Your options for paying a bill with your credit card depend on the type of bill, the payment choices you're given and even your credit card provider. In most cases, there will be a way to pay by credit card but there could be restrictions around earning points or using BPAY.
You might also pay extra for using your card thanks to fees and interest. Let's take a look at the key details you need to know before deciding whether to pay your bills on plastic.
BPAY gives you a way to make bill payments from your chosen bank account or credit card account (although credit cards aren't always accepted). It's a common payment option for many billers and is processed through the BPAY network.
The steps to make a BPAY payment can vary depending on your provider and whether you're on a mobile or Internet banking platform, but usually they follow this path:
If your credit card rewards program doesn't offer points per $1 for BPAY payments, you could still be able to earn points by making the payment through another platform. Here are some key options to consider:
Designed for small business owners, this service gives you a way to pay billers and earn points for using your credit card. You just need to enter the biller's details, and the payment will be made through an EFT (electronic funds transfer) or BPAY.
BPAY card processing fees cost 1.2% for standard Mastercard and Visa cards, 1.55% for premium or corporate Mastercard and Visa cards. Just keep in mind that you need an ABN to use B2BPay as it's meant for businesses.
This is free mobile app that gives you a way to make payments from any credit card or debit card to any BPAY biller. It has its own payment platform to process the payments and is an authorised BPAY Payer Institution Member (PIM), which means your payments are processed as purchases and you can earn points per $1 spent.
It charges a 1.5% fee for paying with an Australian credit card (Amex, Mastercard or Visa) and a 3% fee for international credit cards. (There's no fee if you use a debit card instead).
As well as these platforms, you may be able to pay some bills directly through BPAY if your biller is set up to accept credit card payments. Whether or not you'll earn points depends on the reward program terms and conditions, though.
Alternatively, you can see if there are other ways to pay the bill that could earn points, such as an only card payment portal or PayPal.
As well as BPAY, there are other types of one-off payments that let you pay as you go. For example, you might choose to use your credit card to make a one-off payment on your tax bill through the Australian Taxation Office's payment portal. Or, visit an Australia Post Office to use the Bank@Post option for your bills.
These types of payment options are handy for bills that don't always cost the same amount or are less regular. Usually, you can make them in the same way you’d make a regular credit card payment:
| Online | In person |
|---|---|
| Choose "Card" as your payment option and enter your details. | Swipe, insert or tap your card and follow the prompts to complete the transaction. |
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Could you manage your finances without a credit card?
Fewer Australians are able to manage their finances without a credit card in 2023. According to our consumer sentiment tracker, in April 2023, a record high 30% of people surveyed said they couldn't manage their budget without a credit card, a 12% increase compared to the same time last year.
Bills that are charged regularly can usually be set up as direct debits from your credit card account. This could include your mortgage repayments, insurance premiums, home utility services, gym membership, Internet and other subscriptions for entertainment services like Netflix or Foxtel. Very often, all you need to do is call your service provider.
The specific details will vary depending on the financial institution, but the steps generally include:
Unless you're using a payment platform that is designed to let you earn points for bills – such as Citi PayAll or Sniip – it can be hard to tell if you will or won't earn points for a particular bill payment.
Often, it comes down to what your credit card company classifies as an "eligible purchase" – and BPAY payments, government transactions and utilities are often excluded from earning points.
But it does vary, so it's worth checking your reward terms and conditions or asking your provider before you pay your bills to earn points.
Here you'll find details of which transactions are not eligible for earning points and whether or not BPAY payments are excluded for reward programs from different credit card providers.
