ACCC Submission to the RBA Inquiry on Payments and Surcharging

Jerome Laxale MP questioned Gina Cass-Gottlieb and Rami Greiss from the ACCC about their submission to the RBA inquiry on payments and surcharging. The discussion focused on verifying complaints about excessive surcharging, with Cass-Gottlieb explaining that the ACCC reviews complaints and considers the impact of conduct on merchants. The ACCC uses a triaging process to assess complaints, and Rami Greiss noted that they investigate every complaint that could potentially breach surcharging rules. Jerome Laxale MP highlighted the issue of blended merchant pricing, where small businesses are charged a uniform price despite lower costs for debit card transactions. Cass-Gottlieb stated that the current regulation places the obligation on merchants, not payment service providers, but the ACCC can investigate if a payment service provider is being misleading. The ACCC has received funding to increase compliance and enforcement action, and plans to launch an education campaign to inform small and medium-sized merchants of their obligations. A potential ban on surcharging for debit transactions could put small merchants in a difficult position, but proposed amendments to the Payment Systems Regulation Act may address these issues. The ACCC will work closely with other regulators to enhance enforcement efforts and promote compliance and transparency in the payments industry.