NSW Government Illegally Charged Residents $144 Million in Merchant Fees

The NSW government is under scrutiny after revelations of unlawful surcharges across millions of transactions since 2016.

The illegal fees were collected by Service NSW and Revenue NSW agencies, affecting approximately 92 million card transactions.
Despite repeated legal advice deeming the fees unlawful, they continued to be charged from 2016 to 2023.
A taskforce has been established to halt the collection of these fees, with 90% of online transactions now surcharge-free.
The NSW Ombudsman and the Independent Commission Against Corruption have been asked to investigate potential maladministration.
Finance Minister Courtney Houssos stated that reimbursement options are being considered, though no commitment has been made yet.