Tourism in Australia has made a strong recovery during the last year due to a growing number of visitors from the UK and New Zealand as well as the US and various Asian nations. International visitor spending reached $27.8 billion in 2024 according to Tourism Research Australia which is a 110% increase from the previous year. These aren’t just sightseers, but actual customers with expectations formed in airports, hotels, and city centres. Speed and simplicity are simply just expected since tourists today want less waiting, fewer steps, and no fiddling around with cash or unfamiliar systems. Major metro areas, regional towns, and coastal getaways are also feeling the pressure to keep up with contactless expectations.
While Australians have long embraced tap-and-go payments, with 93% of face-to-face card transactions contactless as of 2023, many local businesses still rely on slower, legacy systems. Tourists used to instant checkouts, mobile payments, and QR menus now expect a similar experience whether they’re buying a coffee in Margaret River or a museum ticket in Hobart. Local operators risk losing not just convenience points, but sales altogether, when they’re not able to meet these expectations.
An area where consumer expectations are already being met is in the gaming sector. This approach is highly visible as several casinos operating online in Australia have adopted online payment systems that align with international standards. The goal for these international platforms is to offer fast, secure, and hassle-free payment options, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, cryptocurrency, and even local options such as PayID (source: https://www.esports.net/au/casino/). This allows players to focus on the experience rather than the logistics. These same principles apply to retailers and ecommerce platforms. Whether it’s a boutique clothing shop or ecommerce giant like Amazon, the demand for cash-free payment options is, and it’s expected.
At least 71% of Australians believe contactless payments will become standard. For retailers, cafés, tour operators, and even independent service providers, this should reason enough to switch. Many businesses are also beginning to realise that slow checkouts cost more than just time, they cost trust. When a tourist waits five minutes to split a bill or scan a QR code that doesn’t work, that’s not just a one-off annoyance. It reflects poorly on the brand, the service, and often the location itself. Travellers are quick to judge, and those impressions can land in Google reviews or social media faster than the operator can apologise.
The idea that only larger businesses need to invest in streamlined payment systems no longer holds. Smaller venues, especially in tourist-heavy zones like Byron Bay, Fremantle, or Cairns, often feel the most direct effects. High turnover and walk-in customers mean every second matters. If someone has to think twice about whether their card will work or whether they need to withdraw cash, there’s a strong chance they’ll move on to the next vendor.
The good news is that upgrading isn’t as difficult or expensive as it used to be. Providers like Square, Zeller, and Tyro offer POS systems that are mobile, intuitive, and built with Australian businesses in mind. Many work offline, integrate with accounting tools, and support multiple currencies, a welcome bonus for international trade. The increase of tap-to-phone systems also means some operators can now accept contactless payments using nothing more than a smartphone. There’s very little excuse left for being stuck in the past.
Another advantage to consider is the added security and reduced error margin. With online payments, reconciliation becomes quicker, and fraud risk drops. This essentially reduces the chance of counting out change or manually recording transactions. It also minimises the need for cash floats or late-night banking runs, two things most small business owners won’t miss.
There’s a larger trend of tourists increasingly valuing businesses that make things easy for them. An efficient experience shows that the operator respects the customer’s time. This also means having a terminal that works, a payment flow that makes sense, and a staff that’s not scrambling for a signal to process a card.
There’s also a direct connection between payments and upselling. When payments are quick, people tend to buy more. Studies from Visa have shown that contactless transactions can increase average transaction values by up to 30% compared to cash. That kind of increase doesn’t happen by chance. It’s what happens when the process is quick, clear, and doesn’t give customers a reason to second-guess the purchase.
This doesn’t mean every business needs to jump on contactless payment options. What it does mean is assessing your customers, your foot traffic, and your checkout process honestly. Consider how many transactions are lost or delayed because the tech isn’t keeping up. Ask what could be improved without compromising the individuality of your offering. Not every café needs a crypto wallet or NFC-enabled POS system. But it does need to make paying as easy as ordering.
Tourists today aren’t looking for perfection. They’re looking for function. If a business can offer that, even in the simplest way, it’s already ahead of the game. For businesses, the challenge isn’t whether contactless is worth it. It’s whether you can afford not to make the change when everyone else already has.