Are card surcharges banned in New Zealand?
Not as of late 2026. A bill to ban in-store surcharges on EFTPOS, Visa and Mastercard passed its first reading in 2025, but lost political support in 2026. The Commerce Commission instead capped interchange fees, saving businesses about NZ$90 million a year.
In detail
Not as of late 2026. A bill to ban in-store surcharges on EFTPOS, Visa and Mastercard passed its first reading in 2025, but lost political support in 2026. The Commerce Commission instead capped interchange fees, saving businesses about NZ$90 million a year.
How people pay in New Zealand in 2026
The Commerce Commission reports that Visa and Mastercard now carry 74% of payments, up from 57% in 2019, and that businesses pay about NZ$1 billion a year to accept them. Regulators have answered with interchange caps, while a proposed ban on in-store card surcharges stalled in 2026.
Payment by card in New Zealand
The Commerce Commission says EFTPOS keeps losing share because it cannot handle online, contactless or phone payments. To cut costs, it capped interchange fees on domestic credit cards at 0.30% in person and 0.70% online from December 1, 2025, and on foreign cards from May 1, 2026. It estimates the decision saves businesses about NZ$90 million a year. A bill to ban in-store surcharges passed its first reading in 2025 but stalled in early 2026, so surcharging stays legal under the Retail Payment System Act 2022.
More detail in our #PayWorldTour guide Payment methods in New Zealand.