Scheme Fees and Interchange Fees
Scheme Fees
Scheme Fees are payable by Members to ePAL for each eftpos Transaction as set out in the table below. Scheme Fees are not payable for messages or transaction types that are not included in the table below.
Pursuant to Clause 29.5 of the Scheme Rules, when one Member acts as a Clearing Agent for another Member the first Member is responsible for the payment of the Scheme Fees.
Pursuant to Clause 4 of the Scheme Rules, when a Member acts as a Clearing Agent for a non-Member, the member is responsible for the payment of the Scheme Fees.
Scheme Fees are payable by the Issuer Member and the Acquirer Member for:
- off-us or interchanged transactions, and
- on-us transaction.
For example, if an eftpos Transaction occurs between Member A (the Acquirer) and Member I (the Issuer) then both Member A and Member I must pay the Scheme Fee. Further, if Member O performs an on-us eftpos Transaction then it must pay the Scheme Fee as the Issuer and as the Acquirer (ie two times the applicable fee set out below).
Schedule of Scheme Fees
Effective 1 January 2011
| Transaction types | Scheme Fee |
| Purchase | $0.01 |
| Cash Out Only | $0.01 |
| Combined Cash Out and Purchase Transaction | $0.01 |
| Medicare Refund | $0.01 |
| Refund of a Purchase Transaction | $0.00 |
| |
Interchange Fees
Interchange Fees are payable between the retailer (known as a self-acquirer) or the retailers’ financial institution (known as the acquirer) and the cardholder's bank or financial institution (known as the issuer).
On 8 March 2011, ePAL announced, as part of a package of measures to strengthen eftpos' competitiveness, a range of Multilateral Interchange Fee rates. The rates, which came into effect on 1 October 2011:
- create a simple regime to underpin and strengthen eftpos' competitiveness
- support investment in key enhancements to eftpos
- encourage card acceptance for low-value transactions (as no Interchange Fees are payable for transactions under $15).
For more information see ePAL's Interchange Fee announcement and Interchange Fee Principles.
Schedule of Interchange Fees
The following Multilateral Interchange Fee rates have been prescribed by ePAL pursuant to Clause 29 of the Scheme Rules and are effective from 1 October 2011 (subject to the transitional arrangements specified in the Scheme Rules):
Interchange Fee
(inclusive of GST) | Transaction type |
| $0.00 | Charity, Medicare Easyclaim, Low-value transactions (<$15) |
| $0.05 | Point-of-sale transactions ($15 and above) |
| –$0.15 | Cash-out, combined purchase/ cash-out transactions |
| |
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Variation to Multilateral Interchange Fee rates
The following varied Multilateral Interchange Fee rates have been prescribed by ePAL and become effective from 1 October 2012. Variations from previously published Multilateral Interchange Fee rates are shown in italics.
|
Transaction type
|
Interchange Fee (inclusive of GST)*
| Definition
|
| Charity | $0.00 | All Purchase transactions performed at a Merchant that is endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as a Charitable fund, Charitable Institution or Public Benevolent Fund. |
| Low Value (<$15) | $0.00 | All Purchase transactions for an amount that is less than $15, apart from Charity transactions (described above). |
Differential POS
rate range | $0.00 to $0.05 | Available for all Purchase transactions involving Merchants or Merchant Groups that ePAL considers meet performance metrics and requirements determined by ePAL from time to time, (excluding Charity or low value [<$15] transactions described above). |
| Electronic POS | $0.05 | All Purchase transactions apart from Charity, Low Value or Differential POS transactions (described above). |
Differential - Cash out/Combined POS/Cash
rate range
| -$0.15 to -$0.25 | Available for all Cash Out transactions or Combined Purchase and Cash out transactions involving Merchants or Merchant Groups that ePAL considers meet performance metrics and requirements determined by ePAL from time to time. |
| Cash out/Combined POS/Cash | -$0.15 | All Cash out transactions or Combined Purchase and Cash out transactions apart from Differential Cash out or Combined Purchase and Cash out transactions (described above). |
| Medicare Easyclaim Refund | $0.00 | All Medicare Easyclaim Refund transactions. |
| |
* Interchange Fee rate or range (IFR) inclusive of Goods & Services Tax
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Interchange Fees are not payable for Refunds, Declines and Pre-Authorisations. Electronic and Paper Fallback transactions attract an Interchange Fee at the applicable purchase rate.