Jefferies says Australia's ban on payment card surcharges to hit Flight Centre

Flight Centre Travel

31/03/2026 20:15

** Analysts at Jefferies says the card surcharge ban from the Reserve Bank of Australia is negative for travel retailer Flight Centre Travel FLT.AX

** Australian consumers will no longer face surcharge fees on card payments after the RBA said it would ban the widely disliked practice as inefficient and opaque

** Brokerage says travel agents are disproportionately impacted by the ban because they earn money on behalf of their suppliers

** Adds, the ban makes it challenging for them to recover

** "We don't expect FLT to be able to fully mitigate

the impact of this regulatory change" - Jefferies

** Rates stock "buy", keeps price target of A$17.50

** 13 of 15 analysts rate the stock "buy" or higher, two "hold"; their median PT is A$16.85 – LSEG data

** Stock down over 30% this year, as of last close

 (Reporting by Rajasik Mukherjee in Bengaluru)

 ((Rajasik.Mukherjee@thomsonreuters.com))