How do I apply a taxi surcharge?

If you operate a taxi business, you can apply a surcharge to card payments where permitted by your state or territory regulations. The surcharge amount is displayed on screen before payment and itemised on the customer's receipt.

From 1st October 2026, card surcharging is prohibited for most Australian businesses. However, taxi fares remain exempt. Surcharges on taxi fares continue to be regulated by individual state or territory where permitted by law.

To find out what's changing for other businesses, view here.

A taxi surcharge is set per site and automatically apply to all devices assigned to that site. This feature is available for Australian businesses accepting payments on Zeller Terminal (including manual entry) and Tap to Pay in the Zeller App

If you had a surcharge turned on before 1 October 2026, we've already moved it to a custom fee, tax or charge called Taxi Surcharge. You can check it using the steps below.

To apply a taxi surcharge from your Zeller Dashboard:

1. Navigate to Sites.
2. Select your site.
3. Select the Payments tab.
4. In the Custom Fees, Taxes & Charges section, toggle on Apply Custom Fee, Tax or Charge.
5. Enter a Name, such as Taxi Surcharge. This is what your customer sees.
6. Enter the Amount as a percentage.
7. Click Save.

To apply a taxi surcharge from your Zeller Terminal:

1. Navigate to Settings > Site Settings > Custom Fees, Taxes & Charges.
2. Toggle on Apply Custom Fee, Tax or Charge.
3. Enter a Name, such as Taxi Surcharge.
4. Enter the Amount as a percentage.
5. Press the back arrow to save changes.

How much you can charge?

Maximum allowable taxi surcharges are set by individual state and territory authorities. As Zeller does not automatically verify surcharge rates against local regulatory caps, businesses are responsible for ensuring their configured percentage complies with applicable laws.

Please note: this exception only applies to taxi fares. If you're unsure whether it applies to your business, we recommend seeking legal or other appropriate advice.

What your customer sees

Before they pay, your customer sees the name and amount on the payment screen, for example "Incl. $0.80 Taxi Surcharge". It's also shown on printed and digital receipts, and in your transaction details.

Please note: changes only apply to new payments. Past transactions keep the name and amount that were charged at the time.

Turning it off

To stop applying it, return to the same setting and toggle off Apply Custom Fee, Tax or Charge. The name and amount you entered are kept, so you can turn it back on later.

When it isn't applied

A taxi surcharge isn't added to payments taken through an integrated POS system, Pay at Table, Zeller Invoices, Payment Links or Virtual Terminal.

If you experience any difficulties applying a taxi surcharge, please get in touch with our Support team for assistance.