Mandating Cash Acceptance – Exposure Draft Regulations - Australian Government the Treasury - October 2025
In October of 2025 The Commonwealth Treasury released exposure draft regulations (the Regulations) on mandating cash acceptance.
The Regulations would require grocery retailers and petrol stations to accept cash for purchases up to $500. This is designed to ensure that these essential purchases are accessible for as many Australians as possible.
The Salvation Army sees the benefits of cash as a means of exchange in many instances, included in the wake of natural disasters, for victim survivors of Family and Domestic Violence, for older Australians and as a means of budgeting for those with limited incomes.
We recommended that the Treasury go further and develop similar rules for pharmacy and healthcare services, to ensure these also remain accessible to those who may need cash as a means of exchange.