7 Best Payment Processors in Australia 2026: Fees & Reviews

The Australian payment landscape in 2026 is defined by real-time infrastructure. From homegrown terminal heroes to global cross-border giants, discover the best processors for your business.

Alok Vats

Product

13 min read

Jul 27, 2026

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Australia’s payment market in 2026 is being shaped by PayTo, faster bank payments, digital wallets, and changes to card-surcharge rules.

The right payment provider depends heavily on what your business sells.

Retailers and hospitality businesses may need affordable EFTPOS terminals, point-of-sale software, inventory management, and fast settlement. SaaS, AI, and digital product companies have different requirements. They need international payments, subscriptions, usage-based billing, credits, customer access, Australian GST, and global tax compliance.

This guide compares the leading payment processors and Merchant of Record platforms for Australian businesses in 2026.

The fees below are indicative. Actual pricing may vary based on payment method, transaction volume, card type, business model, and negotiated agreement.

1. Zeller #

Zeller is an Australian payment and financial services platform that combines EFTPOS, online invoicing, business accounts, debit cards, and expense management.

It is a strong option for Australian businesses that want to replace separate payment terminals, bank accounts, and card-management tools with one platform.

Best for: Physical retail, hospitality, healthcare, professional services, and businesses looking for integrated payments and banking.

Indicative fees:

• In-person card payments: 1.4%
• Mail and telephone payments: 1.7%
• Online invoice payments: 1.7% + 25c for domestic cards; 2.9% + 25c for international cards
• Virtual Terminal payments: 1.75% + 25c for domestic cards
• Monthly terminal rental: $0
• Custom rates may be available for businesses processing more than $250,000 annually

Pros:

• Competitive in-person pricing: Charges a flat 1.4% for supported in-person cards, including American Express.
• No monthly terminal rental: Businesses purchase the terminal rather than paying an ongoing rental fee.
• Fast settlement: Payments can settle nightly into a Zeller Transaction Account.
• Integrated business account: Receive payments, manage funds, and issue debit cards from one platform.
• Online invoices: Create invoices and accept online card payments without a separate invoicing subscription.
• Australian support: Provides locally based support by phone and email.
• Point-of-sale integrations: Works with a broad range of Australian POS platforms.

Cons:

• It does not offer a full built-in e-commerce website builder.
• It is primarily designed for Australian businesses rather than companies with complex global billing requirements.
• It does not handle overseas tax registration and remittance as a Merchant of Record.

2. Kelviq #

Kelviq is a Merchant of Record built for Australian AI startups, SaaS companies, APIs, developer tools, and digital product businesses selling globally.

Unlike a standard payment processor, Kelviq becomes the legal seller for each customer transaction. It handles customer payments, Australian GST on covered transactions, international VAT, sales tax, invoices, refunds, and payment compliance, then sends the business a clean payout.

Kelviq is also designed for AI products and agents, where customers may be charged based on API calls, tokens, agent runs, workflows, credits, seats, or other forms of usage.

It brings payments, subscriptions, usage billing, credits, taxes, and customer access together in one platform.

Best for: Australian AI startups, AI agents, SaaS companies, APIs, developer tools, and digital product sellers expanding globally.

Indicative fees: Flat 3.9% + $0.40 per transaction under its standard global pricing.

There are no monthly platform fees or separate ingestion fees for reporting API calls and product usage.

Pros:

• Australian GST and global tax handling: Kelviq calculates, collects, and remits applicable GST, VAT, and sales tax where required.
• Merchant of Record: Kelviq takes responsibility for the customer transaction rather than only processing the payment.
• Built for AI and agents: Supports tokens, API calls, agent runs, workflows, seats, credits, top-ups, subscriptions, and pay-as-you-go pricing.
• Usage-based billing: Charge customers based on actual usage, fixed plans, prepaid credits, or hybrid pricing.
• Credits and wallets: Create prepaid balances, credit bundles, top-ups, and rollover rules.
• Real-time access control: Check a customer’s plan, credit balance, entitlement, or usage limit before an AI agent or workflow runs.
• Entitlements: Control which features, products, and usage limits each customer can access.
• Complete revenue system: Payments, subscriptions, usage metering, taxes, invoices, refunds, and customer access are managed together.
• Reduced webhook work: Kelviq’s SDKs help teams manage usage reporting, feature access, and entitlements inside their products. Webhooks are also supported.
• Global selling: Australian founders can sell internationally without separately managing transaction-tax registrations in every market.
• Clean payouts: Kelviq handles the customer transaction and applicable transaction taxes before paying the remaining balance to the business.

