Menu rules
for 2026.

Since 1 October 2026, eftpos, Mastercard and Visa no longer allow surcharges, including on foreign cards. Amex and UnionPay followed from 1 October and PayPal from 5 October. Weekend surcharges, public holiday surcharges, booking fees and service fees aren't affected. But a 'service fee' that really covers card costs may still count as a card surcharge.

The ACCC says you can build card costs into your prices, but the reason you give for a price rise mustn't mislead. The ACCC warns that calling a card fee something else, like a 'service fee', may be misleading.

Cafes and restaurants don't have to include a weekend or public holiday surcharge in their menu prices, on one condition: the menu must say 'A surcharge of (percentage) applies on (days)', at least as prominently as the most prominent price. Small print at the bottom doesn't count.

Food that doesn't need a label, such as meals in a cafe, must still have allergens declared with the food or on request, using the required names: wheat, fish, crustacean, mollusc, egg, milk, lupin, peanut, soy, sesame, almond, Brazil nut, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, pecan, pistachio, pine nut, walnut, barley, oats and rye (when they contain gluten), and added sulphites (10 mg/kg or more). FSANZ's food service guidance suggests an allergen management program and staff training, and points to a free allergen menu matrix template.

'Gluten free' means no detectable gluten, and no oats or malted gluten cereals. It can't sit next to a 'may contain' line, and Coeliac Australia says 'gluten friendly' isn't permitted under the Code.

Since 1 July 2026, restaurants, takeaways, pubs, clubs and food trucks must show where their seafood comes from: Australian, imported or mixed, in writing or digitally before ordering.

The rules apply wherever prices appear: the printed menu, the board, your website, your Google profile and the delivery apps. A card surcharge line removed from the counter but left on the website is still out of date.

After any change, check every copy of the menu in one sitting. The Google profile page has a check that flags old surcharge wording and missing prices.