With Australia’s card surcharge ban set to take effect on October 1, more than half of Australians (52%) expect the change to affect how they shop and pay, according to new YouGov research.
The biggest expected changes are around when and where Australians choose to use their cards. More than one in five (22%) say they expect to be less likely to avoid a business because of a card surcharge, while 20% expect to pay less attention to which payment method they use.
Nearly one in five (18%) expect to make more small purchases by card, while 11% expect to spend more overall when paying by card.
However, the change is not expected to transform everyone's spending habits. Almost half of Australians (44%) don't expect the removal of surcharges to change their behaviour at all.
Younger Australians expect the biggest changes
Gen Z and Millennials are particularly likely to anticipate changing how they shop and pay once surcharges disappear.
Nearly two in three Gen Z (65%) and Millennials (63%) expect their behaviour to change, compared with lower proportions among older generations.
Both groups are also more likely to anticipate spending more when paying by card, with 17% of Gen Z and 17% of Millennials expecting to do so.
Small purchases by card could also become more common, with 23% of Gen Z and 21% of Millennials expecting to make more small purchases by card.
The two generations differ in the changes they anticipate. Gen Z are more likely to expect to choose a card based on rewards or points and to be less likely to avoid a business because of a surcharge. Millennials, meanwhile, are more likely to expect to pay less attention to which payment method they use and to carry less cash.
Seven in ten expect to notice a difference when paying
The impact could be noticeable at the checkout, with 71% of Australians expecting to notice a difference when paying for things once the ban takes effect.
One in three (33%) expect to see fewer unexpected extra charges when paying. However, many Australians don’t expect the costs to disappear completely, with 29% anticipating new or increased fees elsewhere and 26% expecting higher advertised prices.
Despite the expected changes in behaviour, most Australians don't anticipate changing how frequently they use their cards. Nearly two-thirds (64%) expect their debit card usage to remain the same, while 23% expect to use debit cards more often. For credit cards, 47% expect no change, while 19% anticipate using them more often.
Methodology: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provides quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. The findings are based on responses from 1063 Australian adults, collected between September 10 and 14, 2026.