AI for quotes, rosters and stock orders in Australia: what it costs, and the rules it doesn’t change
Much of the job, rostering and stock software small businesses already use now has AI built in, sometimes at no extra cost. It drafts the quote, the roster or the reorder; you still check and approve it. The rules stay the same: a customer’s price is one total figure, you discuss roster changes with staff first, and you keep time and wages records for 7 years. [10] [18] [20] Prices below are as of 26 October 2026.
Who wrote this: the AI team at Super Intelligence Melbourne, a small local business. We have no connection with any of the companies below.
About that A$93 billion
On 22 October Google’s Australian blog said AI is “taking the weight off quoting, roster scheduling, ordering, and payroll compliance”. [1] The research behind it isn’t Google’s own. It is a Tech Council of Australia report, researched by Delwood Advisory and “supported by Google, Employment Hero, and Deputy”. Employment Hero and Deputy both sell rostering software. [1] [2]
- It isn’t money AI is adding today. The report estimates that more AI use over the next five years “could generate up to $93 billion in additional annual economic value”, and notes “Figures are indicative only”. [2]
- Few small businesses are there yet. Google’s post says 25% of Australian SMEs use AI, and “just 5% broadly”. [1]
- Quoting is in the blog post, not in the report. We couldn’t find quoting anywhere in the report’s text.
Quotes
Job management software for trades now drafts quotes from the job details. These are each company’s own prices, read from Australia. [4] [6] [7] [9]
| Tool | Price shown | GST | The AI part |
|---|---|---|---|
| ServiceM8 [4] [5] | Free A$0 (1 user, 30 jobs a month); Starter A$29, Growing A$79, Premium A$149, Premium Plus A$349 a month | Included | “AI Smart Helpers” listed on every plan. Its AI quoting uses the job card and your job history to draft a quote. |
| Tradify [6] | Lite A$48, Pro A$52, Plus A$62 a user a month | Excluded | AI quoting and costing are “Available on our Plus plan only”. |
| Fergus [7] [8] | Essentials from $53, Professional from $77 a month. Shown at $5.30 and $7.70 with 90% off until December. | Not stated | Its assistant can “build and review quotes”, and shows a confirmation step before it creates, changes or sends anything. |
| AroFlo [9] | From AUD $80 a user a month, minimum three users | Not stated | Not checked. |
An AI-drafted quote is still your quote
- One total price. The ACCC says businesses must show “the total price of a product or service as a single figure”, including taxes and unavoidable fees. That covers prices given in ordering apps or verbally. Prices shown only to other businesses don’t need to include GST. [10]
- No card surcharges. From 1 October 2026, businesses can no longer surcharge payments by Visa, Mastercard, American Express or eftpos credit, debit or prepaid cards. Check that an old quote or invoice template doesn’t still add one. [10]
- Say what it covers. Consumer Affairs Victoria tells tradespeople to “be clear about what it covers”, including call-out fees and weekend or public holiday rates, and to “Document your quote”. [11]
Rosters
Rostering apps now draft the week’s roster from past rosters, availability and leave. Both Deputy and Tanda say their AI won’t publish anything until a person approves it. [13] [15]
| Tool | Price shown | GST | The AI part |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deputy [12] [13] | Lite A$6.75, Core A$8.75 a user a month. Minimum spend AUD $30 a month. The page doesn’t make clear which billing option these are. | Excluded | Deputy AI is “included in every plan”, “INTRODUCTORY FREE”, and “Price and availability may change”. It can build schedules and find replacements; it can’t publish a schedule without explicit confirmation. |
| Tanda [14] [15] | $12.80 a user a month for HR, payroll and rostering together | Excluded (“+GST”) | Its rostering agent proposes a roster “for you to review before anything is saved”. |
| Employment Hero [16] | Rostering and time and attendance $4 an employee a month, minimum $40 a month. HR plans need at least 10 users. | Not stated in what we read | Lists award-based costing. |
| Square Shifts [17] | Free for up to five team members; Shifts Plus $5 a team member a month | Not stated | Not checked. |
The roster is still yours to approve
- Discuss changes first. Fair Work says when an employer wants to change an employee’s regular roster or ordinary hours, “they have to discuss it with the employees first”, and invite their views about the impact. Awards and agreements can set extra rules. [18]
- Some awards need consent. If the award says an employee must consent to roster changes, a consultation clause alone isn’t enough. [19]
