Does “legal tender” mean you can always pay with notes and coins?
News that the government is considering a ban on debit card surcharges from 2025 reminds us that paying by cash is the one payment method that doesn’t generally attract a surcharge.
Physical cash use has been declining for decades, but cash remains the basis of our economy. But does that mean all businesses have to accept cash payments?
The belief that cash is “legal tender” and can’t be refused by any business is very widespread. However, it’s simply not true in Australia. Businesses can choose to accept payment in whatever form they like.
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) covers this topic in detail on its website:
While that example talks about coins, this is equally true of credit card or EFTPOS payments. You can’t insist that a business or service provider takes payments in cash, and this …