As the clock ticks closer to the end of the year, Australians are gearing up for the festivities of New Year's Eve.

It's a time for celebration, reflection, and spending as we say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new.

But this year, a potential hiccup could dampen the merrymaking: a significant EFTPOS update that might leave some Aussies unable to use their mobile and wearable payment devices at a critical moment.


The heart of the issue lies in an update to Australia's EFTPOS network, scheduled for during the peak of New Year's Eve celebrations.

This update is part of a broader move to ensure that by 1 January 2025, consumers can continue to make payments via EFTPOS seamlessly.


However, the timing is less than ideal, with the outage set to begin at 12:01 am, potentially disrupting the social plans of many who rely on EFTPOS services.

Australian Payments Plus (AP+), the organisation overseeing the update, has indicated that the automatic update will affect the 19.1 million EFTPOS cards currently used in mobile wallets.

Depending on when a card was added to a wallet, up to 60,000 people could be unable to make purchases with their mobile or wearable devices.


For those who prefer the tactile feel of a physical debit card, there's good news: no update is required, and your spending can continue uninterrupted.

But for the tech-savvy among us who have embraced the convenience of mobile wallets, there's a bit of housekeeping to be done.

AP+ has advised that customers who added a debit card to their mobile wallet before July 2023 and set transactions to go through EFTPOS will likely be affected.

Those using an EFTPOS-only debit card may also experience impacts.

Lynn Kraus, AP+'s chief executive, has apologised and urged those impacted to take action now rather than face payment issues during one of the busiest times of the year.

'Even though this could impact only a minority of consumers with EFTPOS debit cards in their mobile wallet, we are acting now out of an abundance of caution, as it is an extremely busy time of year for payments, and for those who won’t be able to complete a payment, it will matter,' he said.

'On behalf of AP+, I apologise to anyone who might be impacted by this.'


The Australian Banking Association's chief executive, Anna Bligh, has reassured customers that the fix is simple and quick: affected users need only remove and re-add their card to their mobile devices.

'This update will only impact a small number of customers, and banks will reach out to those who need to take action,' she explained.

But as with any large-scale technical update, there's a risk of scammers looking to exploit the situation.

AP+ spokesperson has warned consumers to be vigilant and to verify any messages they receive regarding the update.

'Each bank will share their own messaging around removing and re-adding their card with impacted customers,' the spokesperson announced.

'Consumers should be aware that no contact will be made to them directly from EFTPOS or AP+.'


It's important to remember that no direct contact will be made from EFTPOS or AP+ themselves, and any legitimate communication will come from the banks.

In other news, Scott Pape, the Barefoot Investor, cautioned against hidden fees associated with using smartphone apps for checkout tap-and-go payments.

He advised Australians to use physical cards and choose the ‘cheque’ or ‘savings’ option to minimise higher transaction fees incurred through EFTPOS. You can read more about it here.
Are you prepared for potential payment disruptions on New Year's Eve? Have you checked whether your mobile wallet needs an update to avoid being caught off guard? Let us know in the comments below.