Centrepay

What is Centrepay

Centrepay is a free direct bill-paying service offered to customers receiving payments from Centrelink. Through Centrepay you can choose to pay bills by having a regular amount deducted from your Centrelink payment.

Why use Centrepay

Centrepay is a voluntary bill paying service, which is easy to use. It is convenient as you can start, change or cancel Centrepay deductions at any time to suit your own personal circumstances.

Customers who choose to use Centrepay also benefit from knowing that their payments are under control. Instead of having large bills every month or quarter your bills are paid in manageable amounts from your payment, making it easier for you to budget.

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Bills you can pay with Centrepay

There are many types of expenses you can pay using Centrepay, such as:

• Private rent
• Telecommunications
• Electricity, gas and water
• Education fees and expenses
• Ambulance costs
• Child care
• Home care services
• Rental of household goods
• Court fines.

How to find out if an organisation or person is registered with Centrepay

There are thousands of organisations and individuals who offer Centrepay as a bill payment option. These organisations and individuals have to register with Centrelink and sign a contract before they can offer Centrepay.

To find out who these organisations are, simply contact us or speak to the organisation or person you would like to pay using this service.

Note: Our operating hours for third party organisations are from 8:30 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday according to each State or Territory time zone.

Will it cost anything

No, Centrepay does not charge you any fee to deduct the money from you payment. However, the organisation or persons to which we send your deduction is charged a fee.

This fee must not be passed on to you. If you believe this is occurring discuss it with the organisation or person you pay. If you are not satisfied with the response, contact Centrelink.

Minimum payment amount

The minimum payment amount for Centrepay deductions is $10 per fortnight. However, there are some organisations that require a different minimum amount. Contact the organisation you want to pay if you are unsure of the minimum amount required.

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How to apply for Centrepay

There are several ways to start Centrepay deductions. You can:

• telephone us
• start a Centrepay deduction online using Centrelink’s online services
• complete a Centrepay deduction form.

Some participating organisations can organise your Centrepay deductions for you.

To start Centrepay deductions you will need to have the following information:

• your Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN)
• the name of the organisation or person you want to pay
• if available, the address and phone number of the organisation or person you want to pay
• the Centrepay Reference Number of the organisation or person you want to pay (this number always starts with 555)
• your account number and/or billing number if you have one, for instance your electricity account/bill number
• the amount you want deducted from your Centrelink payment each fortnight
• the Centrelink payment from which you want the deduction to be paid
• the payday that you want the deduction to start.

Centrelink will send you a letter confirming the details of your deduction. Centrepay will pay your deduction to the organisation or person you have nominated on the same day you receive your Centrelink payment. The organisation or person will receive a report with details of your deduction for them to reconcile your account.

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How to change your Centrepay deductions

The service is voluntary and you can change, suspend or cancel your deductions at any time by:

• telephoning us
• using Centrelink’s online services
• completing a Centrepay deduction form.

Centrelink will send you a letter whenever your deduction is changed, suspended or cancelled. We will also advise the organisation or person you are paying if you change, suspend or cancel your deduction.

You can change your Centrepay deduction in the following ways:

• suspend your deduction amount temporarily for a maximum period of 13 weeks. After this period the deduction will recommence automatically with the original deduction amount. For example you normally have $50 per fortnight deducted to pay child care fees but will suspend that deduction for 6 weeks as your child will not be attending child care over the summer holiday period
• nominate a target amount and deductions will be made until that amount is reached. Your deductions will automatically stop when your target amount has been reached or less than $2 remains. Centrelink will send you a letter to let you know when this has happened
• change the deduction amount permanently from a specified future Centrelink payday. For example your rent has increased and you need to change your regular deduction amount from $120 to $130 per fortnight
• change the deduction amount for a specified period up to a maximum of 13 weeks. You may want to change your deduction amount temporarily, for example, you normally have $25 deducted from your payment each fortnight to pay your ongoing electricity bill but would like to increase this amount to $35 over the winter period from 1 June until 30 August to cater for the increased use of electricity for heating. At the end of the period you have specified the deduction amount will automatically revert back to the original amount
• cancel your deduction at any time.

Sometimes Centrelink is not be able to deduct the full amount requested if your Centrelink payment:

• is reduced because of income or earnings
• has been reduced or suspended
• is reduced because other deductions have been made, such as overpayments, leaving you with insufficient payment for your Centrepay deduction.

If this happens you will need to contact the organisation or person your deductions are being paid to and make other arrangements.

If your Centrelink payment is cancelled and then restored within 14 days, your deductions will automatically continue, otherwise they will stop and you will need to talk to the organisation or person to which your deductions are being paid, to make other arrangements. If your Centrelink payments recommence, then talk to Centrelink about restarting your deductions using Centrepay.

If you move from one type of Centrelink payment to another, for example from Parenting Payment Partnered to Age Pension, your deduction will continue without you needing to do anything.

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How to check your Centrepay deductions

Centrelink will send you a letter when your deductions first commence and whenever a change is requested to the deduction details.

The easiest way for you to check or update your own deductions is to use Centrelink's online services.

More information

Refer to the Centrepay brochure or telephone us on your normal payment number.