Nine days. That's all that stands between Australia and the end of card surcharges — and the first big survey of what we actually plan to do at the checkout just landed. The headline stat is a genuine plot twist: more than half of us say the ban will change the way we pay. And the most eager converts are Gen Z, who reckon they'll spend more by card, not less.

What the survey found

New YouGov research, surveying 1,063 Australian adults, found 56 per cent expect the ban to alter their payment behaviour. The shift is sharpest among the young: 65 per cent of Gen Z and 63 per cent of Millennials expect their habits to change, well ahead of every older generation. Seven in ten of us expect to notice a difference at the checkout. YouGov's research director, Fumin Rianto, puts it simply: this isn't just about how people pay — it's about how they shop.

The Gen Z plot twist

Here's the counterintuitive bit: 17 per cent of Gen Z and Millennials said they expect to spend more when paying by card. Gen Z are the most likely to pick a card for rewards or points, and far less likely to avoid a business over a surcharge. Across the whole population, 22 per cent said they'd be less likely to avoid a business because of card surcharges, 18 per cent plan to make more small purchases by card, and 11 per cent expect to spend more overall. Turns out the surcharge was doing more than adding 1.5 per cent to your bill — it was quietly keeping us honest.

But the cost doesn't vanish

Before anyone books the celebratory brunch: a third of respondents expect fewer surprise charges, but 29 per cent expect new or higher fees to appear elsewhere, and 26 per cent expect higher advertised prices. The ACCC has been saying the same thing for months — the cost of accepting cards doesn't vanish when the surcharge does. It just stops itemising itself.

My take

The ban's promised savings were always going to be hard to spot, and these numbers tell us why: kill the friction and we stop thinking about card costs at all. Young Aussies will tap a rewards card without a second thought while the fee quietly folds into menu prices and the weekly shop. And yes, 1 October is still coming — nine days and counting. Keep an eye on your receipts: the only line item dying is the surcharge. The cost is just finding a new hiding spot.

Happy dining — and may your next tap be a pleasant surprise. G