From the 1st of October, surcharging on both debit and credit cards will be removed.
For consumers, that simplifies the payment experience. For merchants, it changes the structure of cost recovery.
Surcharging was never universal. But where it existed, it served a clear purpose. That option is now gone.
So the focus shifts.
It is no longer about whether to surcharge. It is about how efficiently card payments are priced underneath.
Interchange reductions form part of the change. They will lower some elements of cost.
But interchange is only one part of the equation.
Scheme fees and acquiring margins remain. They vary by provider, by card type, and by transaction profile.
Without a clear view of the full cost structure, it becomes difficult to tell whether overall costs have reduced or simply moved.
BB Merchant Services supports finance teams by benchmarking current arrangements against market rates, providing a clear baseline ahead of October.
Interested to hear how others are preparing for this.
