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With a 5% p.a interest rate, Zeller grows your account balance, so you can grow your business. Whether you’re an established business owner or are just about to launch your new venture, there’s never a bad time to reassess how your business finances are organised. By now you will most likely have  opened a business transaction account but have you considered a business savings account? With a better interest rate than the big-4 banks, a Zeller Savings Account can help you grow your business savings faster. You'll earn up to an amazing 5% p.a. interest rate with a Zeller Savings Account . Whether you’re looking to upgrade your coffee machine, give your shop a new fit out, or purchase a new delivery vehicle, a savings account will help get you there. Read on to discover five ways a business savings account can help bolster your business. 1. It can serve as an emergency fund If COVID-19 taught us anything, it’s that you never know what’s around the corner. If you want your business to be able to better survive unexpected events, it’s very important that your business has a cash reserve. By adding funds regularly to a savings account that earns interest, you are building a buffer that your business can use through unforeseen expenses, such as an important piece of equipment breaking down, a legal battle, a sudden increase in operational costs or an economic downturn, for example. 2. It can help manage poor cash flow According to The Invoice Market’s research , cash flow is the number one issue affecting small to medium businesses across Australia, with more than a third of them having to dip into their own personal savings to keep their business afloat. By moving funds into a savings account, you can contribute to building your businesses' resilience. Late payments, rising overheads, overstocked inventory or seasonal fluctuations are all common causes of poor cash flow; having some extra funds to see you through these leaner times will help give your business more stability. 3. It can help you avoid tax stress As a business owner, it is your responsibility to manage your tax obligations. If you do not have an organised approach to earmarking tax funds and declaring your turnover, you may end up with an unforecasted tax bill that could cripple your business. One great way of managing funds for not yet paid tax obligations is to put them into an interest-earning account before you need to pay the tax office. Not only will you have set aside cash to meet your tax obligations, but you will also have earned interest on it. 4. It can improve your position to borrow Even if you’re not currently planning on taking out a business loan, it might be something you choose to do in the future – so it’s important to consider your credit rating. When a lender is assessing whether or not to lend you money, they look at how much risk they are taking on. This ‘risk’ is what is known as your credit rating. In ascertaining your credit rating, they might assess your cash flow and your cash on hand. A savings account can therefore assist in providing this context to a lender. 5. It can help finance future investments Interest rates on savings accounts may not be very high, but they still offer a way to earn some passive income on idle funds. The extra cash that you earn from interest can be invested back into your business: whether you use it for purchasing new equipment, upgrading your technology, or helping to fund an advertising campaign, over time, these purchases can make a considerable difference to your business. While the day-to-day running of your business can be all consuming, making a contribution each week to a savings account can set you up for future expansion by earning you money in the background. How does a Zeller Savings Account compare to the big-4 banks? *Interest rates current at 2 March 2026. Terms apply . Don’t let your business savings stagnate in a big-4 bank account. With Zeller’s competitive interest business savings account , not only will you earn a better return on your savings without a minimum balance requirement, but you will also benefit from a whole ecosystem of financial services and business products. From securely holding your money to accepting payments, managing expenses and tracking your cash flow, Zeller’s suite of financial tools lets you tailor your solution to your business needs. With everything consolidated into one reliable platform, you can accept, settle, spend, and track your funds faster, leaving you more time to run your business. Disclaimer: The information provided on this site is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as advice that takes into account your business needs and objectives. If you are unsure, seek the advice of a qualified accountant or financial service advisor before deciding whether a savings account is right for your business.

