Centrelink online account help - Manage your advance payments

in this guide

Step 1: get started
Step 2: make a repayment
Step 3: adjust your repayments
Step 4: sign out

Step 1: get started

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.

Transcript | Watch on YouTube

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 (Visa or MasterCard only)
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:

Card number
Card holder’s name
Expiry date on the card, month and year
Card verification code (CVC), the 3 numbers on the back of the card.

If the details you’ve entered are correct, select Continue.

For security purposes, your card issuer or financial institution will need additional details to process the payment.

The information you provide here won’t be stored by Services Australia or applied to your Centrelink record.

If you don’t want to provide additional details, you won’t be able to make a repayment using a credit or debit card. You can still make a repayment using a different payment method.

Select Begin to provide additional details.

Select an option from the dropdown menu, then Next to continue.

In this example, we’ll select Mobile phone.

Enter the mobile phone number, then select Next.

You must enter the international country code at the start of the number.

For example, if the phone number is an Australian:

mobile number of 0412 345 678, enter it as +61412345678
home or work number of 07 1234 5678, enter it as +61712345678.

Select Continue.

Review and submit

Select Begin to review and submit your repayment details.

We’ll give you a summary of the details you’ve given us. We’ll only show the last 4 digits of the card number.

Make sure your details are correct.

Select either:

Update to make changes if the details are wrong
Next if the details are correct.

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

After you select submit, your card issuer or financial institution may ask you to complete additional actions to process your payment. Please don’t sign out of your Centrelink online account or close your browser window.

Please wait until you get a receipt from us to let you know if your payment has been processed.

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. If your financial institution can’t process your payment, you’ll need to contact them.

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:

adjust your repayments, go to Step 3
sign out, go to Step 4.

Step 3: adjust your repayments

Watch this video about how to adjust a repayment online.

Transcript | Watch on YouTube

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.