Australians are spending a fortune on bank fees, forking out more than $4.1 billion on them in the last financial year alone according to RBA data.
That figure was up by $268 million compared to the previous year.
The pesky fees are costing Aussie households around $412 each year (excluding business banking fees) and credit cards are the biggest culprits.
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Aussies were slugged with $1.7 billion in credit card fees last financial year, up by 10 per cent compared to the 2023-24 financial year.
The average credit card annual fee is $204, which can be a big deal for cash-strapped Aussies.
A spike in overseas transaction fees and annual fees also played a role in soaring costs, according to the RBA.
Fees on home loans recorded the largest jump, surging by $167 million or 17 per cent between July 2024 and June 2025.
That spike is linked to an increase in Aussie homeowners refinancing, which can incur a slew of fees.
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There is a silver lining: exception fees like late fees and overdraft charges fell by nearly $13 million last year.
Canstar analysis suggests Aussies could save big on banking fees by shopping around and prioritising low- or no-fee options like:
- Credit cards with no annual fees and no currency conversion fees
- Low-fee home loan options that don't charge an annual fee
- Bank transaction accounts with no currency conversion fees
Aussies can also try to negotiate with their current bank or lender for lower fees.
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"While fees are growing like a beanstalk — up $268 million in just 12 months — people have more power to cut these down than they realise," Canstar.com.au data insights director Sally Tindall said.
"Whether it's negotiating a mortgage application fee or switching to one of the 12 credit card lenders that have no-fee cards, there are ways and means to slash your fees back to their roots."