Hospitality operators turn to direct bank payments as proposed card surcharge ban looms
Last editedApr 20262 min read
With Australia's planned ban on card surcharges set to take effect in 2026, accommodation providers are seeking lower-cost payment alternatives to protect margins
Melbourne, 14 April, 2026 -- As the RBA prepares to ban credit and debit card surcharges from 2026, accommodation and hospitality businesses are beginning to integrate direct bank payment solutions to reduce their reliance on costly card networks.
Leading property management platform RMS has partnered with global bank payment specialist GoCardless to offer accommodation providers an additional lower-cost alternative to card payments - helping operators choose whether to protect margins ahead of regulatory changes that will prevent them from passing processing fees to guests.
Card payments currently cost Australian merchants between 1-3% per transaction in processing fees. With surcharges soon to be prohibited, businesses that have historically passed these costs to customers will need to absorb them or find alternatives. For a mid-sized hotel processing $500,000 in annual card payments, this could represent $5,000-$15,000 in additional annual costs.
Direct bank payments, including direct debit and real-time payments via open banking, typically cost a fraction of card processing fees, making them an attractive option for hospitality operators managing tight margins.
Cash flow pressures intensify
The partnership comes as Australian small businesses face mounting cash flow challenges. GoCardless Pursuing Payments data shows 87% of Australian SMEs report negative impacts from avoiding conversations about money with customers, with 30% and 23% specifically citing financial losses and cash flow issues respectively.
For accommodation providers, the challenge is compounded by failed payments and the administrative burden of chasing outstanding balances. The RMS and GoCardless integration addresses this through intelligent payment recovery, which automatically retries failed payments at optimal times.
Adam Seskis, CEO at RMS said: “Failed payments are a hidden drain on hospitality businesses - impacting both revenue and team productivity. As margins come under pressure from regulatory changes, operators need smarter, more cost-effective ways to collect payments without adding manual work. It’s about helping operators modernise how they take and manage payments as the landscape shifts.”
GoCardless data shows its intelligent retry technology, Success+, recovers over 70% of payments that would otherwise fail - revenue that typically goes unrecovered when using traditional payment methods.
Preparing for the surcharge ban
The Reserve Bank of Australia has flagged the elimination of card surcharges as part of broader payments reform, with legislation expected to take effect in 2026. While the change will benefit consumers - potentially saving them $1.2 billion annually - it shifts the cost burden onto merchants.
"The surcharge ban is going to fundamentally change how hospitality businesses think about payments," says Ian Boyd, General Manager, Australia and New Zealand at GoCardless.
"Operators who start diversifying their payment mix now will be better positioned when the changes take effect. Direct bank payments aren't just cheaper - they're also more reliable for recurring charges like longer term rental payments and instalments."
The integration is available immediately to RMS customers across Australia and New Zealand, with plans to expand the offering to the United Kingdom, United States, and other global markets in the future.
Notes to Editors
For further information contact:
press@gocardless.com For RMS:
Victoria Ward
Abode Worldwide
+44 7875 155020
About GoCardless
GoCardless is a global bank payment company. Over 100,000 businesses, from start-ups to household names, use GoCardless to collect and send payments through direct debit, real-time payments and open banking. GoCardless processes US$130bn+ of payments annually, across 30+ countries; helping customers collect and send both recurring and one-off payments, without the chasing, stress or expensive fees. We use AI-powered solutions to improve payment success and reduce fraud. And, with open banking connectivity to over 2,500 banks, we help our customers make faster, more informed decisions.
We are headquartered in the UK, with additional offices in Australia, France, Ireland, Latvia and the United States. For more information, please visit www.gocardless.com and follow us on LinkedIn @GoCardless.
About RMS
RMS is a leading hospitality platform trusted by over 7,000 businesses across 70 countries and all hospitality verticals. Designed to streamline operations, elevate the guest experience, and foster sustainable business growth, RMS connects people, technology, and places. With a comprehensive suite of tools and real-time insights, RMS empowers operators of hotels, serviced apartments, short-term rentals and campgrounds to thrive in an ever-evolving and competitive industry. Discover more at www.rmscloud.com.
