Online and Phone Services frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions about:
- registering for Online and Phone Services
- australia.gov.au account
- passwords, PINs, secret questions and access levels
- help using Online Services
- Online Letters
Registering for Online and Phone Services
- How do I register for Online and Phone Services?
- What does the online registration process involve?
- What does the phone registration process involve?
- Can I register for Online and Phone Services in person?
- How do I register for nominee Online Services?
- How do I find out more about Online Letters?
How do I register for Online or Phone Services?
You can register to use Centrelink Online and Phone Services either online, over the phone or in person at a Centrelink Customer Service Centre. These registration options can provide access to both Online and Phone services.
You can register at any time, even if you’re not already a Centrelink customer.
What does the online registration process involve?
To start your online registration, select the register for Online Services link under the log on button at the right of your screen. To register you will need to:
- If known, identify yourself using your Customer Reference Number (CRN)
- answer questions about yourself and your Centrelink record
- confirm your access level
- set your password for Online Services
- set your Personal Identification Number (PIN) for phone services (optional)
- set your secret questions and answers, (which can help if you forget your password)
- receive your Customer Access Number (CAN)
- receive information about how to log on to use Online Services
- follow the prompts to complete the registration process.
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What does the phone registration process involve?
To register by phone, call Centrelink on the number listed below that is most relevant to your circumstances:
| Description | Phone number |
|---|---|
| ABSTUDY | 13 2317 |
| Disability, illness and carers | 13 2717 |
| Families and parenting | 13 6150 |
| For information in languages other than English | 13 1202 |
| Looking for work | 13 2850 |
| Seniors | 13 2300 |
| Youth and students | 13 2490 |
Calls to 13 numbers are the cost of a local call within Australia. Calls from public phones or mobile phones may be charged at different rates.
If you are a customer who uses the TTY service FreeCALL™ 1800 810 586, you will not have access to the phone services. Instead you may choose to register online.
Can I register for Online and Phone Services in person?
To register in person, simply visit your local Centrelink Customer Service Centre and speak to one of our Customer Service Advisers.
How do I register for nominee Online Services?
If you are already registered for Online Services as a customer you can simply add nominee access to online services once logged in.
If this is the first time you are registering for Online Services you can select the register for Online Services link located under the log on button at the right of your screen.
Complete the registration process saying yes you want to register for nominee access to Online Services when prompted.
You can complete either registration process if you have previously registered for Online Services as a customer.
For more information refer to nominee Online Services.
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australia.gov.au account
- What is australia.gov.au?
- Why should I register for an australia.gov.au account?
- How do I register for an australia.gov.au account?
- How do I create a password?
- Will my current online agency account still exist if I link my accounts through australia.gov.au?
- Will I be able to register for an australia.gov.au account at an agency office?
- If I register for an australia.gov.au online account, will I automatically be registered for Centrelink, Medicare Australia and Child Support Agency Online Services?
- If I link my accounts, will my contact details be shared across the different agencies?
- How do I know my australia.gov.au account is secure?
- Will I still need a separate PIN to use Centrelink’s Phone Self Service?
- How do I know if I have an australia.gov.au account?
- What if I forget my australia.gov.au account user ID?
- What if I forget my password?
What is australia.gov.au?
australia.gov.au is an entry point for all Australian Commonwealth Government authorised information and services.
Why should I register for an australia.gov.au account?
If you have an agency Online Services account with Centrelink, the Child Support Agency, or Medicare Australia, registering for an australia.gov.au account will enable you to link your existing account/s to your australia.gov.au account. By linking your accounts, you will only need to remember one user ID, one password and one website to access these services.
How do I register for an australia.gov.au account?
You may receive a message encouraging you to register for an australia.gov.au account when you log on to your agency Online Services account. You will be given the choice to transfer your agency secret questions to your new australia.gov.au account. You will see a hyper-link to australia.gov.au where you can accept the terms and conditions enter a password of your choice and receive a user ID.
You can also follow the simple instructions provided on the australia.gov.au ‘Login/Register’ web page.
How do I create a password?
The password you create must be between 7 and 20 characters and contain both letters and numbers.
australia.gov.au passwords are case sensitive, so you can use a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters for example: !, @, #, $, %, ^, &, and *. Increase your password's strength by creating passwords that are difficult to guess. Avoid words you would find in a dictionary and names and dates familiar to people who know you.
If you have JavaScript enabled in your browser, you will be able to view the password meter which illustrates the strength of your password.
If you do not have JavaScript enabled in your browser, you may wish to review the password tips above and consider if your current password is strong enough.
Will my current online agency account still exist if I link my accounts through australia.gov.au?
Yes. While your australia.gov.au account will provide you with one user ID and password, your separate agency accounts will still exist and you will still be able to access your agency account information through the agency website.
Note: we want to make using our agency Online Services easier for you. For this reason, in the future you may be required to use an australia.gov.au account to access your current agency Online Services accounts via australia.gov.au.
Will I be able to register for an australia.gov.au account at an agency office?
No, at this stage you will only be able to register for an australia.gov.au account online.
