CentrePay
- D. M. Wright
- Mar 27
- 3 min read
 |  |  |  |
*Please note, websites update site addresses, policies and procedures regularly, which will break links on the page below and/or provide out-of-date information. If links break or policies and procedures change, you may need to contact the service provider to assist with navigation and further information. Please notify D.M.W. Productions Australia HERE to inform us of broken links or out of date information, and we will rectify our site as soon as possible.
WHAT IS CENTREPAY?
CentrePay is a voluntary bill paying service which is free for CentreLink customers. You can use CentrePay to arrange regular deductions from your CentreLink payment.
You can choose when to start, change or stop using CentrePay.
You can use the CentrePay bill paying service for your regular bills and other expenses, such as rent, electricity and phone.
Once you’ve set up a CentrePay deduction, CentreLink takes money from your Centrelink payment before you get it and sends it to the business you want to pay.
You are responsible for managing your CentrePay deductions.
WHICH BUSINESSES CAN I PAY WITH CENTREPAY?
You can only use CentrePay to pay a business registered with CentreLink.
You can find a list of businesses that use CentrePay in your area. Click HERE to enter your location into the find a business or organisation search tool, which will show you a list of businesses near you.
WHAT IF I HAVE OTHER DEBTS WITH CENTRELINK?
CentreLink takes out your CentrePay deductions from your CentreLink payment last.
Other amounts that will be deducted first are:
- participation penalty amounts and non-payment periods
- weekly payment amount if you get your payments weekly
- urgent and advance repayment amounts
- debt repayments
- child support payments
- tax amounts
- amounts directed to your Income Management account
- government housing rent deductions as part of the Rent Deduction Scheme.
DOES IT COST ANYTHING?
CentrePay is always free for CentreLink customers.
CentreLink charges registered businesses a transaction fee to use the CentrePay bill paying service.
CentrePay businesses can never:
- charge you for using CentrePay
- pass the business fee on to you.
WHAT CAN IT DO?
You can choose when to start, change or stop CentrePay deductions.
For example, you can:
- set a target amount the deduction will stop at automatically
- set an end date in the next 12 months for the deduction to stop on
- choose which deduction we pay first
- vary the deduction you need to pay if the amount goes up or down
- make a temporary change for up to 13 weeks to the amount, then the deduction will then change back to the original amount
- suspend deductions for up to 13 weeks, then they’ll start again.
While CentrePay lets you manage your deductions, you still need to meet your obligations to pay a registered business on or before the due dates.
WHAT CENTRELINK PAYMENTS DON'T ACCEPT THE USE OF CENTREPAY?
You can’t set up a Centrepay deduction from these CentreLink payments:
- AbStudy, excluding Basic Living Allowance
- advance payments of your Centrelink payment, excluding Family Tax Benefit advances
- arrears payments
- bereavement payment
- Boarding Allowance
- Child Care Subsidy
- Distance Education Allowance
- Farm Household Allowance
- quarterly supplements, like Telephone Allowance and Pension Supplement
- Restart Income Support or Restart Re-establishment Grant
- Second Home Allowance
- Status Resolution Support Services Payment.
HOW DO I SET UP DEDUCTIONS?
You can also set up CentrePay deductions in any of the following ways:
- by asking the business you want to pay to set it up for you
- using the MyGov mobile app on your mobile device
- using the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app on your mobile device
- by calling CentreLink on your regular payment line
- at a service centre with help from staff.
Once you’ve arranged a CentrePay deduction, CentreLink pay the business for you out of your CentreLink payment.
CentreLink will send you a letter confirming details of the deduction, including the start date.
You can also check your deduction summary online.
The lowest amount you can set up is $10 per fortnight.
YOU NEED TO PROVIDE SOME DETAILS
You’ll need all of the following details:
- your Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN)
- the bill details, such as the account or billing number
- the name of the business you’re paying
- the business address and phone number if you have them
- the business’s CRN.
To find the business CRN, click HERE. Its CRN will always start with "555".
RESOURCES
Comments