---
title: Frustrated by thinner margins since the AU surcharge ban? We can help!
description: Discover how YouLi helps Australian travel businesses adapt to the new card surcharge rules by reducing payment costs and maintaining margins effectively.
image: https://blog.youli.io/hubfs/Frustrated%20by%20thinner%20margins%20since%20the%20AU%20surcharge%20ban%20We%20can%20help!-1.png
---

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 Oct 13, 2026, 2:07:01 AM

# Frustrated by thinner margins since the AU surcharge ban? We can help!

![Picture of Jennifer Fein](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/18701a823f086e90dc619e698b42d744) [Jennifer Fein](https://blog.youli.io/author/jennifer-fein)

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Frustrated by thinner margins since the AU surcharge ban? We can help!

6:56

 

*Australian travel companies still carry the cost of taking bookings. YouLi partners with operators and agents to reduce those costs, adapt their pricing and protect their margins.*

| **Accept payments in 150+ currencies. Receive settlement in AUD. Reduce the cost of getting paid.** |
| --- |

When Australia’s new card surcharge rules took effect, the cost of accepting payments did not disappear. Card processing, reconciliation, booking technology, administration and customer support still had to be paid for.

Yet for many travel businesses, the response from their booking platform (or invoice platform) was little more than a settings change: surcharging was switched off, and the operator was left to manage the margin impact and explain the change to customers.

At YouLi, we took a different approach.

We worked with our Australian clients to prepare for the change, communicate it clearly, and identify practical ways to reduce payment costs. We are continuing to support them with pricing tools and payment options designed to help maintain margins in the post-surcharge environment.

# Compliance was only the beginning

The surcharge change created an immediate operational challenge for travel businesses. An operator may collect deposits and instalments over many months, accept high-value international bookings, and reconcile payments across multiple departures. Even a small percentage in payment costs can become significant.

Simply absorbing every cost was not a sustainable answer. Our clients needed a combination of lower-cost payment methods, smarter pricing, and technology that reflected the realities of selling multi-day travel.

YouLi’s approach has focused on helping clients reduce avoidable fees first, then giving them flexible tools to account for the genuine costs of running their booking and payment operations.

# Accept payments in 150+ currencies and receive settlement in AUD

Australian travel businesses increasingly sell to travellers around the world. Through YouLi’s partnership with Stripe, operators can [offer payment in 150+ currencies while continuing to receive settlement in Australian dollars](https://support.youli.io/stripe-adaptive-pricing-multi-currency-option?hsLang=en). Even better, if a refund is required, operators only refund what they received, regardless of the FX movement, so they don’t lose out because of currency fluctuations.

Travellers can see a more familiar, localised payment experience, while Stripe handles currency conversion behind the scenes. For the operator, that means a simpler way to take international bookings without building separate payment processes for every market.

The benefit is not just convenience. Presenting a relevant currency at checkout can reduce uncertainty for international travellers, which increases conversion rates. AUD settlement for operators keeps reporting and reconciliation aligned with the way an Australian business operates.

# Lower the cost of payment with PayTo and BECS

In the post-surcharge market, one of the most effective ways to protect margin is to reduce the underlying cost of accepting a payment.

[Through Stripe](https://support.youli.io/stripe-payment-methods-ach-afterpay-direct-debit-wallets?hsLang=en), YouLi supports many Australian bank-based options including PayTo and BECS Direct Debit. These local payment methods give operators alternatives to card payments and can lower payment processing costs, particularly for higher-value bookings or scheduled instalments.

PayTo supports real-time, account-to-account payments in Australia, including one-time and recurring payment arrangements. BECS Direct Debit provides another familiar bank payment option for Australian customers. By making lower-cost methods available within the booking journey, operators and agents can reduce their reliance on more expensive card transactions.

You can bring your existing Stripe account or start a new one through YouLi.

# No-Fee Payment Methods are helping businesses adapt

YouLi’s [No-Fee Payment Methods](https://support.youli.io/360001333075-no-fee-direct-payment-methods-up-to-4-options?hsLang=en) are also helping Australian travel companies through the transition to all-inclusive pricing.

These methods allow a business to record and manage payments in YouLi without adding a YouLi payment fee (or a gateway fee). Adding this alongside your Stripe-based payments can provide an easier pathway for bank transfer or other externally settled payments while retaining the benefits of payment plans, traveller records and reconciliation in the same platform.

For businesses processing high-value group travel bookings, removing even one layer of transaction cost can make a meaningful difference to the margin retained on each departure.

# Maintain margins with smarter, all-inclusive pricing

Reducing processing costs is only part of the answer. Travel businesses also carry genuine costs for booking technology, payment administration, reconciliation, customer service, and handling.

YouLi’s [Convenience Fee functionality](https://support.youli.io/360001218676-payments-credit-card-surcharge?hsLang=en) makes it easier to include these operational costs in the advertised package price rather than adding a card-specific surcharge at checkout. The fee can support a consistent, all-inclusive pricing approach across payment methods and help teams apply their pricing strategy more reliably when building new trips.

The distinction matters. A card surcharge is an extra fee charged because a customer pays by card. Since 1 October 2026, businesses can no longer apply surcharges to payments made using Visa, Mastercard, American Express or eftpos cards.

Booking and service fees are treated differently under the Reserve Bank of Australia’s guidance. However, these fees must be genuine, clearly disclosed in accordance with Australian Consumer Law, and must not simply be used to disguise a prohibited card surcharge.

YouLi’s Convenience Fee feature can help businesses manage these fees transparently, but each business is responsible for ensuring its fee structure and pricing practices comply with the rules applicable to its circumstances.

> **"Having YouLi as a partner through this change has been invaluable. They worked alongside us as we explored the different options and helped us land on the approach that was right for our business.**
> 
> **This includes introducing lower-cost payment methods such as PayTo and BECS, while adjusting our Design and Delivery fee to incorporate payment processing costs into our Study Tour pricing."**
> 
> 
> 
> ![reho](https://blog.youli.io/hs-fs/hubfs/reho.jpg?width=30&height=30&name=reho.jpg)
> 
> **Reho Study Tours**

# Do more than absorb the change

If your booking or invoice solution simply switched off surcharging and left your business to handle the cost and considerations for a new pricing model, it may be time to expect more.

YouLi is helping Australian travel companies accept payments in 150+ currencies with AUD settlement, offer lower-cost options such as PayTo and BECS, use No-Fee Payment Methods, and build genuine operational costs into all-inclusive pricing.

The surcharge rules have changed. Your ability to protect margin does not have to disappear with them.

| [Ready to reduce payment costs and protect your margins? Book a demo with YouLi!](https://go.youli.io/youli-demo-videos) |
| --- |

# Sources for further reading

- Reserve Bank of Australia: [Removal of Card Payment Surcharges from 1 October 2026](https://www.rba.gov.au/payments-and-infrastructure/review-of-retail-payments-regulation/2026-03/conclusions-paper/faqs/)
- Stripe: PayTo payment method for Australia
- Stripe: [Supported currencies and settlement](https://docs.stripe.com/currencies)

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