‘Opaque and complicated’ card surcharges are costing Australians billions. Is an overhaul needed?

Consumers are the big losers in a world where top retailers get sweetheart deals' while small businesses get confused, advocates say

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Debit cards have long been promoted as a replacement to cash.

But a complicated system of opaque fee charges has created a multibillion-dollar revenue opportunity for the payments sector and left many consumers paying too much.