From 1 October 2026, you will not be able to pay your rent by card through RentMate. Card payments on the RentMate website and by telephone stop on that date. Every other way of paying continues as it does today.

What is changing

From 1 October 2026 you cannot pay your rent by card through RentMate, either on the website or by phone.

Card payments made up to 11:59 pm on 30 September 2026 are processed as normal, and the current card service fee applies until that time.

Your Tenant Reference Number does not change.

The amount of rent you pay does not change. This changes how you can pay, not what you pay.

How to pay from 1 October 2026

Keep using your Tenant Reference Number, shown on your RentMate welcome letter and on your invoice, and pay by either of these methods:

BPAY From your bank account, through your financial institution's phone or internet banking.

Direct Debit Automatic payments from your bank account on the dates you choose.

Why is this changing?

The Reserve Bank of Australia made changes to prevent card surcharging from 1 October 2026. From that date, RentMate will not be able to charge a card service fee to the person making the payment.

The cost of accepting cards does not go away. It sits with the business accepting the payment, and RentMate is provided to real estate agencies on a user pays basis, so the card channels close rather than continue on that footing.

You can read the Reserve Bank of Australia's own answers about the removal of payment surcharges at rba.gov.au.

Common questions

Do I need to do anything now?
If you pay by card, set up BPAY or a direct debit from your bank account before your next rent payment falls due on or after 1 October 2026. If you already pay by BPAY or by direct debit from a bank account, you do not need to do anything.

I have a direct debit. Is it affected?
Direct debits funded from a bank account are not affected and continue exactly as they are.

Can I still pay by card before 1 October?
Yes. Card payments are processed as normal until 11:59 pm on 30 September 2026, and the current card service fee applies until that time.

Will my rent go up because of this?
No. The amount of rent you pay is set by your tenancy agreement and is not affected by this change.

Does my Tenant Reference Number change?
No. Keep using the same number for every payment.

What if neither BPAY nor direct debit suits me?
Contact your property manager to discuss potential alternate payment arrangements.