If you’re surcharging in Australia, you need to notify your customers about it. In this article, you'll learn what the legal requirements are around surcharge signs, as well as accepting card-only payments and weekend and holiday surcharges. Plus, download our printable EFTPOS surcharge sign template for free. So, you’ve decided to start surcharging. To ensure you are being fully transparent with your customers as well as meeting regulatory requirements, there are certain rules around surcharge signage that you must comply with. Being aware of these as soon as you start surcharging will not only help you avoid potential disputes but, importantly, maintain good faith among your clientele. Not sure about passing the transaction fee onto your customer? This handy guide will help you decide whether surcharging is right for your business. What are the legal requirements around EFTPOS surcharge signs? Surcharging in Australia is governed by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC), which mandates very strict requirements around how much a business can legally surcharge ( read their guide on calculating surcharges here ). According to the ACCC , the rules around surcharge signs are as follows: If your business accepts alternative, non-surcharged payment methods (such as cash or bank transfer), then you are only legally required to have an EFTPOS surcharge sign visible at the counter. There are no specifications around how this sign must be formatted, however it must sufficiently communicate to your customers what they will be paying before they tap, dip, or swipe their card or mobile wallet. If your bank or payment provider charges a different fee per card type, then you need to specify exactly how much will be surcharged for each card. But don’t worry, we’ve done the work for you: download our credit card surcharge sign template below, add your transaction fees, print it out and display it at your counter. If your business does not accept any payment methods that don’t incur a surcharge, then you must include the surcharge within the price of the product. For example, a $5 coffee with a 2% surcharge added to it will need to be displayed at all times as $5.10. In this instance, it is not sufficient to display the coffee as $5 on the menu and to only have a credit card surcharge sign at the point of payment. Is it legal for businesses to not accept cash? Yes, according to the Reserve Bank of Australia , there is no legal requirement for merchants to accept cash for retail payments. It is the decision of the merchant as to whether they accept or encourage payments in cash. However, the ACCC states that consumers must be made aware of these terms and conditions before they make a purchase and the total minimum price payable for the goods or services must be clearly stated (as per the example above). If you choose to stop accepting cash, make sure to update all your pricing displays to incorporate the surcharge amount into the individual prices, and ensure you have a clear and conspicuous sign detailing the payment methods you do accept. Are weekend and public holiday surcharges legal in Australia? Yes. The ACCC allows cafes and restaurants to apply a service charge on weekend and public holidays to help cover the increased costs of penalty rates during these periods. However, it’s imperative that you effectively communicate this to your customers. The ACCC mandates that the venue include the following words on the menu and/or price display: “ A surcharge of [percentage] applies on [day or days].” Additionally, the words must be at least as prominent as the most prominent price on the menu, or made visible elsewhere in your venue. How much should you surcharge on public holidays? Unlike credit card surcharges, there is no limit to the amount a business can set as a public holiday surcharge. However, the standard rate in Australia is between 10% and 15%. It is up to you as a business to assess whether you risk potential customer dissatisfaction to ensure your operational costs are covered, or whether you absorb the public holiday penalty rates with the knowledge that it might bring in more customers. The rule of thumb when it comes to surcharge signage While the ACCC doesn’t specifically detail exactly how large or visible your surcharge signs should be, they can investigate cases of non-compliance. If a customer considers that your business is breaking the rules around pricing displays, at best they won’t return to your business, but at worst, they will report you to the ACCC. It is therefore extremely important that you do not mislead your customers about what they’ll be charged or why. Ensure you have a clear, visible surcharge sign at your counter, so that consumers can easily see whether there are any additional costs that may apply before making their decision. Additionally, opt for an EFTPOS machine , such as Zeller Terminal, which calculates the surcharge and displays it clearly for the customer on-screen before they tap their card.

