Cards Regulatory Resources

Since the early 2000s, the Bank has introduced a number of reforms which have regulated elements of designated credit, debit and prepaid card systems with the aim of improving the efficiency of the Australian payments system and promoting competition in the provision of payment services. Card regulations have evolved through the Bank’s regular reviews of its regulatory settings alongside developments in the payments system.

Credit Cards
Regulations and reforms made by the RBA under the Payment Systems (Regulation) Act 1998 relating to credit card systems.
Debit and Prepaid Cards
Regulations and reforms made by the RBA under the Payment Systems (Regulation) Act 1998 relating to debit card systems.
Least-cost Routing of Debit Card Transactions
The RBA has set expectations for the implementation of least-cost routing (LCR) for debit card transactions in Australia.
Expectations for Tokenisation of Payment Cards and Storage of PANs
The RBA has set expectations for the Tokenisation of Payment Cards and Storage of Primary Account Numbers (PANs), aimed at improving security, efficiency and competition for online card payments.