? →What is cost of acceptance and how do I calculate mine? →What is a blended rate? →What is a merchant service fee? →What’s the cheapest way to accept card payments in Australia? →All questions →
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