- New technology can count as a major change. Award consultation clauses generally apply when an employer decides to introduce major changes in “production, programming, organisation, structure or technology” that are likely to significantly affect employees. [19]
- Keep the records. Time and wages records must be kept for 7 years and can’t be changed except to correct an error. [20]
- Staff data. A private employer’s handling of its own employee records is exempt from the Australian Privacy Principles in certain circumstances. The exemption doesn’t cover unsuccessful job applicants, and is unlikely to cover outside HR service providers. [21]
Stock and ordering
Point-of-sale and inventory software now suggests what to reorder from how fast things sell. [22] [24] [25]
| Tool | Price shown | GST | The AI part |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square for Retail [22] [23] | Plus $109 a month per location, plus processing fees | Not stated | “Smart stock forecasts” recommend what to reorder; included on Plus and Premium, not on Free. Square AI, the chat assistant, is in open beta, not in Square POS, and Square says it can make mistakes. |
| Lightspeed Retail [24] | Basic 129, Core 229, Plus 329 AUD a month | Not stated | Lists “Integrated forecasting” to forecast how much stock to order. Check which plan includes it. |
| Unleashed [25] | Core $449, Pro $819 AUD a month | Excluded | Lists demand forecasting. |
| Cin7 [26] | Standard US$349 a month. Read from Australia, the page shows US dollars only. | Excluded | Lists ForesightAI forecasting. |
How to start
business.gov.au lists generating quotes, scheduling and managing inventory among the everyday jobs AI can help with. It also says “Your business is responsible for everything your AI tools do”, and to start “by trialling AI in 1 or 2 areas of your business”. [3] So check what your current software already includes before buying anything new, and pick the one job that takes you the most time each week.
What we didn’t compare
We don’t rank these tools, and we didn’t test the AI. Every price and feature here is the company’s own claim. GST treatment differs, so don’t compare the numbers directly. For chat AI such as ChatGPT, Claude and Copilot, see Guide № 07.
Questions
Is the A$93 billion money AI is adding now?
No. It is a Tech Council of Australia estimate of up to A$93 billion in additional annual value if small businesses use more AI over the next five years, and the report says its figures are indicative only. It was supported by Google, Employment Hero and Deputy. [1] [2]
Can AI change my staff roster on its own?
Deputy says its AI can’t publish a schedule without explicit confirmation, and Tanda’s agent proposes a roster for you to review first. Either way, Fair Work says you have to discuss changes to regular rosters with employees first. [13] [15] [18]
Does an AI-drafted quote have to include GST?
For customers, yes. The ACCC says the price must be a single total figure including taxes and unavoidable fees. Prices shown only to other businesses don’t need to include GST. [10]
Which tools include AI at no extra cost?
ServiceM8 lists AI Smart Helpers on every plan, including Free. Deputy AI is included in every plan and is introductory free, though Deputy says price and availability may change. Square’s Smart stock forecasts come with Retail Plus and Premium. As of 26 October 2026. [4] [12] [22]
Can my quote or invoice add a card surcharge?
Not for Visa, Mastercard, American Express or eftpos credit, debit or prepaid cards, from 1 October 2026. Other fees not based on how the customer pays are still allowed. [10]
Sources
Each page read from Australia on 26 October 2026.
- Google Australia, AI could add $93 billion to Australian small businesses, 22 October 2026.
- Tech Council of Australia, Accelerating AI Impact for Small and Medium Enterprises (PDF), October 2026.
- business.gov.au, Artificial intelligence.
- ServiceM8, Pricing.
- ServiceM8, AI quoting, invoicing and CRM for tradies.
- Tradify, Pricing and plans.
- Fergus, Pricing.
- Fergus, Fergus AI.
- AroFlo, Pricing.
- ACCC, Price displays.
- Consumer Affairs Victoria, Giving quotes: tradespeople and small works.
- Deputy, Pricing.
- Deputy, Deputy AI.
- Tanda, Pricing.
- Tanda, AI Rostering Agent.
- Employment Hero, Pricing.
- Square, Square Shifts pricing.
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Rosters.
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Consultation and cooperation in the workplace.
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Record-keeping.
- OAIC, Employee records exemption.
- Square, Square for Retail pricing.
- Square, Use Square AI to get insights about your business.
- Lightspeed, Retail pricing.
- Unleashed, Pricing.
- Cin7, Pricing.
Written by the AI team at Super Intelligence Melbourne, 26 October 2026.
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