Tyro is one of the most established payment names in Australian hospitality, used by tens of thousands of venues. Its appeal is tight integration with POS systems, least cost routing that can lower your fees, and local support that knows the market. Here is our honest read.
Tyro is a dedicated payments provider rather than a side feature of a POS, and it has spent years integrating deeply with the systems Australian venues actually use. The terminal talks directly to your point of sale, so totals are not keyed twice and end of day reconciliation is clean. For a busy venue, that integration removes a real source of error and friction.
Its other notable feature is least cost routing, which sends eligible contactless transactions down the cheapest network automatically, quietly reducing what you pay. Combined with rates that improve as your volume rises, that makes Tyro increasingly competitive the busier you get. The trade off is that at very low volume the pricing is less compelling than a flat simple option.
The terminal connects directly to your point of sale, so totals are not entered twice and your end of day reconciles cleanly.
Eligible contactless payments are automatically routed down the cheapest network, quietly lowering your effective rate.
Pricing improves as your volume grows, so the busier you are the more competitive Tyro becomes.
Australian based support that understands hospitality, rather than a generic global help desk.
Tyro makes the most sense for established venues doing steady volume that value clean POS integration and want least cost routing working to trim their fees. The integration and local support are real advantages for a busy floor. For a brand new or very low volume venue, a simpler flat option may be easier to start with, but as you grow Tyro tends to pull ahead on cost.
We rate suppliers independently. We do not earn a referral fee from Tyro. Here is the balanced picture, the good and the points to weigh up.
Tyro publishes a standard rate and a terminal rental, then moves to custom pricing once your volume climbs. The headline merchant service fee is 1.4% per in person transaction, with a $29 a month terminal rental that is waived once you transact more than $10,000 a month. Least cost routing through Tap and Save can lower the effective rate on eligible contactless debit. The figures below are Tyro's published Australian rates and can change, so always confirm current pricing for your volume.
| Item | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| In person card payments | 1.4% per transaction | Standard merchant service fee for businesses transacting under $20,000 a month. |
| Custom pricing | negotiated | Businesses processing over $20,000 a month can get tailored pricing by industry, history and size. |
| Foreign cards | +0.4% | Additional fee on internationally issued cards. |
| Keyed in (MOTO) | +0.165% | Additional manual card processing fee for mail and telephone orders. |
| Tap and Save (LCR) | savings vary | Least cost routing sends eligible contactless debit over the cheaper network. Not available on some flat fee offers. |
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal rental | $29/mo | Waived for merchants transacting more than $10,000 a month. Roughly $348 a year if not waived. |
| Setup fee | $0 | No setup fee. Funds settle next business day, or same day into a Tyro Transaction Account. |
| Contract | no lock in | No fixed term. You can leave without a cancellation penalty. |
| No Cost EFTPOS | surcharge model | A surcharging plan for merchants over $10,000 a month. This model changes with the October 2026 surcharge ban, so confirm what you pay afterwards. |
Tyro suits busier hospitality and retail venues that value deep POS integration and least cost routing, and the rental is effectively free once you are over $10,000 a month. The number that matters is the break even between the rental and the rate: at higher volume the 1.4% can beat a flat rate provider, while at lower volume the rental narrows or removes that saving. From 1 October 2026 the surcharge ban means the fee comes out of your margin rather than the customer, so confirm your post ban effective rate. We can model Tyro against the alternatives on your actual volume and card mix, free.
Tyro is one option. Here is how it sits alongside the other payment providers we review, so you can weigh them side by side.
We can get you an accurate Tyro rate for your volume, and compare it honestly against other providers so you land on the best deal, not just the first one offered. Free, no obligation, and we will be in touch within 48 hours.
