Ai-Menu Systems

On October 1, the surcharge disappears. The fee doesn't.

For years, card fees have been a line item your customers barely noticed. From 1 October 2026, that changes — Australian hospitality venues can no longer pass card surcharges on to customers. The fee is still there. It's just yours now.

For a venue doing $50K/month in card sales, that's roughly $9,900 a year that needs to come from somewhere else in the business. For a busier venue, it can run well past $30K.

Here's the thing — most operators are treating this as a compliance headache. It's actually a margin question, and there are real, practical levers to close the gap without just bumping up menu prices: smarter self-ordering (lifts average spend 10-20% on its own), shifting takeaway orders away from 30%+ delivery app commissions, and a few other changes most venues haven't considered yet.

We broke the whole thing down — the real numbers, where the margin can realistically come from, and what to do before October hits. Swipe through for the highlights, then read the full breakdown (link below).

👉 Read the full blog: https://www.ai-menu.com/rba-surcharge-ban-october-2026-recover-margin-hospitality/

Every order placed through a QR menu ends up here. 🔥

Not in the app.
Not on the screen.
Right here—in front of a chef working against the clock.

When service gets busy, the kitchen doesn't have time to chase missing tickets or decipher handwritten notes.

A great ordering system keeps every order accurate, every modification clear, and every ticket flowing straight to the kitchen so the team can focus on what matters most:
🍜 Great food
🔥 Perfect timing
😊 Happy customers

Technology isn't about replacing hospitality.

It's about giving the people behind every service the tools to perform at their best.

That's what we build at Ai-Menu Systems.

If your system moves slower than a barista at the end of a double shift… your customers already feel it.

People don’t tolerate delays like they used to. They expect ordering, payment, and service to be instant, smooth, and effortless.

That’s why more venues are upgrading to faster, more reliable digital systems that actually keep up with real service pressure — not fight against it.

Less waiting. Less stress. Faster turnover. Better experience.