Editing EFTPOS (section)

===Debit cards===
Australian financial institutions provide their customers with a [[plastic card]], which can be used as a debit card or as an [[ATM card]], and sometimes as a credit card. The card merely provides the means by which a customer's linked bank or other accounts can be accessed using an EFTPOS terminal or ATM. These cards can also be used on some [[vending machine]]s and other automatic payment mechanisms, such as ticket vending machines.

Each Australian bank has given a different name to its debit cards, such as:
* [[Commonwealth Bank]]: Keycard
* [[Westpac]]: Handycard
* [[National Australia Bank]]: FlexiCard
* [[Australia & New Zealand Banking Group|ANZ Bank]]: Access card
* [[Bendigo & Adelaide Bank|Bendigo Bank]]: Easy Money card
*[[St George Bank|St George]]/[[Bank of Melbourne (2011)|Bank of Melbourne]]/[[BankSA]]: FreedomCard
*[[Qudos Bank]], Queensland Police Credit Union, Dnister and Indue sponsored financial institutions: Cue Card
*[[People's Choice Credit Union]], [[Bank Australia]], [[Credit Union SA]], [[Beyond Bank Australia|Beyond Bank]], [[Teachers Mutual Bank]], [[Nexus Mutual]], and [[Cuscal]] sponsored financial institutions: rediCARD
*[[Suncorp Group|Suncorp Bank]]: eftpos Card
*[[Regional Australia Bank]]: Access card

Some banks offer alternative debit card facilities to their customers using the Visa or MasterCard clearance system. For example, [[St George Bank]] offers a Visa Debit Card,<ref>[http://www.stgeorge.com.au/personal/bank-accounts/transaction-accounts/visa-debit-card Visa Debit Card - St.George Bank]. Stgeorge.com.au. Retrieved on 2013-09-27.</ref> as does the National Australia Bank. The main difference with regular debit cards is that these cards can be used outside Australia where the respective credit card is accepted.

Those merchants that enter the EFTPOS payment system must accept [[debit card]]s issued by any Australian bank, and some also accept various [[credit card]]s and other cards. Some merchants set minimum transaction amounts for EFTPOS transactions, which can be different for debit and credit card transactions. Some merchants impose a surcharge on the use of EFTPOS. These can vary between merchants and on the type of card being used, and generally are not imposed on debit card transactions, and widely not on MasterCard and Visa credit card transactions.

A feature of a debit card is that an EFTPOS transaction will only be accepted if there is an available credit balance in the bank cheque or savings account linked to the card.

Australian debit cards normally cannot be used outside Australia.  They can only be used outside Australia if they carry the MasterCard/Maestro/Cirrus or Visa/Plus or other similar logos, in which case the non-Australian transaction will be processed through those transaction systems. Similarly, non-Australian debit and credit cards can only be used at Australian EFTPOS terminals or ATMs if they have these logos or the MasterCard or Visa logos. Diners Club and/or American Express cards will be accepted only if the merchant has an agreement with those card companies, or increasingly if the merchant has modern alternative payment options available for those cards, such as through PayPal. The [[Discover Card]] is accepted in Australia as a [[Diners Club]] card.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://uat2.dinersclub.com.au/merchants.htm| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110301185747/http://uat2.dinersclub.com.au/merchants.htm| archive-date = 2011-03-01| title = Welcome to Diners Club Australia}}</ref>

In addition, credit card companies issue [[Stored-value card|prepaid card]]s which act like generic gift cards, which are anonymous and not linked to any bank accounts. These cards are accepted by merchants who accept credit cards and are processed through the EFTPOS terminal in the same way as credit cards.

[[File:IBM POS terminal (2).jpg|thumb|IBM POS terminal]]
[[File:EFTPOS (20170819 230646).jpg|thumb|upright|EFTPOS terminal in a restaurant]]