New laws to mandate Aussie supermarkets, servos to accept cash under massive money shake-up from January 2026

There will be a major change to Australia’s cash laws from next year; Major retailers will now have to accept cash for food and fuel under these changes.

Over the past years, Australians have gradually seen the country become an increasingly ‘cashless society’, with many businesses using cards only.

This trend accelerated with the outbreak of the Covid pandemic, with many retailers moving away from physical cash.

The government has announced that from January 1, 2026, retailers selling food or fuel will have to accept cash.

“We are making it mandatory for businesses to accept cash when selling these essential products,” Finance Minister Jim Chalmers said in a statement.

“This will ensure Australians who depend on cash for fuel and food are not left behind.”

Coles and Woolworths are just some of the major retailers required to accept cash under new laws.

This guidance comes after the Reserve Bank of Australia reported that cash transactions will account for just 13% of all payments in 2022.

That’s a big drop from 2007, when just under 70 percent of payments were made in cash.

However, the new changes do not apply to everyone.

Small businesses with annual turnover of less than $10 million will be exempt from this obligation; This means your local cafe, bakery or takeaway can only accept card payments.