BPAY Payments Questions and Answers
What is a BPAY payment?
A convenient, fast and easy way to pay your bills.
BPAY is an electronic bill payment service offered by Australia’s leading banks, building societies and credit unions as a core feature of Internet and phone banking. BPAY gives you the option of paying your bills at any time, day or night, on any day of the year, saving you time and reducing the hassle of paying bills.
Where can I make a BPAY payment?
Once you have registered for Internet or Phone Banking with your financial institution, you can pay a wide range of bills with just one phone call or Internet banking session, at your own convenience, seven days a week, day or night.
You can make a BPAY payment from any touch phone or via a personal computer connected to the Internet, and have the option of paying from a cheque, savings or credit card account. (Please note, not all billing companies will accept payment via credit card.)
BPAY gives you total control over when you make your payments within the secure environment of your bank or financial institution.
How do I make a BPAY Payment?
Making a BPAY payment is easy…
Simply follow these steps:
- Register for Internet or phone banking at your financial institution, if you haven't already. Find the contact details for your financial institution here.
- Look for the distinctive BPAY logo on your bills.
- Log onto your Internet banking service or call your phone banking service. Find contact details here.
- Select the BPAY or bill payment option. You will then be prompted (via voice or on-screen) to select the account you wish to pay the bill from, enter your Biller Code, customer reference number, the amount to pay and when you wish to schedule the payment. (Please note, not all billing companies will accept payment via credit card).
- Wait for and record your receipt number.
And as simple as that your bill is now paid.
How do I make a BPAY payment using BPAY View?
Once logged onto your Internet banking account you can select the bill you wish to pay from the summary bill page within BPAY View. Depending on your Internet banking site, you may then be required to click on "pay bill" and then you will be taken through to the regular BPAY payments screen - the normal BPAY payment process then applies.Is BPAY safe?
BPAY payments are all made within the secure environment of your financial institution’s Internet banking site or phone banking system. The only parties who are authorised to have access to information about BPAY payments are the participating billers and financial institutions. Additionally, BPAY does not receive any identifying personal or individual account details at any point during the payment process.
As BPAY is part of Internet banking, consumers are also protected by the Electronic Funds Transfer Code of Conduct (EFT Code). Thousands of Australians pay their bills with BPAY every day using the Internet and phone banking services of over 170 financial institutions, building societies and credit unions.
As with all aspects of Internet or phone banking, it is vital that you protect information such as your PIN or passwords. Always log onto your Internet banking site by entering the full web address – never follow a link.
For further details of the security features provided to you by your financial institution, and how to protect your personal information, contact your financial institution. To find your financial institution's contact details, click here.
Where is the processing of BPAY payments done and is it safe?
BPAY payments are processed within the security of the banking system. The only parties who are authorised to have access to information about BPAY payments are the participating billers and financial institutions. Additionally, BPAY does not receive any identifying personal or individual account details at any point during the payment process.
So what information is passed through the BPAY system?
- your payment instructions
- the Biller Code
- your customer reference number
- the amount you are paying
- whether the payment was made over the phone or using the internet
- what type of payment account you are using and from what bank. (No individual account details are passed through.)
- the date that the payment was made and when payment was settled.
The system also applies coding to ensure that if there is any mistake, your financial institution is able to trace the payment.
BPAY does not receive any identifying personal or individual account details at any point during the payment process.
If a payment is made that I didn't authorise, what should I do?
Contact your bank or financial institution as soon as possible. Use the search facility on the right or click here to find contact details.How is the transfer of private information protected?
BPAY payments are processed within the security of the banking system. The only parties who are authorised to have access to information about BPAY payments are the participating billers and financial institutions. BPAY does not receive any identifying personal or individual account details at any point during the payment process.
Full details of BPAY's privacy policy can be found here.
Can I make BPAY payment with my credit card account?
A number of biller companies do not accept payment via credit card account. However, this varies and is at the discretion of the biller company providing the bill. Click here and type in the biller company name, to find the payment options offered by a specific biller. Some biller companies may charge a surcharge for payments made from a credit card account. Again, this is at the discretion of the biller, and the surcharge would normally be added to the next bill.Is it safe to use my credit card account to make a BPAY payment?
BPAY is part of Internet and phone banking, and therefore processed within the secure environment of your financial institution. Credit card details are not passed through the system and cannot be identified via a BPAY payment.Who can offer BPAY as a payment option?
BPAY currently has over 15,000 Biller Codes. Companies who offer BPAY will include the BPAY logo on the bill where they provide the details of their payment options. Companies who would like to offer BPAY as a payment option need to contact their financial institution to become a BPAY biller.How do I find a Biller Code?
If you have the paper copy of your bill simply look for the BPAY Logo and the Biller Code will be directly to the right of the logo.
If you don’t have a physical copy of the bill, or have received an electronic copy, simply click here to find the Biller Code.
What is a customer reference number and where do I find it?
The customer reference number is the number that the biller uses to identify you. The customer reference number can be found on the paper copy of your bill directly to the right of the BPAY logo and is often referred to as Ref.
If you don’t have the bill with you, you will need to contact the biller directly.
Click here and search for your biller - the location of your customer reference number is listed under the biller’s details.
Why does my customer reference number change each month on some bills but not others?
A number of billers who list BPAY as a payment option have customer reference numbers that are variable, that is, they change with each bill. This is generally a result of the biller wanting to be able to track payments relating to specific periods, bills or invoices.
