Published by SSKB Strata Management
Recent changes to Australian payment regulations mean that from 1 October 2026, payment providers will no longer be able to charge credit card surcharges directly to the person making the payment.
Why is this changing?
Until now, owners who chose to pay levies by credit and debit card paid the associated surcharge themselves. From 1 October 2026, those charges can no longer be passed on to the individual payer.
Why card payments are stopping for SSKB Managed Schemes
As your bank account is held with Macquarie Bank, credit and debit card payments will no longer be available as a levy payment option for your scheme from 1 October 2026 – irrespective of the surcharge regulation change above. Macquarie Bank is removing the ability to accept credit and debit card payments across its merchant facilities from this date, so there is no option to retain card payments even by covering the processing cost yourselves.
What this means for your scheme
• No action is required from your committee at this stage. We are notifying committees in advance as they may receive enquiries from owners about the change and we want to ensure committees are aware of the reasons for the transition and the support being provided to affected owners.
• Any card payments already scheduled to process on or after 1 October 2026 will be automatically cancelled.
• Owners who already pay by BPAY, direct debit or bank transfer won’t notice any change.
• Owners who currently pay by card will need to switch to an alternative method before 1 October 2026 to avoid a missed or cancelled payment. Owners who do not establish an alternative payment method prior to 1 October 2026 may miss levy payment due dates and could incur arrears in accordance with the scheme’s normal debt recovery processes.
Payment options that remain available
• PayID – make instant, fee-free payments via mobile or internet banking using @deft.com.au
• BPAY – pay by mobile or internet banking using the DEFT Biller Code found on your
levy notice. Use your DEFT reference number as the Customer Reference Number.
• deft.com.au – make one-off or recurring direct debits (from your bank account).
• Australia Post – pay in-store at Australia Post via eftpos or cheque. You’ll need a
barcode generated by SSKB. This can usually be found on your invoice or levy notice for strata lot owners.
• Other payment methods offered through your existing levy payment arrangements.
Details will continue to appear on levy notices where applicable.
For more information about these payment changes, visit deft.com.au/change
What is SSKB doing to assist
To assist owners with the transition, SSKB is taking the following steps:
• We will email all lot owners subscribed to news@sskb.com.au on Friday 15 August 2026 to notify them of these changes.
• Information about the available payment options will be included with future levy notices.
• FAQ can be found on our website
Questions
If you have any questions about this change, please contact your Strata Manager