Kelviq handles taxes connected to customer transactions as the Merchant of Record. Businesses remain responsible for their own corporation tax, payroll tax, and other company-level obligations.

Cons:

• Not built for e-commerce or physical products.

3. Stripe #

Stripe is one of the leading payment platforms for Australian SaaS companies, technology startups, marketplaces, and online businesses.

Its developer tools support cards, PayTo, BECS Direct Debit, subscriptions, invoicing, marketplaces, fraud prevention, and international payment methods.

Best for: SaaS companies, technology startups, developers, marketplaces, and businesses that want to build and control their own payment infrastructure.

Indicative fees:

• Domestic cards: 1.7% + 30c
• International cards: 3.5% + 30c
• Currency conversion: An additional 2% may apply
• PayTo: 1% + 30c, capped at $3.50
• BECS Direct Debit: 1% + 30c, capped at $3.50
• In-person domestic cards: 1.7% + 10c
• Additional charges may apply for Stripe Billing, Tax, Connect, and other products

Pros:

• Strong developer tools: Provides detailed APIs, SDKs, documentation, and testing environments.
• PayTo support: Accept one-time and recurring real-time bank payments.
• BECS Direct Debit: Useful for subscriptions, memberships, and invoice-based payments.
• Subscription billing: Supports recurring payments, trials, invoicing, plan changes, and payment retries.
• Marketplace infrastructure: Stripe Connect supports platforms that collect and distribute payments.
• International payments: Accepts cards and local payment methods from customers in multiple countries.
• Fraud prevention: Stripe Radar helps identify suspicious payments.
• Tax calculation: Stripe Tax can help calculate GST, VAT, and sales tax based on customer location.

Cons:

• Stripe Tax helps calculate and collect taxes, but the business remains responsible for registrations, filings, and remittance.
• International cards and currency conversion can become expensive.
• Billing, tax, and marketplace tools may add fees on top of transaction processing.
• Advanced credits, usage billing, and customer access may require additional development.
• Automated risk reviews may sometimes result in account restrictions or delayed payouts.

4. Square #

Square is one of Australia’s strongest payment platforms for businesses that sell both online and in person.

Its ecosystem combines payment terminals, point-of-sale software, online stores, inventory, invoicing, appointments, restaurant tools, and staff management.

Best for: Retailers, cafes, restaurants, salons, clinics, market sellers, and local service businesses.

Indicative fees:

• In-person card payments: 1.6% (for merchants who signed up on or after 30 May 2024; 1.9% may apply to some earlier accounts)
• Online and remote payments: 2.2%
• Afterpay: 6% + 30c, excluding GST
• Custom rates may be available for businesses processing more than $250,000 annually

Pros:

• Strong point-of-sale system: Offers readers, terminals, registers, and Tap to Pay.
• Native online store: Businesses can create an e-commerce website that connects with Square’s POS.
• Omnichannel inventory: Keeps online and physical-store inventory in sync.
• Industry-specific software: Provides tools for restaurants, retail, appointments, and invoicing.
• No required processing subscription: Businesses can use the standard payment plan without a monthly processing fee.
• Simple pricing: Major supported card brands are charged at the same in-person rate.
• Fraud and dispute tools: Includes fraud prevention and dispute management.

Cons:

• Not designed for advanced SaaS subscriptions, credits, or usage-based billing.
• Online payments cost more than in-person transactions.
• Flat pricing may become more expensive for high-volume businesses.
• It does not act as a Merchant of Record for international tax compliance.

5. Airwallex #

Airwallex is an Australian-founded financial platform designed for businesses operating across multiple countries and currencies.

