How to pay the ATO by credit card and earn rewards points
You can pay the ATO using an Amex, Mastercard or Visa. Here’s what it will cost you in fees, and how to earn rewards points when paying your tax bill.
You can use a credit card to pay off your ATO tax bill, HECS repayment or quarterly GST payment. You could even earn points this way.
Only a small number of rewards credit cards earn points for spending with the ATO and other government bodies.
Also, the ATO charges a fee for credit payments. Depending on the size of your tax bill, these fees might outweigh the benefit of the points you earn.
How to pay the ATO with a credit card
You can use a credit card to pay the ATO through the Government EasyPay website or through your myGov account.
You'll need your payment reference number (PRN) or electronic funds transfer (EFT) code, which can be found above the bar code on your payment slip or debt notice, or online via myGov.
How to pay the ATO using the Government EasyPay service
Enter your Payment Reference Number (PRN), the amount you're paying and your card details. You'll then see how much the card payment fee will cost.
Follow the prompts to complete the payment.
How to make an ATO payment through myGov
Log in to your myGov account.
Select the "Australian Taxation Office" link.
Click on the "Tax" column, select "Payments" and then "Payment Options".
Select the card payment option and follow the prompts to complete the payment. The credit card fee will be displayed then, too.
Note that only Australian Visa or Mastercard credit cards can be used for BPAY payments to the ATO, not Amex.
What are the ATO credit card payment fees?
When you use your credit card to pay the ATO, you'll be charged a card payment fee.
Australian Mastercard debit card: 0%
Australian Visa debit card: 0%
Australian Mastercard credit card: 0.72%
Australian Visa credit card: 0.80%
American Express: 1.45%
International Visa or Mastercard: 1.99%
You can avoid credit card fees by using a debit card or BPAY through bank account, but you won't earn points.
You could pay on your credit card using BPAY. But most credit cards won't let you earn points from BPAY transactions. Many of them also treat these payments as cash advances, which incur fees and immediate interest charges.
This might end up costing more than the card payment fee.
Which credit cards offer points for payments to the ATO?
Credit Card
Points per $1 for government charges
Other notes
Personal American Express cards (highest ATO earn rate):
1 Awards point per $1 OR 0.4 Qantas Points per $1 spent
The CommBank Awards program terms and conditions state that payments to the ATO won’t earn points unless they are made with a Business Awards or Business Platinum Awards card.
BusinessChoice Rewards Platinum: 0.33 Qantas Points per $1 spent (0.5 points per $1.50) up to 100,000 Qantas Points per month
Altitude Business Platinum: 0.5 points per $1 spent
Altitude Business Gold: 0.5 points per $1 spent (up to 20,000 Altitude Points per month)
These earn rates are specifically listed for government payments, which includes those made to the ATO.
How to check if your credit card earns points for tax payments
Look at the reward program terms and conditions. Credit cards that earn reward or frequent flyer points have a list of transactions that are not eligible to earn points. If "government charges" or "ATO payments" are on the list, then you won't earn points for your tax payment.
Contact your credit card company. Call, email, use an online chat service or leave a message on social media asking the credit card company whether or not your card earns points for ATO payments. If you decide to use social media, make sure you don't share any personal details and only mention the name of the card (rather than your account information).
Should I pay my tax bill with a credit card in the first place?
Our expert says: Is earning points on a tax payment worth it?
"Earning points is great. But the card transaction fees can really add up. You need to sit down and figure out if the value of the points you get is greater than the surcharge. This is especially true with American Express cards, as a 1.45% fee on a $3,000 payment is $43.50."
Example: Is paying your tax bill with a credit card is worth it?
Let's say you have a $10,000 tax bill with the ATO.
You pay it with an American Express card that earns you 1 Membership Reward Point per dollar spent.
Points earned: 10,000 Membership Rewards
Transaction fee (1.45%): $145
Points value: Varies, but you could get a $50 Coles digital gift card with 10,000 points.
In this example it's not worth it. Let's try another card with.
You pay it with a Mastercard credit card that earns you 1 Qantas Point per dollar spent.
Points earned: 10,000 Qantas Points
Transaction fee (0.72%): $72
Points value: Varies, but you could redeem a one-way Sydney to Melbourne reward flight for around 8,000 points. That's worth around $134, which outweighs the transaction fee.
Paying your ATO bill with your credit card via a third party platform
You can also pay the ATO with your credit card via platforms like:
Deft. This payment platform lets you make payments via your credit card. But there will be a credit card transaction fee that's slightly higher than what the ATO charges.
