PayID, Crypto, and the End of Card Surcharges: How Aussies Are Paying for Meat in 2026
27 April 2026•5 min read
Where card surcharges actually come from
Every card transaction a merchant processes carries an interchange and scheme fee charged by the card network and the merchant's bank — commonly in the 1-2% range for standard cards, and higher for premium rewards cards. Many businesses absorb this cost into pricing across the board; others pass it through as a visible surcharge at checkout. Either way, the cost is real and is paid by someone in the transaction chain.
How PayID (Osko) sidesteps the fee structure
PayID is a real-time account-to-account bank transfer system built into Australia's New Payments Platform — it moves money directly between bank accounts using a linked identifier (phone, email, or ABN) instead of routing through a card network, which means there is no card-scheme interchange fee for the merchant to pass on at all.
Why some direct-wholesale online butchers pass savings through as a crypto discount
Cryptocurrency settlement (commonly BTC or stablecoins like USDT) similarly bypasses traditional card processing fees and chargeback risk entirely — an online butcher genuinely saving on processing cost has a direct, verifiable reason to offer a discount for crypto settlement, rather than it being an arbitrary promotional gimmick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PayID as secure as a card payment?
PayID transactions run on the same banking-grade infrastructure as standard bank transfers, with the added identity-verification layer of the PayID system itself. The key practical difference from a card is that bank transfers are typically not reversible the way a card chargeback can be, so it is important to confirm order details before sending payment.
Why would a business offer a discount for crypto payment?
Because settling in crypto genuinely avoids card-network processing fees and chargeback exposure for the merchant — a discount reflecting a portion of that real cost saving is a legitimate pricing decision, not a gimmick.
Do I need a crypto wallet set up in advance to use this option?
Yes — you would need an existing wallet holding the relevant currency (commonly BTC or USDT) before checkout, as this is not something a merchant can set up on your behalf during an order.
Do most online butchers in Melbourne and Brisbane accept PayID?
Adoption varies by business — PayID support is becoming more common among direct wholesale and online butchers as a way to avoid card fees, but it is worth checking a specific supplier's checkout page rather than assuming it is universally offered.
What should I check before trusting an online butcher with a bank transfer payment?
Confirm the business has a verifiable ABN, a real registered address, and clear order confirmation details before sending a PayID or bank transfer payment, since these transfers are harder to reverse than a card payment if something goes wrong.
Are card surcharges legal in Australia?
Yes, within limits — Australian rules generally require surcharges to reflect no more than the actual cost of accepting that payment method, which is part of why some merchants prefer to avoid surcharging altogether by offering fee-free alternatives like PayID.
