Centrepay business notifies of changes 103-09010070

A business must notify Services Australia of certain events, including changes to information previously provided to the agency, within 5 business days. Examples include:

• ABN or ACN updates
• new business or trading name
• bank account details
• address details
• adding or changing Authorised/Contact Officers

A new business application and/or new consent for customers is not required where the business is advising the following updates:

• changes to the authorised contacts or contact details of the business
• the business bank account has changed and there have been no other business changes
• changes in shareholders – (new business application required for change of Directors)
• changes to trading location. Note: If the business advises that they are opening an additional location, a new business application is required

All other changes require a new business application including new CRN and new consent for customers.

Note: existing businesses who are required to lodge a new business application are no longer able to keep the existing CRN, a new CRN is required.

Applications from businesses that have their ACN or ABN cancelled will be prioritised for processing, which may include immediate termination of their contract.

Businesses have 5 business days to return a new business application.

Priority processing will occur when an existing business is required to lodge a new business application, they are no longer able to keep the existing CRN, and a new CRN is required. The Centrepay for businesses team will process the business application within 5 business days.

All businesses with an Australian Business Number (ABN) must have the ABN recorded, unless the business is a private landlord.

ABN updates can only be made when the ABN has been coded incorrectly.

All businesses with a new ABN must complete and submit a new business application.

A business may request to update its business or trading name recorded on its business record at any time. However, the business name documented on the business record must match the entity name recorded for the business on the ABN lookup, unless the business is a trust. To code a trust, use the name of its trustee, for example Smith PTY LTD ATF the Smith Family Trust. The trading name is the name under which the business operates. See Legal entities information for more detail on correctly coding a business name.

A business must provide written notification by an Authorised Officer of any changes to their bank account and allow at least 5 business days for the change to take effect.

Before making any updates, an Authorised Officer must be contacted by phone using the contact details recorded on the business’ record. This is to confirm:

• the change is not due to the:
• sale of the business
• change in business structure or
• change of ABN
• the bank account details verbally

If a bank account is closed before the new details are updated on the business record, a payment may be returned or rejected by the financial institution. This will cause a delay in the payment being made into the business' correct bank account. See Returned or Rejected Centrepay payments.

See Billing at Source and Billing in Arrears for Centrepay businesses for details on adding an accounts payable ’Invoice’ contact.

Businesses who access Centrepay in Centrelink Business Online Services (CBOS) will be required to migrate to Business Hub soon. From 3 November 2025, new Centrepay business applications are processed in Business Hub.

While the migration is taking place, users of Centrepay may make enquiries using CBOS or Business Hub.

CBOS users:

• complete and submit a Business Online Services - User details form (SA445) for each individual employee who requires access and will use Centrepay. An Authorised Officer of the business and the individual employee must sign the SA445 form
• use the SA445 form to update and remove users’ access to Centrepay

Business Hub users:

• Authorised Officers of a business are responsible for the self-management of their employee’s access to Centrepay in Business Hub. Authorised Officers do this within the Manage Personnel function in Business Hub

An Authorised Officer is a person that has the legal authority to act on behalf of the entity and enter into a contract with the agency. In most cases this will be the person listed on the Australian Business Register (ABR) record as an:

• associate, or
• authorised person

Authorised Officers:

• are added on a business record by agency staff during approval of a business application
• can assign the Authorised Officer role to another authorised person in Business Hub
• are responsible for self-management of staff access in Business Hub. They can only do this for services which the business has been approved for by the agency

There are limited circumstances when agency staff can make updates to Authorised Officers on behalf of the business, such as:

• when Business Hub is unavailable
• there is no Authorised Officer recorded, or
• the only Authorised Officer recorded has left the business or passed away

Before a new Authorised Officer can be added to the business’s record the individual must provide a declaration (by email) to confirm they have the legal authority to bind the business to its obligations under the policy and terms, and they understand and accept their responsibilities.

The Contact Officer is a person nominated by the business for specific matters, such as system issues or reconciling accounts.

They cannot:

• legally bind the business or enter into a contract with the agency
• update staff access in Business Hub

For businesses using Business Hub, an Authorised Officer actions updates (add, change, remove) to Contact Officer details. Staff do not make these updates.

Business Hub users

All users can update their personal contact details in Business Hub (for example, email, phone). For security purposes this does not update their details for the individual PRODA account. The user must log into PRODA and update details separately.

CBOS users

If the user accesses Centrepay through CBOS, see Centrelink Business Online Services (CBOS) access for deduction and confirmation programs.