Centrepay 103-09000000

Centrepay is a voluntary bill-paying service that allows customers to pay for goods and services directly from their Centrelink payment. The agency then pays the balance of the Centrelink payment into the customer’s bank account.

Centrepay is designed to be a tool for financial empowerment, and

• helps customers to manage their expenses that are consistent with the purposes of Centrelink payments
• reduces customers’ financial risk, by providing a service to have deductions made from their Centrelink payments for approved goods and services

Centrepay can be used to pay expenses, for example:

• accommodation – including rent, bond and arrears
• education and child care
• medical services
• legal services
• transport services
• utilities and household related costs such as water and council rates

Centrepay is free to use for Centrelink customers. Most businesses pay a transaction fee to the agency of $0.99 (including GST) for each deduction paid to them. This fee is usually deducted by the agency from the payment made to the business. Businesses using Centrepay must not pass this fee onto the customer.

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.

Centrepay: Terms of Use and Centrepay: Policy for Businesses

We have reformed Centrepay to:

• meet customer and business expectations
• improve the service

These reforms seek to strengthen safeguards for customers and bring Centrepay in line with its original purpose as a regular bill-paying service.

Several important changes have been made to the policy that better protect customers. The Centrepay Policy and Terms and Procedural Guide has been replaced with the Centrepay Terms of Use and Centrepay Policy for Businesses. These changes are in effect from November 2025.

See the Resources page for a link to the Centrepay: Terms of Use and Centrepay: Policy for Businesses.

Centrepay service reasons

Centrepay is not available for some specific goods and services like tobacco, alcohol, mobile phones, tablets, laptops, e-cigarettes (excluding prescribed products) and life insurance. See Centrepay: Terms of Use for a full list of excluded goods and services.

Some higher risk and lower usage service reasons will be removed including:

• household goods - lease and rental
• funeral expenses
• motor vehicle registration
• employment expenses
• social and recreational commitments
• basic household items
• savings

From 1 November 2026, the service reasons below will have the following changes:

• travel and transport – self storage, removalists, fuel and car repairs will be removed
• legal and professional services – all non-legal professional services and legal services not provided by legal aid or at a discounted rate will be removed
• food provision – butchers and non-remote grocery stores will be removed

Centrepay service reasons transition to removal

There will a be a 12 month transition period for businesses being removed. During the transition, restrictions will be placed on businesses which means:

• existing deductions can continue until 31 October 2026
• existing deductions cannot be increased in value or extended in length
• new deductions cannot be started after 3 November 2025
• if an existing deduction is cancelled, it cannot be restarted

From 1 November 2026

• any remaining deductions will be cancelled
• businesses with deductions for these service reasons will be removed from Centrepay (unless they also are approved to use service reasons that remain eligible for Centrepay)
• customers can still purchase items from businesses being removed from Centrepay. They will need to discuss what payment methods are available with the business

Mandatory conditions

Mandatory conditions are being applied to some Centrepay service reasons.

See the Resources page for a list of service reasons and their mandatory conditions.

Customers can self-manage their Centrepay deductions or give the business consent to update their deductions.

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

• using the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app
• using the Centrelink online account
• calling a smart centre
• attending a service centre, or
• a customer providing written or oral consent to a Centrepay business to manage their Centrepay deduction via Business Hub or Centrelink Business Online Services (CBOS). Businesses that are still using CBOS for Centrepay may include businesses that are private landlords, international users, non-ABN users that are yet to transition to Business Hub

The Resources page contains a list of Centrepay correspondence issued to customers and businesses, and in which circumstances.

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

Business complaints

Businesses may make a complaint about Centrepay. This can include a decision:

• that the agency makes when assessing with the business’s application to use Centrepay
• or action the agency takes in relation to the business’s Centrepay contract, such as:
• imposing an additional condition
• applying a suspension or terminating the Centrepay contract
• transition arrangements, including transaction fees

Where the business has a complaint about a decision notice they have received from the agency, the business should lodge the complaint as directed in the notice.

If the business has a general complaint or feedback about Centrepay, they should be directed to use the Business feedback and complaints page on the agency’s website. The business can:

• use the Centrelink feedback online form
• call the complaints and feedback line

Customer complaints

Customers may make a complaint or provide feedback about Centrepay, see:

• Customer makes a complaint or provides feedback about Centrepay or
• Complaints and feedback index – Centrepay

Complaints and feedback from Centrepay businesses, or about Centrepay businesses, are handled by the specialist Centrepay Business Complaints Team.