Sniip. You can make ATO payments via Sniip and earn the full value of your points (for example, some American Express cards offer fewer points per dollar spend on government payments, but Sniip gets you more points). But you have to pay a processing fee that may exceed the standard Amex transaction fee the ATO charges.
Frequently asked questions
If you get a new credit card that earns points for ATO payments, you might be wondering if paying your tax bill counts towards the bonus points spend requirement.
Just like earning points per $1 spent on ATO payments, the answer depends on your card. But it's unlikely if you have a card that doesn't earn points for ATO payments.
If you have a card that does earn points for ATO payments, keep in mind that credit card companies often update the conditions around earning points for ATO payments.
This makes it hard to assume a card will earn points (bonus or otherwise). So before you pay your tax bill, double-check you'll earn points and make sure you consider the card payment fee so that you can decide if it's worth it for you.
It depends on the credit card issuer. While technically the ATO is a government body, in some cases credit card transactions may not be classified as government charges and points may be awarded at the credit card provider’s discretion.
Yes. Several American Express cards let you earn Amex Membership Rewards on ATO or Australia Post payments. You can earn 1 point for every dollar spent at government bodies with the American Express Platinum card, for example.
This is the fee that the ATO charges for processing credit card payments. The fee is based on the credit card used to complete the transaction, Visa, Mastercard or American Express for example, and is a percentage of the total value of the transaction.
You can also use a credit card to make a voluntary HECS-HELP repayment through MyGov. There will be a transaction fee for doing this.
Richard Whitten is Finder’s Senior Money Editor, with over eight years of experience in home loans, property, credit cards and personal finance. His insights appear in top media outlets like Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine, and the Herald Sun, and he frequently offers expert commentary on television and radio, helping Australians navigate mortgages and property ownership. Richard started his career in education and textbook publishing in South Korea. He holds multiple industry certifications, including a Certificate IV in Mortgage Broking (RG 206) and Tier 1 and Tier 2 certifications (RG 146), as well as a Bachelor of Education from the University of Sydney and a Graduate Certificate in Communications from Deakin University.
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Am I correct to assume that, from reading above, I will earn 3 points per dollar spent in paying the ATO on the CBA Business Awards Platinum card?
Thanks
Finder
JasonFebruary 23, 2017Finder
Hi Ian,
Thank you for your inquiry.
Yes, you can earn Commonwealth Bank Awards points for ATO payments with CommBank Business Awards Platinum credit card. You will get 1 reward point per dollar spent when you use your MasterCard and 3 points per dollar spent you use your AMEX card. Points are earned on eligible transactions (most purchases, but not, for example, BPAY transactions, cash advances, payments to the Australian Taxation Office unless made using a Business Awards card, or balance transfers) and are subject to points capping.
Kind regards,
Jason
BobbySeptember 26, 2016
Hi,
If I have a credit limit of let say $20,000 on my westpac altitude black and have a tax bill of let’s say $100,000 can I put extra $80k from my other account into the credit card account and pay the $100k ato bill with the westpac altitude black Amex to earn the reward points for the full $100k? If yes how many points am I going to earn in total and is the surcharge worth it?
Thanks for your help.
Regards,
Bobby
Finder
MaySeptember 26, 2016Finder
Hi Bobby,
Thanks for your inquiry.
Your credit card limit is the amount that you are allowed to spend on your card. So if you want to pay your tax bill worth $100K in order to earn points but your credit card limit is only $20,000, I’m afraid that won’t be possible. I suggest that you contact Westpac directly to verify if you can opt out of being able to exceed your credit limit and still earn points on your ATO payments.
Cheers,
May
DavidAugust 16, 2016
Hi everyone
I have Westpac Singapore Airlines Kris Flyer Platinum AMEX and VISA cards. I know they are no longer available to new applicants. Do they still offer points for ATO payments and if so, how many points per dollar for AMEX and VISA.
Regards,
David
Finder
MayAugust 16, 2016Finder
Hi David,
Thanks for your inquiry.
Just to confirm, as stated in the T&Cs, a Westpac Platinum credit card that earns Altitude points will let you collect 1 Altitude Points per $1.00 paid to the ATO using your Altitude American Express. Whilst no Altitude points will be earned using Visa or MasterCard for ATO payments.
For your reference, I have sent you an email that contains the link to the Westpac rewards T&Cs.
Cheers,
May
JasonMay 16, 2016
Hi guys
I was under the impression Westpac Altitude Black still pays out on ATO points? Any chance you can confirm this?