If you are already using online banking, you may be able to simply sign up to receive your bill online through BPAY View, which will then automatically fill out the BPAY payment details from the BPAY View Bill, ensuring that the customer reference number is correct for each payment (please note that BPAY View is not currently available for all bills or offered by all financial institutions. Click here for billers who currently offer BPAY View.)
What does BPAY cost?
A BPAY payment is a normal account transaction, so check with your bank, building society or credit union to see whether any fees or charges apply.How long will it take for the payment to go through?
As long as you make a payment before your financial institution's cut-off time (this is the time at the end of the business banking day when you need to make a payment by for it to be processed overnight), the biller will acknowledge the payment as having been made that day and should process the payment the next banking business day.
If you make a payment after your financial institution's cut-off time, the biller will acknowledge the payment as having been made on the next banking business day (this does not include weekends or public holidays).
If you are unsure of your Internet or phone banking cut-off times or require more information, please contact your financial institution directly.
If I make a payment on the weekend when will my payment be received?
If you make a payment on the weekend your payment will be processed on the next business banking day.If I make a mistake what should I do?
If you have:
- paid too much
- paid the wrong Biller Code or customer reference number
- paid the bill twice by mistake,
you will need to contact your bank, building society or credit union (either through phone or internet banking) and they'll help you sort it out. To find your financial institution's contact details click here.
- If you've paid too little
Don't worry; simply make another payment to top up the amount. (Check with your financial institution to see whether any fees or charges will apply).
My payment won’t go through, what should I do?
Firstly check to see if the payment details you are entering are correct (Biller Code and customer reference number) and that your biller accepts payments from the type of account you are trying to pay from.
For Internet or phone banking assistance, contact your financial institution directly.
How will I find out when a company begins to offer BPAY as a payment option?
When a company decides to offer BPAY as a payment option your bill will display the BPAY logo, Biller Code and customer reference number in a prominent location on the bill. You can also search the BPAY website for companies offering BPAY as a payment option by clicking here.Where can I read the BPAY terms and conditions?
BPAY's terms and conditions are included in the terms and conditions you agree with your financial institution when you register for Internet or phone banking.
Contact your financial institution for a full list of terms of conditions. Use the search facility on the right or click here to find contact details.
Do charge-backs apply for BPAY payments made from a credit card account?
Some credit cards allow you to receive a refund if you do not receive goods or services you have paid for using their credit card. This facility is not available for BPAY payments sourced from a credit card account. You should contact your financial institution for terms and conditions.Are there value limits set for a BPAY payment?
Billers
All billers set upper and lower value limits for individual BPAY payments. Billers with multiple biller codes will set limits for each biller code (and they may vary). In addition the biller may also set different limits depending on which source account the payment is coming from (eg cheque/savings account or credit card account.)
Financial Institutions
Your financial institution may also set BPAY payment limits that relate to a specific account type, or biller. These limits may be set on a per transaction or daily limit basis.
Would I ever receive an email from BPAY?
No, BPAY does not hold personal information on any consumer. All correspondence relating to BPAY or a BPAY payment would come from your financial institution. Be wary with any emails that contain links to a financial institution, contact your financial institution to find out further information on their email and privacy policies.
The only emails sent to consumers by BPAY are direct responses to questions asked through this web site, again no links to financial institutions are contained in these emails.
How can I schedule for my bill payment to be processed on a future date?
Some financial institutions will allow you to schedule bill payments for future dates. When scheduling future payments you need to make sure you have sufficient funds in your account on that date to ensure that your payment can be processed.
Contact your bank, building society or credit union to see if this service is available to you and for instructions on how to go about setting up scheduled payments for your bills. Use the search facility on the right or click here to find contact details.
Can billers charge for the processing of a BPAY payment?
The BPAY service is provided to consumers and Billers through Financial Institutions (banks, credit unions and building societies.)
For customers BPAY is simply a feature of their electronic banking service. For billers their Financial Institution provides the BPAY service to them so they can receive payments made to them by customers using electronic banking. Typically billers pay their bank for this service. Please note that there is no fee either charged by BPAY to any biller or paid to BPAY by any biller.
It is up to the individual biller to decide how to cover their own business costs (one of which is the cost of receiving payments). If you have any queries around the fees a biller has charged you will need to take this up directly with the biller in question.
Can I make a BPAY payment whilst overseas?
You can make BPAY payments from anywhere in the world as long as the payment is made via an Australian financial institution who participates in the BPAY scheme. Simply register for phone or internet banking with your Australian financial institution to make the payment.
If you do not have an account with a participating Australian financial institution then you can not pay your bill using BPAY. Please contact your bank or the biller for other payment options.
The biller hasn't received my payment, what can I do?
Contact your bank or financial institution with the receipt number from the BPAY transaction, and they can track the payment. Once you have the status of the payment, contact your biller with this explanation.
I have accidentally paid a bill twice. What should I do to get the funds back?
If you have paid a bill twice by mistake, you will need to contact your bank or financial institution and they will help you.
Are there any environmental benefits to BPAY?
We recognise that Australians are looking for opportunities to make more ecologically sound choices. BPAY is an enabler for better environmental outcomes.
By making a BPAY payment, not only do you save paper by not writing a cheque or using an envelope, but a phone or Internet payment eliminates the need to transport the cheque from the mailbox to the biller’s address. This saves energy and reduces pollution.