| Providers | Exclusions for earning points |
|---|---|
Excludes any charges prior to your enrolment date in the program, cash advances, travellers cheques, charges for dishonoured payments, interest charges, fees and charges associated with your American Express credit card, late payment charges, "pay plus points" transactions, promotional offers and balance transfers. | |
Excludes cash advance and gambling transactions, interest charges, credit card and other banking fees and charges, fraudulent transactions, foreign exchange purchases and government charges. | |
Ineligible transactions for earning points includes balance transfers, cash advances, interest free transactions and HSBC's special promotions, business expenses, fees or charges (including government), any value charged to your card in association with a "points-plus-pay" redemption, a transaction which HSBC decides is fraudulent or involves the abuse of a card, a disputed debit transaction and BPAY transactions. | |
You won't earn points for GST and government charges (including ATO payments), BPAY payments, interest and other bank fees and charges, cash advance transactions, special promotions such as balance transfers, transactions made in operating a business or in connection with business expenditure, refunded transactions and payments for credit card protection insurance. | |
You cannot earn points on GST and government charges. Other exclusions are interest and other bank fees, cash advances, special promotions, business transactions, refunded transactions, gambling transactions and payments for credit card protection insurance. | |
Bill payments from your ANZ credit card can be processed as either a purchase or a cash advance, depending on how the biller is set up with the BPAY billing service. If the payment is treated as a cash advance, you will be charged a cash advance fee and won't earn points. Other reward exclusions are interest charges, government charges, bank fees, ATO payments and balance transfers. | |
Excludes cash advance transactions, government charges (other than GST payable in connection with the purchase of goods or services on which you earn points), interest and other bank fees and charges, cash advances, balance transfers and BPAY payments. | |
You will not be able to earn reward points if your bill issuer charges the payment as a cash advance and you don't use BPAY to pay the bill. Other exclusions are government charges (other than GST payable in connection with the purchase of goods or services on which you earn points), interest and other bank fees and charges and balance transfers. | |
You will not be able to earn points on bills if it is processed as a cash advance or if the payment is made via BPAY. Other exclusions are cash balance transfers, special promotions, bank fees, government charges, ATO payments, business transactions and insurance charges. | |
As long as the transaction isn't processed as a cash advance or via BPAY, you should earn points when using your CommBank card to pay bills. Other points exclusions are ATO payments (unless made using a Business Awards card), foreign exchange purchases, credit card insurance premiums, travellers cheques, interest charges, Qantas Frequent Flyer Direct fees, bank fees, card account payments and transactions deemed as business purposes (unless you're using a Business Awards or Business Platinum Awards card). | |
Transactions that are processed as cash advances or made through BPAY or over the counter at a bank are ineligible for earning points. Other exclusions are card fees and charges, gambling and gaming costs, government fees and charges, business expenses, ATO payments, fraudulent transactions, refunded transactions, balance transfers and travellers cheques. | |
Excludes government charges (other than GST payable in connection with the purchase of goods or services on which you earn points), interest and other bank fees and charges, cash advances, balance transfers and BPAY payments. | |
Excludes cash advances or payments made via BPAY, balance transfers, special promotions, fees, purchases of foreign currency and travellers cheques, foreign exchange and atm/bank charges, interest charges, finance charges, government charges, insurance charges, payments to loan accounts (mortgage etc), purchases in excess of limits on the account, transactions made in operating a business and all other transactions if the account is more than $10,000 in credit on all other transactions. | |
Excludes cash advances or payments made via BPAY, balance transfers, special promotions, fees, BPAY payments, purchases of foreign currency and travellers cheques, foreign exchange and ATM/bank charges, interest charges, finance charges, government charges, payments to the Australian Taxation Office, insurance charges, payments to loan accounts (mortgage etc), purchases in excess of limits on the account and business transactions. |
If making bill payments are considered an eligible transaction, using a credit card to cover your bills can be a rewarding way to earn points on an essential expense.
As rewards and frequent flyer credit cards usually charge high interest rates, it's only worth it if you pay your balance in full each month and won't be charged any interest on these transactions. If you do rack up interest, the debt you'll collect will quickly outweigh any perks you get from earning points.
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Hi, sorry for this question for which the answer I believe is most likely to be a “no”, however, I am wondering if I can use my brand new Amex Platinum (charge card not credit card) to pay my weekly mortgage instalments. Is there any way a mortgage can be paid using a credit card or charge card? Thanks.
Hello Luis,
Thank you for your comment.
Yes, you can pay your mortgage by setting it up as direct debits from your credit card account. Please see our guide on how to set up direct debits on your credit card.
Should you wish to have real-time answers to your questions, try our chatbox on the lower right corner of our page.
Regards,
Jhezelyn