Many thanks for your hard work!
Finder
SharonMay 16, 2016Finder
Hi Jason, thanks for your inquiry.
Yes, that is correct. You will earn 1.5 Altitude Points for each $1.00 paid to the ATO using
an Altitude Black American Express Card.
Cheers,
Sharon
AussieguyMay 16, 2016
Is 1 Altitude Black American Express Card point worth 1 QF or VA point when transferred to their F/F programmes?
Finder
MayMay 17, 2016Finder
Hi Aussieguy, thanks for your inquiry!
With Westpac Altitude Credit Card, the points you can transfer to Qantas or Velocity FF programs are the following:
1. For $1 spent on AMEX = 1 Qantas point; for $1 spent on Visa = 0.5 Qantas point
2. For 2 Altitude Points = 1 Velocity point
Please feel free to check the links that I’ve sent to your email for further information about transferring of your Altitude points to Qantas and Velocity FF programs.
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Can I earn points when I pay ATO bills with my Commonwealth Diamond AMEX/MasterCard credit card?
Hi Michael,
Thank you for your enquiry.
Please note that you cannot earn rewards points with Commonwealth Bank Diamond Awards Credit card on payments to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
You can earn reward points with Commonwealth Bank Diamond Awards credit card on eligible transactions but not on balance transfers, BPAY transactions, cash advances and payments to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), unless made using a Commonwealth Bank Business Awards Credit card, Gold Awards Card or Business Awards Platinum card.
Kind regards,
Jason
Am I correct to assume that, from reading above, I will earn 3 points per dollar spent in paying the ATO on the CBA Business Awards Platinum card?
Thanks
Hi Ian,
Thank you for your inquiry.
Yes, you can earn Commonwealth Bank Awards points for ATO payments with CommBank Business Awards Platinum credit card. You will get 1 reward point per dollar spent when you use your MasterCard and 3 points per dollar spent you use your AMEX card. Points are earned on eligible transactions (most purchases, but not, for example, BPAY transactions, cash advances, payments to the Australian Taxation Office unless made using a Business Awards card, or balance transfers) and are subject to points capping.
Kind regards,
Jason
Hi,
If I have a credit limit of let say $20,000 on my westpac altitude black and have a tax bill of let’s say $100,000 can I put extra $80k from my other account into the credit card account and pay the $100k ato bill with the westpac altitude black Amex to earn the reward points for the full $100k? If yes how many points am I going to earn in total and is the surcharge worth it?
Thanks for your help.
Regards,
Bobby
Hi Bobby,
Thanks for your inquiry.
Your credit card limit is the amount that you are allowed to spend on your card. So if you want to pay your tax bill worth $100K in order to earn points but your credit card limit is only $20,000, I’m afraid that won’t be possible. I suggest that you contact Westpac directly to verify if you can opt out of being able to exceed your credit limit and still earn points on your ATO payments.
Cheers,
May
Hi everyone
I have Westpac Singapore Airlines Kris Flyer Platinum AMEX and VISA cards. I know they are no longer available to new applicants. Do they still offer points for ATO payments and if so, how many points per dollar for AMEX and VISA.
Regards,
David
Hi David,
Thanks for your inquiry.
Just to confirm, as stated in the T&Cs, a Westpac Platinum credit card that earns Altitude points will let you collect 1 Altitude Points per $1.00 paid to the ATO using your Altitude American Express. Whilst no Altitude points will be earned using Visa or MasterCard for ATO payments.
For your reference, I have sent you an email that contains the link to the Westpac rewards T&Cs.
Cheers,
May
Hi guys
I was under the impression Westpac Altitude Black still pays out on ATO points? Any chance you can confirm this?
Many thanks for your hard work!
Hi Jason, thanks for your inquiry.
Yes, that is correct. You will earn 1.5 Altitude Points for each $1.00 paid to the ATO using
an Altitude Black American Express Card.
Cheers,
Sharon
Is 1 Altitude Black American Express Card point worth 1 QF or VA point when transferred to their F/F programmes?
Hi Aussieguy, thanks for your inquiry!
With Westpac Altitude Credit Card, the points you can transfer to Qantas or Velocity FF programs are the following:
1. For $1 spent on AMEX = 1 Qantas point; for $1 spent on Visa = 0.5 Qantas point
2. For 2 Altitude Points = 1 Velocity point
Please feel free to check the links that I’ve sent to your email for further information about transferring of your Altitude points to Qantas and Velocity FF programs.
I hope this is helpful.
Cheers,
May