Each time you tap, you pay a little extra, and it all adds up

The Money

Australian's love affair with paying by card - and not cash - has now surpassed 90% of transactions. And each time we tap our card, the merchant incurs a cost that's passed onto you, the customer, to the tune of billions of dollars a year.

So who gets the money? As part of a Review of Retail Payments Regulation, the RBA is expecting the industry - the banks, card companies and payment terminal companies - to cut processing costs by using what's called 'least cost routing'.

• Brad Kelly, Managing Director of Consulting Company, Payment Services
• Wes Lambert, CEO of the Australian Restaurant and Cafe Association

The ACCC is seeking significant penalties for Coles and Woolworths in the Federal Court, alleging they systematically misled customers with their 'Prices Drop' and 'Down Down' claims.

• Neil Rechlin, Partner at NextGen Group