Descriptions for Reasons for the Decision to Designate the EFTPOS Payment System Images

Graph 1: Non-cash Payments per Capita

This graph shows the number of payments per capita per year for six non-cash payment instruments between 1995 and 2004: credit cards, EFTPOS, cheques, direct credits, direct debits and BPAY.

The number of credit card transactions per capita per year has risen substantially, from 12 in 1995 to 54 in 2004. The number of EFTPOS transactions per capita per year has also risen strongly, from 15 in 1995 to 48 in 2004. The number of cheques per capita per year has declined from 56 in 1995 to 30 in 2003. The number of direct credits per capita per year was 28 in 1995. It fell slightly over the next few years, and then increased; there were 34 direct credits per capita per year by 2003. The number of direct debits per capita per year rose from 6 in 1995 to 18 in 2003. The number of BPAY transactions per capita per year rose from about 0.2 in 1998 to 5 by 2004.

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Graph 2: Debit Card Transactions (Per inhabitant, 2002)

This graph shows the number of debit card transactions per inhabitant, and the interchange fee per debit card transaction in Australian Dollars, for five countries in 2002: Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the UK and the US.

Interchange fees are paid by the acquirer to the issuer. A negative interchange fee, as is the case in Australia, means that an interchange fee is paid by the issuer to the acquirer.

In Australia there were 42 transactions per inhabitant and interchange was $-0.20 per transaction; in Canada there were 76 transactions per inhabitant and interchange was zero; in the Netherlands there were 66 transactions per inhabitant and interchange was zero; in the UK there were 52 transactions per inhabitant and interchange was $0.16 per transaction; and in the US there were 54 transactions per inhabitant and interchange was $0.31 per transaction.

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Graph 3: Debit Card Transactions (Per terminal, 2002)

This graph shows the number of debit card transactions per terminal, and the interchange fee per debit card transaction in Australian Dollars, for five countries in 2002: Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the UK and the US.

Interchange fees are paid by the acquirer to the issuer. A negative interchange fee, as is the case in Australia, means that an interchange fee is paid by the issuer to the acquirer.

In Australia there were 2003 transactions per terminal and interchange was $-0.20 per transaction; in Canada there were 4855 transactions per terminal and interchange was zero; in the Netherlands there were 6034 transactions per terminal and interchange was zero; in the UK there were 3776 transactions per terminal and interchange was $0.16 per transaction; and in the US there were 4453 transactions per terminal and interchange was $0.31 per transaction.

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