Do you ever read your merchant statement and wonder what all of the different fees mean? Merchant statements can be difficult to navigate. With so much information packed into a single report, it’s easy to overlook important details — including unnecessary or hidden charges. While every provider structures their statements differently, most include the same core components. Once you understand what to look for, you can quickly see exactly what you’re being charged, spot discrepancies, and uncover opportunities to reduce costs. Keep reading to learn how to break down your merchant statement — and use it to save on fees and strengthen your bottom line. What is a merchant statement? When you open a business account , you’ll start receiving a merchant statement — an essential tool for managing your business finances. A merchant statement is a monthly report detailing every transaction your business processes, including customer payments and the associated processing fees. Understanding how to read this statement is key to knowing exactly how much your business is earning, what you’re spending on payment processing, and where your money is going. Because running a profitable business involves far more than simply adding up the total payments you’ve accepted each day. Elements of a merchant statement Every payment provider formats its merchant statements differently. While the terminology and layout may vary, the core components remain largely the same. At a minimum, most merchant statements include a summary, a settlement report, and a breakdown of fees and charges. Summary As the name suggests, the summary provides a high-level overview of your activity for the month — including total transactions processed, total sales, and total fees deducted. Depending on your provider, it may also include comparisons to previous months to help you track trends in revenue and costs. Settlement report The settlement report breaks this information down further, showing a day-by-day view of the transactions processed and funds settled into your account. This section helps you reconcile daily sales with the deposits you receive. Charges The charges section outlines exactly what you’ve paid in fees — and it’s often the most confusing part of a merchant statement. Fees are typically divided into two categories: Transaction charges Transaction charges are fees applied each time you process an electronic payment. These include fees for debit and credit card transactions, along with service fees that may vary by card type. Other charges Other charges cover everything outside of per-transaction fees. These may include: Authorisation fees Terminal rental fees Installation or maintenance fees Monthly account fees Understanding your rate of acceptance One of the most important — and most misunderstood — figures on your statement is your rate of acceptance . Many businesses assume this rate reflects their true cost of processing payments. However, once additional fees (such as terminal rental or monthly service fees) are factored in, the effective rate can be significantly higher. Understanding your true cost of acceptance is essential to knowing whether you’re getting a competitive deal. Step 1: Identify your costs Every time you process a card payment, you incur fees. Businesses typically manage these costs by building them into pricing or applying a surcharge (where permitted). On your merchant statement, you’ll generally see two types of fees: Wholesale fees (interchange fees) Wholesale fees — also known as interchange fees — are paid to the cardholder’s financial institution. These fees are set by the card networks and are non-negotiable. They vary depending on: Card type (e.g. debit vs premium rewards credit card) Transaction size Merchant category Premium rewards cards often carry higher interchange fees because they cost issuing banks more to operate. Markup fees Markup fees are charged by your payment processor. This is how processors generate revenue. Unlike wholesale fees, markup fees are typically negotiable and can vary significantly between providers. Even small differences — just a few basis points — can add up quickly across hundreds or thousands of transactions. Step 2: Determine your pricing model Because markup fees are negotiable, understanding your pricing model is key to knowing whether you’re getting a fair deal. Your pricing model determines how fees are calculated and displayed on your merchant statement. There are four common models: Interchange-plus Interchange-plus clearly separates wholesale (interchange) fees from the processor’s markup. It’s the most transparent pricing model, but also produces the longest and most detailed statements. Once you understand it, however, you’ll have full visibility into exactly what you’re paying. Membership With a membership model, you pay a fixed monthly subscription in exchange for lower per-transaction markups. This model can benefit businesses with higher average transaction values, as it reduces the percentage impact of large sales. Flat-rate A flat-rate model charges the same percentage fee for every transaction, regardless of card type. Wholesale and markup fees are bundled into one rate, making statements shorter and easier to understand. Flat-rate pricing offers simplicity and predictability, which is appealing for many small businesses. Tiered Tiered pricing groups transactions into categories (such as qualified, mid-qualified, and non-qualified), each with different fees. While this model can appear straightforward, it often results in higher overall costs. Transactions may be downgraded into more expensive tiers, making fees less predictable. If you see terms like qualified (qual), mid-qualified (mqual), or non-qualified (nqual) on your statement, you’re likely on a tiered plan. Bringing it together Once you understand your statement’s summary, settlement report, fee breakdown, and pricing model, you’ll be able to calculate your true cost of acceptance — and identify opportunities to reduce fees and improve margins. Need a second opinion? Even when you know where to look, merchant statements aren’t always easy to interpret. Fees can be layered, terminology can be vague, and hidden costs can slip through unnoticed. Zeller Sales can help you decode your statement, calculate your true cost of acceptance, and compare it against a transparent, tailored alternative. Get in touch to see how much your business could be saving.