If I register for an australia.gov.au online account, will I automatically be registered for Centrelink, Medicare Australia and Child Support Agency Online Services?
No. If you are not already registered for any of the agency Online Services, you will need to register for at least one agency account before you can link them to your australia.gov.au account.
If I link my accounts, will my contact details be shared across the different agencies?
No. Any information you provide will not be automatically shared across the Human Services Portfolio agencies. In the future, if you choose to update your personal contact details, it will only be shared with your consent.
How do I know my australia.gov.au account is secure?
You will be asked to refer to the terms and conditions on australia.gov.au.
A number of measures are taken to ensure your account is secure. These include:
- data encryption
- storing data at a secure facility
- recording when your account is accessed.
You can make sure your account is secure by:
- keeping your australia.gov.au account user ID, password and your secret questions and answers secure at all times
- changing your password regularly and when prompted
- using up-to-date firewall and anti-virus software to protect your computer.
Will I still need a separate PIN to use Centrelink’s Phone Self Service?
Yes. Centrelink customers will need a separate PIN to access Centrelink Phone Self Service.
How do I know if I have an australia.gov.au account?
You will receive a letter to confirm that you have registered and linked your account with australia.gov.au. If you are unsure whether you have already registered for australia.gov.au in the past, you can register for a new australia.gov.au account.
What if I forget my australia.gov.au account user ID?
If you forget your user ID, you will need to register for a new australia.gov.au account. You will also need to link your agency accounts again as the agency accounts will become automatically unlinked to the lost user ID when you register for a new user ID.
What if I forget my password?
If you forget your password, you can reset it by selecting the ‘Forgotten your password?’ link on the australia.gov.au logon page:
- You will need to know the answers to at least 2 of your secret questions
- Enter a new password of your choice and one that is easy for you to remember
- Keep your password and user ID safe.
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Passwords, PINs, secret questions and access levels
- What is my CAN, CRN and PIN?
- What is my temporary PIN?
- What is my temporary password?
- What is my password?
- What if I forget my password?
- What are my secret questions and answers?
- What is a receipt?
- What are access levels?
What is my CAN, CRN and PIN?
Your Customer Access Number (CAN) is the number you are given when you first register to use Online Services with Centrelink and the Family Assistance Office. Please enter this number without spaces.
Your Customer Reference Number (CRN) is your unique Centrelink identifier and is printed on all correspondence sent to you by Centrelink, including Centrelink concession cards. You should keep a record of this number.
Personal Identification Number (PIN) is used for phone services only. The PIN number needs to be numeric - you key in the PIN using the numeric pad on the phone. To access phone services you need to enter your Customer Access Number (CAN) and PIN.
What is my temporary PIN?
You will receive a temporary PIN if you choose to register for phone services when you register for Online Services. You should change your temporary PIN as soon as possible. You will be asked to set a new PIN when you use our phone services for the first time.
What is my temporary password?
You will receive a temporary password when you register for Online Services. You should change your temporary password as soon as possible. You will be asked to set a new password when you log on to Online Services for the first time.
What is my password?
Your password is used for Online Services only. Your password must be alphanumeric (include at least 1 number and 1 alphabetical character) and be between 6 and 8 characters in length. It is not case sensitive.
To access Online Services you need to enter your Customer Access Number (CAN) and password.
What if I forget my password?
If you forget your password you can use the forgotten password service, located under the logon button on the right hand side. This service allows you to create a new password by entering correct answers to 2 of your secret questions that you set up when you register.
To be able to use the reset option you need to have a minimum of 5 secret questions and answers recorded.
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What are my secret questions and answers?
You are required to provide 5 secret questions and answers when you register for Online Services. These are used to increase protection over your personal and sensitive information. You will need to correctly answer a secret question when you log on and if you need to reset your password. You can also manage your secret questions and answers by adding, replacing and deleting them, once you are logged in.
What is a receipt?
A receipt is provided once you have completed a transaction using online or phone services. It is an official record of your transaction. We recommend that you print or write it down for your records.
What are access levels?
Your access level determines which Online Services you can use. Access levels range from 1–4 and each service has an assigned level according to the detail it contains. The more sensitive the detail, the higher the level of access required. Refer to the access level page for more information about how to check and upgrade your levels.
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Help using Online Services
- Can I call someone for help with Online Services?
- What browsers can I use for Online Services?
- How do I find out more about Online Letters?
Can I call someone for help with Online Services?
For assistance with Centrelink Online Services you can contact the Online Services support hotline on 13 2307. The hotline is available Monday to Friday from 7 am to 7 pm local time.
This number is not for payment enquiries. You can find the payment line most appropriate to your circumstances on the contact us page.
You can also send us feedback or request assistance through help and comments.
What browsers can I use for Online Services?
For information about which browsers are supported for use with Centrelink's Online Services, refer to System requirements.
How do I find out more about Online Letters?
For more information about Online Letters, refer to Online Letters frequently asked questions and Online Letters.
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For more information about Online Services, including passwords and secret questions and answers, refer to Online and Phone Services frequently asked questions.