Card surcharges: what you can and can’t charge customers from 1 October
Which cards the surcharge ban covers, who enforces it, and what happens to service fees, weekend surcharges, cash discounts, invoices and terminals.
Rules & costs
The regulatory and cost changes that affect Australian small businesses, explained with sources and dates.
New rules from the RBA, ATO, ACMA, the privacy regulator and others: what changed, when it starts, who it affects and what to do. Every piece links to the original announcement.
Start here
Payday Super, three months in: the deadlines employers are measured against
Super must now reach the fund within seven business days of payday. The rules, the ATO’s first-year compliance approach and the 28 October date to watch.
Privacy Act changes: what applies to small businesses now, what starts in December, and what’s proposed
Most small businesses are still exempt, but not all, and some laws apply to everyone. What’s in force, what starts 10 December and what the draft bill proposes.
Showing 1–12 of 22 stories, newest first
The week in digital: card fees revealed, hijacked TV boxes and a fee to text
The first card fee data, 1.3 million hijacked Android TV boxes, Apple’s check on public iCloud links, one AI training opt-out and a proposed sender ID fee.
The week in digital: ads in AI answers, iPhone age checks and rival Android stores
Apple’s age confirmation, ads in Google’s AI Mode, ASD’s cyber threat report, one-tap rival Android stores and Discord’s public web pages.
The week in digital: rival iPhone app stores, PHP’s fix and a new online safety duty
Rival app stores for iPhones, PHP’s critical fixes, a new online safety duty, Meta’s revised terms and a $99 Amazon Prime.
The week in digital: ASD’s new Essentials, a Windows cut-off and hijacked Shopify checkouts
ASD’s Essentials replaces the Essential Eight, Windows 11 24H2 Home and Pro updates end, Shopify checkouts hijacked, telco penalties rise and Gemini 4 Argon.
The week in digital: Copilot on your files, Gemini’s free tier and an email deadline
Copilot’s local file access, Gemini’s free-tier change, Microsoft’s EWS deadline, an Atlassian patch, the OAIC’s smart-glasses probe and the ATO card delay.
OAIC probes HeyCyan and warns smart-glasses retailers
The OAIC is investigating HeyCyan’s developer. Retailers should check the app, data handling and supplier answers behind smart glasses they sell.
Spam Act basics: what to check before you email or text customers
Consent, sender details and working unsubscribe links: the Australian spam rules small businesses should check in newsletters, SMS and automated messages.
Square’s Australian Instant Transfer fee has risen to 1.95%
Square’s Australian Instant Transfer fee rose from 1.5% to 1.95% on 1 October 2026. What it costs, and how free next-day transfers compare.
The week in digital: new shop-floor tools, AI assistants and an email warning
Shopify’s shop-floor updates, OpenAI dots, Googlebook’s business catch, a Zimbra patch warning and the privacy-policy deadline for Australian small businesses.
ACMA proposes more payment choice and mobile coverage remedies for small businesses
ACMA proposes two fee-free payment methods and mobile coverage remedies for qualifying small businesses. Submissions close on 10 November 2026.
Armaguard cash-service pricing: retailers can respond by 16 October
The ACCC wants small retailers’ views on proposed Armaguard cash-service prices and coverage. Submissions close 16 October 2026, at 1 pm Perth.
ATO credit-card payments end after 30 November: check your payment plan
The ATO will stop accepting credit cards after 30 November 2026. Check tax payments and change any credit-card-linked payment plan before its next instalment.