It combines online payment acceptance, multi-currency accounts, foreign exchange, international payouts, corporate cards, subscriptions, and expense management.

Best for: Exporters, agencies with global clients, international e-commerce businesses, SaaS companies, and businesses managing overseas suppliers or teams.

Indicative fees:

• Domestic cards: 1.65% + 30c
• International cards: 3.4% + 30c
• Local payment methods: 30c plus the applicable payment-method fee
• Subscription management: An additional 0.5% per successful card transaction
• Foreign exchange rates vary by currency and account plan

Pros:

• Multi-currency accounts: Receive and hold funds in more than 20 currencies.
• Like-for-like settlement: Settle supported payments without immediately converting the currency.
• Lower foreign exchange costs: Often more competitive than traditional bank rates.
• International payouts: Pay suppliers, employees, and contractors across multiple markets.
• Local payment methods: Supports cards and a large range of international payment options.
• Corporate cards: Issue physical and virtual cards for advertising, subscriptions, travel, and expenses.
• Subscription management: Supports recurring payments for standard subscription businesses.
• Payment links: Accept online payments without building a custom checkout.

Cons:

• It does not provide the same in-person payment hardware ecosystem as Zeller or Square.
• Subscription management carries an additional transaction fee.
• It is stronger for international payments, foreign exchange, and treasury than customer entitlements or AI billing.
• It is not a Merchant of Record, so businesses remain responsible for international tax compliance.

6. Eway #

Eway is an established Australian online payment gateway owned by Global Payments.

It provides card processing, digital wallets, fraud prevention, hosted payment pages, APIs, subscriptions, and integrations with e-commerce and accounting platforms.

Best for: Established Australian e-commerce businesses, online retailers, charities, and companies that want a local payment provider.

Indicative fees:

• Online domestic card payments: 1.5% + 25c
• International cards: An additional international card fee may apply
• Settlement: Generally within one to three business days, subject to approval
• Gateway-only plans are available for businesses with their own merchant facility

Pros:

• Simple online pricing: Charges a flat rate for most major domestic cards.
• No lock-in contract: Standard online payment plans do not require a long-term commitment.
• No monthly fee for the all-in-one online plan: Businesses pay based on processed transactions.
• Fraud protection: Includes its Fraud Lite product with standard accounts.
• Australian support: Provides local payment support and emergency technical assistance.
• Xero integration: Supports accounting reconciliation through Xero.
• Multiple integration options: Offers APIs, hosted payment pages, shopping-cart plugins, and gateway-only services.
• Fast settlement: Funds are generally available within one to three business days.

Cons:

• International card payments carry an additional fee.
• Its dashboard and developer experience may feel less modern than Stripe or Airwallex.
• It is focused on payment acceptance rather than global tax, AI billing, credits, or customer entitlements.

7. Paddle #

Paddle is a Merchant of Record for SaaS, software, and digital product businesses.

It becomes the legal seller for the customer transaction and handles payment processing, GST, VAT, sales tax, invoices, refunds, and related compliance responsibilities.

This can help Australian founders sell internationally without registering for transaction taxes in every country.

Best for: SaaS startups, software companies, and digital product sellers expanding into markets such as the US, UK, and Europe.

Indicative fees: Around 5% + $0.50 per transaction under its standard pricing.

Custom pricing may be available for larger businesses or products with low transaction values.

Pros:

• Merchant of Record: Takes responsibility for the customer transaction.
• Global tax handling: Manages applicable GST, VAT, and sales tax collection and remittance.
• International selling: Helps software companies sell across multiple countries.
• Subscription support: Suitable for standard recurring SaaS billing.
• Invoices and refunds: Manages customer transaction documents and refund processing.
• Single integration: Combines payments, tax compliance, and standard billing.

Cons:

• Transaction fees are higher than most Australian payment gateways.
• Businesses have less control than when operating their own merchant account.
• It may be less flexible for real-time AI billing, prepaid wallets, complex credits, and customer entitlements.

Australian Payment Processor Comparison #

Which Australian Payment Processor Should You Choose? #

The right provider depends on what your business sells, where your customers are, and how much payment infrastructure you want to manage.

