Centrelink online account help - Manage your advance payments

Instructions on how to repay or adjust your advance payments using your Centrelink online account.

Read more about advance payments.

If you're getting the Home Equity Scheme, there are different rules that apply to the Home Equity Scheme advance payment.

The screenshots in this guide are from a computer. The page layout will look different if you’re using a mobile device.

Watch this video about how to:

  • apply for an advance payment
  • adjust your advance repayments
  • make an advance repayment.

Step 1: get started

Sign in to myGov and select Centrelink.

From your homepage, select MENU.

Select Payments and claims, then Manage payments and Manage advance payments.

The Advance payments page has information about your current and previous advances. If you have a current advance payment, the summary page will show the following:

  • the advance type
  • the start date
  • the amount advanced to you
  • your fortnightly repayment amount
  • the amount yet to be paid
  • when you can apply for your next possible advance.

Select Manage if you want to do any of the following:

  • view more details about each advance payment
  • make a payment, go to Step 2
  • adjust your repayments, go to Step 3.

Step 2: make a repayment

Watch this video about how to make a repayment online.

To pay some or all of the advance payment you owe, select Make a repayment.

Read the information about making a repayment, then select Begin.

Select how you want to make the repayment, choose either:

  • Credit or debit card
  • Post Billpay.

Then select Next.

If you select Credit or debit card, make sure you have your card with you.

Credit or debit card payments can only be made once every 28 days for each advance type.

If you select Post Billpay, you can make a payment at any Australia Post Office. You can pay with cash, a credit or debit card, cheque or money order. You’ll need to either:

  • print the Post Billpay barcode
  • save a copy of the barcode to your mobile device.

You can only use the barcode for this payment.

If you pay with cash or card, your record will update instantly. Payments made with cheque or money order can take up to 7 working days to process.

In this example, we’ll select Credit or debit card, then Next.

Select how much you want to pay, choose either:

  • Pay total amount
  • Pay other amount.

If you select Pay other amount, enter the amount you want to pay using Australian dollars, cents and a decimal point. Then select Next.

If you repay your advance in full, we may not give you another one straight away.

Select Continue to proceed.

Select Begin to enter your credit or debit card details.

On the Card details page, enter all of your card details, including:

  • Cardholder name
  • Card number
  • Expiry date on the card, month and year
  • Security code (CCV), the 3 numbers on the back of the card.

If the details you’ve entered are correct, select I confirm the payment details entered are correct, then Pay now.

Get your receipt

We’ll give you a receipt to let you know your payment has been processed. Make a note of the Receipt ID for your records. If you don’t get a Receipt ID, check your bank account before making any more payments.

When you make a payment with a credit or debit card, you won’t be able to make another payment with a card for 28 days for this advance type. You can still make a payment at any Australia Post Office.

On this page, you can select any of the following:

  • Outcomes to view information about the payment made
  • Information you provided to view a summary of the details you’ve given us
  • Save your receipt to keep a copy of your receipt
  • Print to print your receipt
  • Return home to go back to the Advance payments page.

Select Return home.

Select Home to go back to your homepage.

This is the end of how to make a repayment.

If you want to:

Step 3: adjust your repayments

Watch this video about how to adjust a repayment online.

To change to your repayment amount, select Adjust repayments.

Read the information about adjusting your repayment amount. We’ll tell you the amount range you can change your ongoing repayment to.

Then select Begin.

Enter the new repayment amount using Australian dollars, cents and a decimal point.

Then select Next.

If you’re increasing your repayment, select Yes or No to tell us if you can afford this without putting yourself in financial hardship.

If you’re already paying the minimum repayment amount, you won’t be able to change it to a lower amount. If you’re having trouble repaying your advance, phone us on your regular payment line to ask for help.

Then select Next.

Select Continue to proceed.

Select Begin to review and submit your repayment adjustment.

We’ll give you a summary of the details you’ve provided.

Read the details on this page and make sure they’re correct, then select Next.

If you need to make changes, select Update.

Read the declaration. If you understand and agree with the declaration, select I have read and agree with the above conditions, then Submit.

Get your receipt

We’ll give you a receipt to let you know your request has been processed. Make a note of the Receipt ID for your records.

On this page, you can select any of the following:

  • Outcomes to view details about your advance payment adjustment
  • Information you provided to view your new repayment details
  • Save your receipt to keep a copy of your receipt
  • Print to print your receipt
  • Return home to go back to the Advance payments page.

Select Return home.

Select Home to go back to your homepage.

This is the end of how to adjust your repayments.

If you want to:

Step 4: sign out

From your homepage, you can complete other transactions or select Return to myGov to go back to your myGov account.

For your privacy and security, sign out when you’ve finished using your myGov account.

View other online account and Express Plus mobile app guides and video demonstrations about using your online account.

Page last updated: 19 July 2024.
QC 46136