Surcharge ban: QR platform fees leave some diners paying more

Venues using QR ordering apps may find diners paying the same or more for a coffee or counter meal, after platforms replaced banned card surcharges with new platform fees.

The card surcharge ban took effect on Thursday, aimed at streamlining and lowering costs for customers. Interchange fees paid by merchants to card networks are now capped at 0.3 per cent, plus scheme fees.

Me&u, one of Australia's largest QR ordering platforms, has dropped its card surcharge and introduced a platform fee that venues can choose to pass on to customers. Bopple, another popular platform, updated its website on Monday to reflect a similar fee.

Unlike the percentage-based surcharge, me&u's platform fee is a fixed amount set by order value. Venues on the older version of the platform will have a standard fee of 2.2 per cent.

Fee structure

Under me&u's brackets:

• Orders from $0.01 to $24.99 attract a $0.20 fee

• Orders from $25 to $49.99 attract a $0.60 fee

• Orders from $50 to $74.99 attract a $1.20 fee

• Fees are capped at $2.90 for orders over $150

The outcome varies by order size. A $6.50 coffee that carried an 11c card fee in August, bringing the total to $6.66, now incurs a 20c platform fee, lifting the total to $6.70.

A $90 pub order of four food items previously carried a $1.55 card fee, but the platform fee is now $2. A $48 order, however, drops from an 89c surcharge to a 60c platform fee.

Venues can choose whether to absorb the fee or pass it on to guests.

Me&u says the fee covers running the platform, including payments, the menu cart and item tracking.

"Until now, the cost of running it sat entirely with venues," me&u explained to customers on its site.

"The platform fee shares part of that cost with guests, so we can keep improving the app."

The company denied any link between the fee and the surcharge ban when asked by News24.com.au.

"The guest platform fee is compliant with new regulations, we have given our customers a long lead time to understand the changes and run their numbers - they have the option to absorb the fee or to pass it on," a spokesperson for the company said.

"On an average order of $42 the fee is 0.60 cents. Our customers have reacted very positively to the approach."

Diners have voiced frustration online about not seeing savings from the ban. The ACCC said it is aware of consumer concerns about fees labelled platform, booking or service fees following the start of the card networks' "no surcharge" rules.

The ACCC acknowledged that "the card surcharge changes do not prohibit businesses from charging genuine fees for services such as using an ordering or booking platform".

"Whether a fee charged by a business is a genuine fee for a specific service, or is in effect a card payment surcharge by another name, will depend on the individual circumstances of each case.

"It will depend on the substance of the fee, what service it covers, and how it operates, rather than the name of the fee."

The regulator said card networks are responsible for administering and enforcing the ban.

Jonathan Jackson, 6th October, 2026