Centrepay 103-09000000

Centrepay is a voluntary bill-paying service that is free for Centrelink customers. Centrepay was established in 1998.

The objective of Centrepay is to help customers in managing expenses that are consistent with the purposes of their welfare payments, and reducing financial risk, by providing a facility through which, a customer can authorise Services Australia to deduct regular amounts from their welfare payments to pay their bills to an approved business.

Deductions are made before any balance of the welfare payment is deposited in the customer’s nominated bank account.

Centrepay can be used to pay for a range of expenses including:

• accommodation
• education
• health
• legal and professional services
• utilities
• travel and transport
• household
• social and recreational
• financial products

See the Resources tab for a copy of the Centrepay Procedural Guide for Businesses. This provides a list of Centrepay approved and excluded goods and services.

The agency does not guarantee that any payments will be made to a business through Centrepay. Any payment to a business is dependent on there being available funds to make deductions. If there are insufficient funds available to make a deduction in full, a partial deduction will be made.

A Centrepay deduction may be started, changed, or cancelled by:

• using the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app
• using the Centrelink online account
• calling the smart centre
• attending a service centre, or
• a customer providing consent to a Centrepay Business to manage their Centrepay deduction via Centrelink Business Online Services (CBOS)

The preferred method for customers to manage their Centrepay deductions is via Service Australia's self service options using their Centrelink online account or Express Plus Centrelink mobile app account.

Centrepay uses letters and SMS messaging to keep customers informed and to help them manage their deductions.

Resources contains a list of correspondence issued and in which circumstances.

Centrepay is free to use for Centrelink customers. However businesses must pay a transaction fee to the agency of $0.99 for each deduction paid to them. This fee is usually deducted by the agency from the payment made to the business. Under the Centrepay Policy and Terms a business must not pass this fee onto the customer.

For businesses wishing to apply for Centrepay, see Processing a Centrepay Business Application.

The National Business Gateway - Centrepay helpdesk provides ongoing support to approved Centrepay businesses.