Paying the ATO by card: fees, cutoff and other ways to pay

If you put your tax bill on a credit card, you have until 30 June 2027 to do it directly with the ATO. This page sets out how card payments work now, what changes after that date, and the other ways to pay. We keep it up to date as the rules change.

Paying by card today: no fee

The ATO takes Visa, Mastercard and American Express in two ways.

Government EasyPay is the ATO’s own online payment service. You can also use it by phone on 1300 898 089. You’ll need your payment reference number (PRN), the card details, and the billing address and phone or email your bank has on file. Your bank may ask for a one-time code or a fingerprint to confirm it.

ATO online services (myGov for individuals, Online services for business) take the same three card brands. The ATO says a payment made this way “can take up to 4 business days” to reach your ATO account. Pay at least 4 business days before the due date.

The ATO’s card terms say: “Card payment fees do not apply to payments.” Your statement will show the payment as “ATO payment”. If the ATO ever refunds a card payment, the money goes back only to the card you used.

Surcharges on eftpos, Mastercard, Visa, American Express and UnionPay cards ended on 1 October 2026. Our surcharge explainer covers what that means for your own customers.

The credit-card cutoff is 30 June 2027

The date has already moved once. On 1 October 2026, the ATO said it would stop taking credit cards after 30 November 2026. Eight days later the government stepped in with transitional funding, and the cutoff moved to 30 June 2027.

The ATO’s payment pages now carry the same line: “After 30 June 2027, you will no longer be able to use a credit card to make payments to the ATO. Other payment methods will remain available.”

Ministers say the card companies “did not offer sufficiently low fees” for the ATO to keep taking cards. In 2024–25, just over 2% of individuals and around 5% of small businesses paid the ATO by credit card.

One ATO page is out of step. The Small Business Newsroom’s credit-card update has a 30 June 2027 heading, but its body still says payments after 30 November 2026 will be unsuccessful. The ATO’s media release, payment pages and payment-plan guidance all give 30 June 2027.

After June 2027: third parties, at a price to be announced

The cutoff applies to paying the ATO directly. The ministers say the ATO “will continue to accept credit card payments via third parties”. Free and low-fee methods such as debit card and bank transfer stay too.

Neither the ATO nor the ministers have named those providers or their fees. The ATO’s advice is to “carefully consider relevant fees, charges and processing timeframes” and to “verify the credentials of any third-party providers”.

Your bank may also let you make a BPAY payment to the ATO from a credit card. The ATO’s BPAY page, last updated in March, predates the change, so check with the ATO before relying on this route after June 2027.

Two more things are still open. The government has asked the ATO to consult on support for people in financial hardship. It also wants alternatives for those who can’t pay any other way. We found no consultation paper or timetable as of 9 November. The cost of the extra seven months is to be finalised in MYEFO, the government’s mid-year budget update.

Payment plans on a credit card

Does your payment plan draw from a credit card? Then you “must change to another payment method before your next scheduled instalment that’s due after 30 June 2027”. Card payments after that date “will be unsuccessful”, and the plan “may move into arrears or default”.

You can switch a plan to a debit card or a bank account in online services. Allow at least one business day before an instalment for a debit card, or three business days for a bank account.

Moving from a card to a bank account means cancelling the plan and setting up a new one. Don’t leave it to the last week of June.

The other ways to pay

Every method needs the right PRN: “Whichever payment method you use, you will need to use the correct unique payment reference number (PRN)”. Income tax and activity statements have different PRNs, so using the wrong one can delay the payment reaching your account and trigger unnecessary debt collection.

Method	How it works	Timing
BPAY	Biller code 75556, with your PRN as the reference	Up to 4 business days
Bank transfer	To the ATO’s account at the Reserve Bank, with your PRN as the reference	Depends on your bank
Debit card	Through Government EasyPay or online services, like a credit card	Up to 4 business days through online services
Direct debit from a debit card	Set up in online services or by phone on 13 11 42	Only the account holder can set it up
Direct debit from a bank account	Set up with a direct debit request form, or through a registered agent	At least 7 working days to activate
Australia Post	In person with a payment slip: cash, EFTPOS (daily limits apply) or cheque	You can’t pay at an ATO shopfront

Your bank may offer Osko or PayID transfers, but the ATO warns: “Be aware that we don’t yet have PayID.” It is also “moving away from cheques”.

Paying late adds interest

If a debt isn’t paid on time, the ATO charges the general interest charge (GIC). For October to December 2026 it’s 11.51% a year, calculated daily. That’s worth weighing up if a credit card’s interest-free period was what made paying on time possible.

Our first story on the cutoff walks through BPAY references and plan changes step by step.

Checklist

Find out who pays the ATO by credit card. Ask the owner and bookkeeper which tax payments and payment plans run on a credit card today.
Put 30 June 2027 in the calendar. That’s the last day you can pay the ATO directly by credit card.
Switch any credit-card payment plan before July 2027. Change it in ATO online services. Allow one business day for a debit card, or three for a bank account, which means cancelling the plan and setting up a new one.
Save the right PRN for each tax type. Keep the income tax and activity statement PRNs with the business’s payment details, so every BPAY or bank transfer lands in the right ATO account.
Pay at least 4 business days early. BPAY and online-services payments can take up to 4 business days to reach your ATO account.
Plan for losing the card’s interest-free days. Late tax attracts GIC (11.51% a year for October to December 2026), so set money aside before each due date.
Check any third-party card provider before using it. Once providers are named, compare their fees and processing times and confirm they’re genuine before you pay through them.