Governments Ban on Contactless Payment Surcharges w/ Retail NZ's Carolyn Young: October 15 2025

The cost of living in Aotearoa New Zealand has been one of kiwi's main issues since it topped polls at the end of the Covid lockdowns, prompting the National Party, in oppostion at the time, to declare a cost of living crisis.

However, now the National led government is recieving push back for proposed reforms of contactless payments that critiques say will increase prices.

The government says they are removing an annoyance for consumers but stores say banning their ability to pass on the fees of using contactless payments to those using the service means they will have to compensate by increasing prices, leading to everyone, not just those paying with contactless, will bear the costs.

To learn more about this, Wednesday Wire Producer Manny spoke to Chief Executive of Retail NZ, Carolyn Young, about the impacts of governments plan.