Set up deductions

You can set up your own Centrepay deductions. Once you’ve arranged a Centrepay deduction, we pay the business for you, out of your Centrelink payment.

Setting up deductions

If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, sign in now to set up Centrepay deductions.

Sign in to myGov

If you don’t have a myGov account or a Centrelink online account, you’ll need to create them.

You can also set up deductions in any of the following ways:

We’ll send you a letter confirming details of the deduction including the start date. You can also check your deduction summary online.

The lowest amount you can set up is $10 per fortnight.

Arranging a deduction authority through a Centrepay approved business

We’re introducing a new standard deduction authority form. From 3 November 2025, you need to complete this form if you want a business to act on your behalf to do any of the following tasks:

  • start a deduction
  • restart a deduction
  • increase a deduction.

This deduction authority may be in paper or online form. Alternatively, the business you’re dealing with may have a verbal version they read out to you over the phone.

Starting your deduction

You can tell us when to start your deduction. This could be either:

  • from your next Centrelink payment
  • anytime up to 8 weeks in advance.

We deduct your money every fortnight. We do this on the same day you get your Centrelink payment.

If you tell us to change or start a deduction, we’ll deduct the money from your next payment.

You should tell us about your deduction at least 5 business days before your next payment. If you don't, your deduction may not start until the following fortnight.

We pay your deductions in the order we get your requests, unless you ask us to change the order.

If you have more than one deduction, you need to check the order you asked us to pay them in.

Details you need

You’ll need all the following details:

  • your Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN)
  • the bill details, such as the account or bill reference number
  • the name of the business you’re paying
  • the business address and phone number if you have them
  • the business’s CRN.

To find the business CRN, search Find a business or organisation. Its CRN will always start with 555.

Choices you need to make

You must choose all of these:

  • how much you want us to deduct each fortnight
  • which Centrelink payment you want the deduction to come out of
  • when you want the deduction to start
  • when you want the deductions to end
  • if you want a target amount or end date to be applied to your deduction.

Note that some businesses must have a target amount or end date added to all deductions before a deduction can commence.

Understanding our mandatory conditions

Setting up an end date

An end date is when a deduction will stop on a particular date. This date cannot be more than 12 months into the future.

When selecting the end-date of your deduction, you should think about when you would like the deduction to stop. For example, this might be the end of the school year, or the end of the calendar year.

Setting up a target amount

A target amount is the maximum amount you will pay to a business through your Centrepay deduction.

Once your deductions reach this amount, your deductions will stop.

If you want to keep paying to a business, you will need to either:

  • start a new deduction yourself
  • complete a new deduction authority form and the business will start a deduction on your behalf.

For you, a target amount might be the amount of money you:

  • have already spent at the business such as a bill, loan or fine you are paying off
  • would like to have at the business ready to spend, for example, at a food store where you would like to build up some credit to go in and spend later.

You can set either:

  • an end date, no more than 12 months in advance
  • a target amount, of the total amount you need to pay.

You can set these at any time. If there is no end date or target amount the deduction will continue to pay the business until you cancel it.

Things to be aware of

Your deduction request won’t go through for any of these reasons:

  • you already have a deduction with the same business, from the same benefit type and for the same service reason
  • there isn’t enough money available from your Centrelink payment
  • your deduction amount is less than $10 or the business’s minimum amount.

Checking your deductions

Check your deductions online regularly to make sure they’re correct. Read more about how to keep track of your Centrepay deductions.

If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, sign in now to manage your deductions online.

Sign in to myGov

If you don’t have a myGov account or a Centrelink online account, you’ll need to create them.

You can also manage your deductions in any of these ways:

  • using the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app
  • contacting the business and asking it to correct the deduction
  • calling us on your regular payment line
  • visiting a service centre.

If you’ve paid too much to a business, you can do any of the following:

  • reduce the ongoing amount
  • suspend your deduction for a period of up to 13 weeks
  • contact the business to ask it to refund you the incorrect payment amount.

If a deduction was set up and paid that you didn’t authorise, you can either:

  • correct or stop the deduction
  • contact the business to request a direct refund of the incorrect payment.

If you need any further assistance, you can:

Cancelling my Centrepay deduction

You can choose to cancel a Centrepay deduction at any time. If you do, make sure you have other arrangements in place to pay your bills or ongoing expenses another way.

If you would like to restart the deduction in the future, you’ll need to give your consent again. This means you need to set up the deduction again. To restart your deduction, contact the business or us.

Step-by-step guides

We have guides to help you with your Centrepay deductions.

Follow our step-by-step guides to:

You can read how to create a Centrelink online account.

Finding a Centrepay business

You can only use Centrepay to pay a Centrepay approved business.

You can find a list of businesses that use Centrepay in your area. Enter your location into the find a business or organisation search tool. It’ll show you a list of businesses near you.

If a business doesn’t use Centrepay

If a business isn’t approved by Centrepay, you’ll need to pay them using another payment option.

Page last updated: 9 September 2025.
QC 40451