EFTPOS by industry

• Cafés and takeaway

  Small average sale, very high volume. A fixed cents-per-tap fee does disproportionate damage here, and least cost routing is worth more than almost anywhere else.

• Retail

  Mixed card types and a wide basket range. Premium and commercial cards are where a blended rate quietly stops being competitive.

• Trades and services

  High average invoice, low transaction count. The percentage rate dominates and a monthly fee barely registers — the opposite of a café.

• Hospitality

  Table service, tipping and split bills make POS integration matter more than the headline rate. Surcharging rules change on 1 October.

• Health and allied health

  Claiming terminals and integrated practice software narrow the field of providers considerably, which is exactly where being on a panel helps.

• Accommodation

  Pre-authorisations, deposits and card-not-present bookings. A card-present rate tells you very little about what you will pay.

• Automotive and repair

  Large invoices, occasional commercial cards, and often a deposit taken over the phone at a different rate again.

• Unattended and vending

  Vending, parking, car washes and kiosks need specific certified hardware most providers simply do not carry.

• Not-for-profit

  Donation flows, recurring giving and, for some entities, concessional arrangements that are worth asking about rather than assuming.

Whatever the sector, the answer comes from your own statement rather than the category. Send one and find out.