---
title: "Bookkeepers: what your clients need to know about October 2026"
description: "A reference for AU bookkeepers and accountants — the October 2026 surcharge ban changes, what to tell clients, and how to help them prepare."
category: partner
published: 2026-04-28
source: https://readiness.aps.business/blog/bookkeepers-october-2026-client-guide
reading_time: 6 min
---

# Bookkeepers: what your clients need to know about October 2026

If you're a bookkeeper or accountant serving AU SMBs, here's the briefing pack for the October 2026 surcharge ban — what changes, what to advise, and red flags to look for.
If you're a bookkeeper or accountant working with Australian small businesses, the October 2026 surcharge ban is a topic your clients will be asking about — or should be. This is a quick reference you can use directly with clients, plus the red flags to watch for in their statements.

## The 60-second client briefing

For each affected client, the situation is:

1.  From October 1, 2026, surcharges on eftpos, Visa, and Mastercard payments are banned.
2.  The cost moves from the customer to the merchant — your client.
3.  Interchange fees are also dropping (credit 0.8% → 0.3%, debit to 8c or 0.16%) which softens the blow but doesn't eliminate it.
4.  Most affected merchants need to either raise prices or switch to a cheaper payment provider. Doing nothing means absorbing the full cost.

## What to look for in a client's statements

### Effective merchant service fee (MSF) rate

This is the most useful single number. Calculate it as:

effective rate = (total fees ÷ total card volume) × 100

Pull the last 3 months of statements, sum the fees, divide by the total volume, multiply by 100. Anything above 1.4% is a candidate for renegotiation. Anything above 1.8% is overpaying significantly.

### Surcharge revenue line

Most modern merchant statements include a "surcharge revenue" or "surcharge recovery" line — the amount the client recovered from customers. After October 1, this number goes to zero. Multiply by 12 to show the client their annual exposure.

### Hidden fees

Headline rates lie. Check for:

-   Monthly account / service fees ($20-$80/month is common)
-   Terminal rental fees ($30-$50/month)
-   PCI compliance fees ($10-$30/month)
-   Per-transaction fees (10-30 cents on top of the percentage)
-   Statement fees, paper-statement fees, "support" fees

The all-in cost is what matters for advising the client. APS is unusual in offering 1.1% flat with no monthly fees, no terminal cost, and no add-ons.

### Card mix

If your client's statement breaks down debit vs credit vs eftpos, look at the eftpos %. If eftpos is below 30% but tap-to-pay debit is high, they likely don't have least-cost routing enabled — which is a 0.2% saving they're leaving on the table. Tell them to ask their provider to enable LCR.

## The conversation to have with your client

Five questions to ask each affected client this quarter:

1.  **Do you currently surcharge?** If yes, calculate the dollar revenue they'll lose in October.
2.  **What's your effective rate?** Calculate from their last statement. If above 1.4%, recommend a comparison.
3.  **Have you reviewed your provider in the last 12 months?** If no, they're almost certainly overpaying.
4.  **Is least-cost routing enabled?** If they don't know, recommend they call their provider and ask.
5.  **Have you planned how you'll handle the cost from October?** Three options: absorb, raise prices, switch provider. Help them pick one.

## The tools to use

-   **The [readiness tool](/)** — 60-second assessment that calculates exposure and produces a 90-day plan. You can run it with the client over Zoom.
-   **The [rate comparison tool](/lp/rate-comparison)** — side-by-side comparison of 19 AU providers based on the client's actual volume.
-   **APS direct line: [1300 096 983](tel:1300096983)** — for clients who want a no-obligation rate review. APS is generally the cheapest flat-rate option in the Australian market.

## Red flags in older provider contracts

Some clients will have signed contracts 3-5 years ago when rates were higher. Watch for:

-   **Fixed-term contracts with early-termination fees.** Some bank-issued terminals lock in for 3 years with $500-$1,500 exit fees. Worth checking before recommending a switch.
-   **Pricing tiers that haven't reset.** Some providers tier pricing — e.g., "1.4% on the first $20K, 1.6% on the next $30K." If the client's volume has grown, they may be paying higher tiers than necessary.
-   **Bundled pricing with hidden margin.** Bank-bundled merchant terminals often roll the cost into the broader business-banking relationship. The "convenience" can cost 0.3%-0.6%.

## Get a partner relationship with APS

If you regularly refer clients to payment providers, APS has a partner program for accountants and bookkeepers. Refer a client, they get a free assessment, you get a referral commission. Call [**1300 096 983**](tel:1300096983) to ask about it, or send your clients straight to [readiness.aps.business](https://readiness.aps.business).