For a physical shop, cafe, restaurant, or hospitality business: Zeller provides competitive in-person pricing, EFTPOS hardware, a business account, invoicing, and local support.

For an AI agent, AI API, SaaS product, or usage-based software company selling globally: Consider Kelviq. It combines payments, Australian GST, global tax compliance, subscriptions, credits, usage billing, and customer access in one platform.

For a technology company that wants to build and control its own payment infrastructure: Stripe offers flexible APIs, PayTo, BECS Direct Debit, subscriptions, and marketplace tools.

For a business selling both online and in person: Square provides POS hardware, online stores, inventory management, appointments, invoicing, and industry-specific software.

For an Australian company managing international currencies, suppliers, and payouts: Airwallex can simplify foreign exchange, multi-currency accounts, international cards, and cross-border transfers.

For an established e-commerce company that wants a local Australian payment provider: Eway offers simple domestic card pricing, fraud tools, Xero integration, and local support.

For a software company that wants a traditional Merchant of Record: Paddle provides payments, subscriptions, GST, VAT, sales tax, invoices, and international compliance.

PayTo and Faster Bank Payments #

PayTo is part of Australia’s New Payments Platform.

It lets customers authorise businesses to initiate payments directly from their bank accounts. PayTo can support one-time purchases, subscriptions, instalment plans, and other recurring payment agreements.

Compared with traditional Direct Debit, PayTo gives customers greater visibility and control over their payment agreements. It can also provide faster payment confirmation.

PayTo is useful for:

• SaaS subscriptions
• Memberships
• Insurance payments
• Utility bills
• Instalment plans
• Recurring invoices
• High-value transactions where card fees are expensive

However, businesses should not assume that PayTo has fully replaced BECS Direct Debit. Customer-bank coverage, integration options, refunds, disputes, and payment controls can vary between providers.

Australia’s Card-Surcharge Changes #

Australian businesses must also prepare for changes to card surcharging.

From 1 October 2026, merchants will no longer be permitted to add surcharges to Visa, Mastercard, and eftpos card payments. American Express has also announced a similar surcharge restriction beginning on that date.

Businesses that currently pass card-processing costs to customers will need to decide whether to absorb those fees or include them in their advertised prices.

When comparing processors, Australian businesses should therefore look beyond the advertised percentage and consider:

• Domestic and international card rates
• Fixed transaction fees
• Monthly software or terminal costs
• Settlement speed
• Refund and dispute costs
• Card mix
• Foreign exchange fees
• Subscription charges
• Whether lower custom pricing is available at higher volume

Payment Processing for AI Agents #

Traditional billing systems were designed around purchases and subscriptions started by a person.

AI products work differently.

An agent can run workflows, call external APIs, consume tokens, use compute resources, and create direct costs without a customer manually approving each action.

Before an agent runs, the product may need to check:

• Whether the customer has an active subscription
• Whether the requested feature is included
• Whether enough credits are available
• Whether a usage or spending limit has been reached
• Whether the action should be allowed or blocked
• Whether an automatic top-up should be triggered

After the agent runs, the product must record usage, update the customer’s balance, calculate the charge, and show the activity in the customer portal or invoice.

For AI companies, billing is no longer only something that happens at the end of the month. It is part of the product’s real-time infrastructure.

The Bottom Line #

There is no single best payment processor for every Australian business.

Zeller and Square are strong choices for retail, hospitality, and local service businesses that need in-person payment hardware. Eway provides straightforward online payments and local support for established Australian e-commerce companies.

Stripe is suited to technical teams that want flexible APIs, PayTo, subscriptions, and control over their payment infrastructure. Airwallex is useful for companies managing multiple currencies, overseas suppliers, and international payouts.

Paddle offers a traditional Merchant of Record model for software and digital products.

For Australian AI, SaaS, API, and digital product companies selling globally, payment processing is only one part of the problem. These businesses must also manage Australian GST, international taxes, subscriptions, usage-based pricing, credits, invoices, refunds, and customer access.

Kelviq is designed for this use case. It gives Australian software companies a way to sell globally without building separate systems for payments, tax, billing, usage metering, credits, and entitlements.