Money & Payments in Melbourne (2026)

Good to know

Good to Know

Melbourne is highly cashless, but essential businesses (supermarkets, fuel, pharmacies) must accept cash by law as of January 1, 2026.
Foreign debit cards incur AUD $2.00–$7.50 per ATM withdrawal at major banks, plus your home bank's additional international fees. Use major bank ATMs (CBA, ANZ, NAB, Westpac logos) and avoid standalone 'atmx' machines and convenience store ATMs.
If an ATM asks whether you want to be charged in your home currency, always select AUD to avoid poor exchange rates.
Tipping is not expected in Australia. Service staff earn liveable wages. EFTPOS tip prompts are common; pressing 'No tip' is perfectly normal.
At cafés in particular, tipping is not a custom. Ignore EFTPOS prompts if you prefer not to tip.
Debit cards cannot be surcharged as of January 1, 2026, but merchants can still surcharge credit cards (typically 0.5–1.5%).
Contactless card and mobile payments (Google Pay, Apple Pay) are widely accepted and work on public transport as of early 2026.

ATM Fees

Warning: Avoid ATMs labeled 'atmx' or private ATMs in convenience stores and tourist areas—they charge significantly higher fees (AUD $2.50–$5.00+). Prefer ATMs bearing major bank logos (CBA, ANZ, NAB, Westpac).
Private ATMs: A$5.00
Foreign Bank Fees: Your home bank may add an additional international transaction fee (typically 2–3%) and a fixed fee (approximately $2–$5 per withdrawal) on top of local Australian ATM fees.
Withdrawal Limits: Default daily limit is usually AUD $1,000. Can be increased to AUD $2,000 via banking app or branch visit.
Domestic Debit Cards: Free at major bank ATMs (Commonwealth Bank, ANZ, NAB, Westpac and their subsidiaries) if you hold an Australian debit card.

Foreign Debit Cards

Major Bank ATMs: A$2.00
Note: Australian banks typically charge approximately AUD $2.00 per transaction for foreign debit cards at major bank ATMs. Some sources report AUD $4.00–$7.50 depending on the specific bank and ATM network.

Tipping Norms

General Note: Tipping is not part of Australian culture. Service staff earn a fair minimum wage with penalty rates for weekend/holiday work, so they do not depend on tips. Tipping is a personal choice to show appreciation for truly exceptional service, but it is never obligatory and will not offend staff if you don't tip.

Hotels

Practice: Housekeeping: no tip for standard service; AUD $2–$5 per day for exceptional personalised service. Porters/bellhops: AUD $2–$5 per bag if service is exceptional. Concierge: AUD $10–$20 for special assistance (booking sold-out restaurants, resolving problems).
Expectation: Not required

Tour Guides

Practice: Optional. AUD $5–$10 for half-day tours or AUD $10–$20 for full-day tours if service was exceptional. Writing a positive review is equally appreciated.
Expectation: Not required

Cafes And Bars

Practice: Tipping is not part of café or bar culture in Melbourne. Many EFTPOS terminals display tip prompts (5%, 10%, 15%, or custom) at point-of-sale. Pressing '0%' or 'No tip' causes no social awkwardness. Rounding up by a dollar or two is a nice gesture but never expected.
Expectation: Not required

Taxis Rideshare

Practice: Tipping is not customary. Rounding up the fare to the nearest dollar is a nice gesture for longer journeys but never expected.
Expectation: Not required

Restaurants Casual

Practice: 5–10% for good service is appreciated but entirely optional. Rounding up the bill is more common than calculating a percentage.
Expectation: Not required

Restaurants Fine Dining

Practice: 10% for excellent service is generous and appreciated, but never expected. Service staff earn a liveable minimum wage in Australia and do not depend on tips.
Expectation: Not required

Card Acceptance

Debit Cards: Widely accepted at nearly all merchants. Visa and Mastercard debit cards with chip-and-PIN are standard; Cirrus, Maestro, and Plus networks also accepted. As of January 1, 2026, merchants cannot charge surcharges on debit card (EFTPOS) transactions. Contactless/tap payment is prevalent.
Credit Cards: Visa and MasterCard accepted at most retailers, hotels, and restaurants. American Express less common but accepted at major establishments. Merchants can apply cost-recovery surcharges (typically 0.5-1.5%) on credit card transactions. Contactless credit card payments now work on Melbourne public transport tram/train/bus systems as of early 2026.
Cashless Prevalence: Melbourne is primarily cashless. Most cafes, restaurants, shops, and services prefer or accept card-only payment.

Currency Conversion

Best Practice: Decline conversion offers and let your card operator handle the exchange at the mid-market rate.
Dynamic Currency Conversion Warning: Some ATMs and terminals offer to charge you in your home currency instead of AUD. Always select AUD. Accepting the ATM's currency conversion results in a poor exchange rate with added fees.

Surcharge Rules 2026

As of January 1, 2026, merchants cannot charge a surcharge on debit card (EFTPOS) transactions. Credit card surcharges remain permissible but capped at the merchant's cost of acceptance (typically 0.5–1.5%). However, as of October 1, 2026, Visa, Mastercard, and EFTPOS card networks can enforce 'no surcharge' rules, meaning participating merchants cannot charge any surcharge on those cards.

Banking

To: A$5.00
Monthly: Often waived for newcomers, students, or if minimum balance maintained
ATM Access: Large networks available; some accounts waive domestic ATM fees
Account Fees: A$0.00
International Transfers: Most banks offer online and in-app transfers with preferential rates for new arrivals

Major Banks

Commonwealth Bank (CommBank)
Westpac
National Australia Bank (NAB)
ANZ

Account Types

Transaction (everyday) accounts
Savings accounts
Student accounts

Opening Process

Pre Arrival: Some banks (CommBank, Westpac) allow online applications up to 12–14 days before arrival with no Australian address needed
In Australia: All applications must be verified in person at a branch within 20–90 days of arrival with valid passport and proof of identity

Required Documents

Valid passport
Visa/residency proof
Tax Identification Number (TIN) from your home country
Temporary or permanent Australian address (can be temporary initially)
Australian mobile number for two-factor authentication

AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026

Sources cited for this category

These are the sources cited in this money & payments research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.

More About Melbourne

Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.

Money & Payments in Melbourne