Centrepay
Register for Centrepay online
You can register for Centrepay today using our online services.
Check your Centrepay deductions
We will send you a letter when your deductions first start and whenever a change is made to the deduction details. The easiest way for you to check or update your own deductions is to use the department's online services.
Quick links
- Start a Centrepay deduction on line, using Centrelink Online Services.
- Centrepay deductions form.
- Centrepay brochure.
If you receive regular Centrelink payments, you can use Centrepay.
You can use Centrepay to pay your bills. Just allocate an amount of money to be deducted from your Centrelink payments, and these deductions are sent directly to your nominated organisation as full or part payment for services.
Centrepay is free and you can start or stop deductions at any time.
There are many organisations that offer Centrepay as a bill-payment option for costs, including:
- private rent (including community housing)
- telecommunications
- electricity, gas, and water
- education fees and expenses
- ambulance
- child care
- home care services
- rental of household goods
- medical services and equipment.
Contact the business or organisation you want to pay to find out whether it offers Centrepay. You can also contact us to find out whether an organisation is registered with Centrepay.
You can find out whether an organisation is registered with Centrepay by searching via our Find a business or organisation search tool or contacting us.
Note: Some participating organisations can organise Centrepay deductions for you.
You need to know
Centrepay is
Centrepay is a free direct bill-paying service offered to customers receiving Centrelink payments. Through Centrepay you can choose to pay bills by having a regular amount deducted from your Centrelink payments.
Using Centrepay
Centrepay is a voluntary bill paying service that is easy to use. You can start, change, or cancel Centrepay deductions at any time, to suit your own personal circumstances.
By choosing to use Centrepay you benefit from knowing that your bills are under control. Instead of having large bills every month or quarter, you can pay your bills in manageable amounts from your Centrelink payment, making budgeting easier.
Bills you can pay with Centrepay
There are many types of expenses you can pay using Centrepay, such as:
- private rent including community housing
- telecommunications
- electricity, gas and water
- education fees and expenses
- ambulance costs
- child care
- home care services
- rental of household goods
- medical services and equipment.
Cost of Centrepay
Centrepay does not charge you any fee to deduct the money from your payments. However, the organisation or persons to which we send your deduction is charged a fee.
The organisation must not pass this fee on to you. If you believe it is, discuss it with the organisation or person you pay. If you are not satisfied with the response, contact us.
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.
Information you provide for Centrepay
Your personal information is protected by law. We may give your information to the person or organisation you have nominated, in order to:
- check your account number and the amount you want to pay, and
- reconcile your payment deduction details.
We can also give your information to someone else in special circumstances—for instance, if Commonwealth legislation allows or requires, or if you give permission. For more information, see the privacy page on the department’s website.
In addition to this, limited personal information may be used to conduct customer surveys, run by us, by our policy departments, or by research organisations on their behalf. For more information, see the Market Research and You factsheet.
First steps
Applying for Centrepay
There are several ways to start Centrepay deductions.
Existing customers
Changing your Centrepay deductions
The Centrepay service is voluntary, and you can change, suspend or cancel your deductions at any time.