GENERAL

Dear C / Towns,

I refer to your email below and advise that in its current form your
request is not valid in terms of section 15(2)(b) of the FOI Act 1982 Cth
in that it does not 'provide such information concerning the document as
is reasonably necessary to enable a responsible officer of the agency, or
the Minister, to identify it'.

This is because you have not cited a date range over which you expect the
Bank to search (meaning your request as it stands could arguably extend
back to the establishment of the Reserve Bank of Australia via the Reserve
Bank Act in 1960).

We invite you to resubmit your request in terms that make it valid in
terms of section 15(2)(b). If you require any assistance in determining
how to do that, please feel free to get in contact with me.

Yours sincerely  

 

Phil Lomas | Manager, FOI

RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA | 8 Chifley Square, Sydney NSW 2000

P: 02 9551 9744 | e: [RBA request email] | w: www.rba.gov.au

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Towns <[FOI #13874 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 16 October 2025 9:11 PM
To: FOI <[RBA request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Figures relating to surcharging
frequency [SEC=OFFICIAL]

 

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Dear Reserve Bank of Australia,

 

 

 

Summary of Request:

 

 

 

Documents:

 

        •       considering, recording or explaining how the Reserve Bank
of Australia (RBA) determines or estimates the proportion or number of
Australian businesses that apply surcharges on card payments, including
but not limited to:

 

        •data sources used;

 

        •sampling or modelling methodologies;

 

        •internal correspondence or advice on the reliability, limitations
or assumptions of those estimates; and/or

 

•discussing, referencing or analysing data or reports produced by East &
Partners in connection with merchant surcharging, merchant service fees,
or related payment-cost behaviour; and/or

 

•considering, explaining or summarising any differences between
RBA-collected data and third-party data (including East & Partners) on
merchant surcharging rates, and any internal commentary on the accuracy,
credibility or representativeness of such figures; and/or

 

•any internal communications, meeting notes, or briefings to RBA
executives, the Payments Policy Department, or the Payments System Board
concerning the use, citation, or exclusion of East & Partners data in RBA
publications, speeches, or consultation papers

 

 

 

Yours faithfully,

 

 

 

C

 

 

 

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[1][FOI #13874 email]

 

 

 

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If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

 

 

 

 

 

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