A practical update for Insight Tax clients
Australia has removed card surcharges, but the ATO has responded by stopping direct credit card payments after 30 November 2026. Here is what that means for your Insight Tax invoices and your ATO payments.
Paying your Insight Tax invoices
We encourage clients with recurring Insight Tax invoices to continue using Auto Pay. It remains the simplest way to ensure invoices are paid automatically on their due date without needing to remember a manual payment each month.
Insight Tax will absorb the card transaction fee of approximately 1.7%. The fee will not be passed on to you.
If Auto Pay is already active, there is nothing further you need to do. If it is not active, follow the three-step guide below.
Paying the ATO by credit card
After 30 November 2026, the ATO will no longer accept credit cards directly. BPAY, direct debit, debit card and electronic funds transfer remain available.
If using a credit card is important for cash-flow management or reward points, a third-party payment provider can charge your card and then pay the ATO on your behalf.
Indicative provider fee comparison
Ranked from best to worst using the lowest advertised Visa/Mastercard headline rate as the primary measure. Amex costs, GST, card type, subscriptions and transaction size can change the result.
Which provider is cheapest?
There is no single winner for every card. On the headline rates reviewed, pay.com.au and B2Bpay are competitive for standard Visa/Mastercard payments, while Payment Logic is particularly competitive for Amex at 1.90%. Before proceeding, check the provider’s current pricing, whether GST or a subscription applies, and whether the payment will earn points under your card’s terms.
Important DATE : If an ATO payment plan is linked to a credit card, update the payment method before the first instalment due after 30 November 2026 to avoid a failed payment.
The Bottom Line
Insight Tax invoices: Keep using Auto Pay. Insight Tax will absorb the card processing cost.
ATO payments: Use BPAY, direct debit, debit card or EFT, or consider a third-party provider if you specifically want to continue using a credit card.
And yes, there is a certain irony in all this: businesses have been told to absorb card fees, while the ATO has decided not to accept the card.
Sources and important information
- ATO: “Changes to credit card payments”, updated 1 October 2026.
- RBA: Review of Merchant Card Payment Costs and Surcharging, March 2026.
- Provider pricing pages reviewed for indicative comparisons. Payment Logic rates supplied directly to Insight Tax.
This information is general in nature. Provider pricing and card reward terms can change. Check current fees and terms before making a payment.
