Customer or business makes a complaint or provides feedback about Centrepay 103-09030080

Item

Description

1

Can a Centrepay business pass the transaction fee to the customer?

Centrepay businesses must not pass on the transaction fee or any other costs related to the use of Centrepay to customers.

The agency has an assurance framework in place to make sure all alleged breaches of Centrepay Policy and Terms are examined and acted on as appropriate.

Tell the complainant:

• Centrepay is a free and voluntary bill paying service to help Centrelink customers manage their expenses
• if the customer indicates that the business is passing the Centrepay fee on to them, record a complaint in the CFT. See Process page
• due to privacy provisions the complainant will not be provided with the outcome of any compliance action taken against the business
• the complaint/feedback will be finalised once referred to compliance team

2

Is the customer required to use only Centrepay to pay for the goods or services provided by a participating Centrepay business?

Centrepay is voluntary, and it is the customer’s choice to use the service or not. Businesses must have other payment options available for their Services Australia customers to use.

If the customer indicates that the business is only allowing them to use Centrepay as a payment method, complete the Customer Feedback Tool and record a complaint. See the Process page

Tell the customer they will be contacted – depending on if they want to remain anonymous or not.

3

Does the Centrepay business need the customer's consent before they make a change to a deduction or restart a deduction?

Yes, a business must have the consent of the customer before the business can:

• start a new deduction
• restart a cancelled deduction, or
• increase either the target or the deduction amount

The business must get consent from each customer via a Centrepay Deduction Authority before these changes are made.

If a customer cancels a Centrepay deduction, this is evidence the customer has withdrawn their consent. A cancelled Centrepay deduction cannot be reinstated by the business until new consent is obtained from the customer via a Deduction Authority.

Businesses do not require the customer's consent to suspend, cancel, reduce, or to add end dates to the customer's deduction, as this is acting in the customer's best interests.

If the customer indicates the business has started, restarted or increased the customers Centrepay deductions without obtaining consent or new consent, complete the Customer Feedback Tool and record a complaint. See the Process page.

4

Does the customer need the consent of the business before they start a deduction or make a change to an existing deduction?

No. Centrepay is a voluntary service. Customers do not need to obtain the consent of the business before starting, cancelling or varying a deduction. However, if the customer cancels a deduction and monies are still owed to the business for goods or services, it is advisable the customer makes alternate arrangements to pay the business.

Deductions, such as court fines and court infringements cannot be started or changed by the customer. Customers must contact the business.

If the customer indicates that the business is requesting the customer obtain consent from the business to make changes to their Centrepay deductions, complete the Customer Feedback Tool and record a complaint. See the Process page.

5

What does the customer need to do if an overpayment has occurred?

See Centrepay deduction is not received or is incorrect and Centrepay overpayment recovery.

6

What will happen if the customer has outstanding amounts owed to the business due to cancelled, suspended or reduced deductions?

A Registered Centrepay business can only collect arrears through a Centrepay deduction while the customer is an ongoing customer of the business. An ongoing customer means a customer that continues to receive goods or services from the business.

The agency is not responsible for any outstanding amounts that might be owed. The customer must speak to the business to make alternative payment arrangements for the amounts owed.

Customers may be vulnerable and require additional support to resolve their concerns. If the complaint indicates a referral to a social worker or Financial Information Service (FIS) may be required, offer to refer the customer. Further referrals to external parties may also be offered.

If the customer believes that extraordinary circumstances exist and the change to deductions was outside of their control and they would like to make a complaint, complete the Customer Feedback Tool and record a complaint. See the Process page.

7

Is the business required to keep personal information of Centrepay customers private?

Businesses must securely store all information they receive from the agency and comply with all privacy laws. Deduction Authorities must be retained by the business for a period of 2 years after the last deduction has been made. The customer can find more details about the Australian Privacy Principles at the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner's website.

If the customer has concerns or identifies that the business is not adhering to the Australian Privacy Principles, complete the Customer Feedback Tool and record a complaint. See the Process page.

Item

Description

1

Why is my Centrepay Business Application (BA) taking so long to be processed?

For National Business Gateway only

Check to see if the BA has been received. If no BA is received the business must resend the BA. Information on how to submit BAs is located on the Services Australia website.

If a 'shell record' is located, DOCs and/or activity notes on the record will state the stage the BA has progressed to, see Processing a Centrepay Business Application. Tell the business the BA is currently being reviewed and a letter will be sent once a decision has been made to approve or reject their request. If notes advise further details/documents have been requested, tell the business to supply this to progress their application.

2

Has a complaint or feedback been received from a business about their suspension or withdrawal from the Centrepay program, the rejection of a Business Application, or the variation to the conditions for which they are approved to use Centrepay?

These complaints do not need to be recorded in the Customer Feedback Tool.

A business can request a review of the agency’s decision to:

• not approve the business to use Centrepay
• vary the Centrepay Policy and Terms or impose additional conditions on the business's approval to use Centrepay
• suspend the business’s approval to use Centrepay, or
• withdraw the business's approval to use Centrepay

A request for a review of a decision must be submitted to the agency in writing within 10 working days of the business being notified of the decision in writing. The business should outline the reasons for seeking the review and include any relevant information to support their request.

The Agency will undertake a review of decision. The business will be notified in writing of the review outcome within 20 business days of receipt of the request.

At the completion of the review, the reviewing officer will affirm, vary or set aside the original decision.

3

Why are there restrictions on how the business promotes its use of Centrepay?

A business must not represent its approval to use Centrepay in a manner that represents endorsement of the business or its goods or services by the agency or the Australian Government.

There are set criteria on how and what a business may use to promote Centrepay, as set out in the Centrepay Procedural Guide for Businesses. A business may seek approval to use non-standard Centrepay references by contacting the Business Engagement and Technology Team. Positional mailbox details can be found on the Business Engagement and Technology Team Intranet page.

4

Why do there have to be payment options, other than Centrepay, for a customer to pay for the service or goods?

Centrepay is a voluntary service. It is up to the customer if they choose to use this service. As per the Centrepay Policy and Terms, a business must offer at least one other viable method of payment for Centrelink customers to pay their bills.

5

Why are there restrictions on what type of goods or services a business provides?

The purpose of Centrepay is to assist customers in managing expenses that are consistent with the purposes of their welfare payments and reducing financial risk. In keeping with that objective, certain expenses and payment arrangements are excluded from Centrepay.

6

Is there a requirement for an approved business to keep Deduction Authorities?

Centrepay businesses using Business Online Services to manage customer deductions are required to obtain and securely store a copy of the Deduction Authority provided by the customer for a period of 2 years after the final deduction is made.

The agency may request evidence of a Deduction Authority as part of an assurance review. A business may be found to be non-compliant if it is unable to provide the customer’s Deduction Authority.

7

Business advises it has not received notification of updates to the Centrepay Policy and Terms

The Centrepay Policy and Terms document is published in the Centrepay for Business section on the Services Australia website. The business is responsible for keeping up to date with any updates to the Policy and Terms when using Centrepay. If the business continues to use Centrepay after an update to the Policy and Terms, the business is considered to have agreed to the changes.

8

Why can't Centrepay be used to pay for unregulated consumer leases?

In keeping with the objective of Centrepay, it has been decided that unregulated consumer leases, those that run for an indefinite period or short term (less than 4 months) leases, are excluded from Centrepay due to the low levels of protection available to consumers. All unregulated consumer lease deductions through Centrepay were cancelled from 17 February 2017 and cannot be restarted.