How to pay the ATO and your BAS by credit card and earn points

Can you pay the ATO with a credit card?

Short answer: Yes. Through B2Bpay you pay by Visa, Mastercard or American Express and B2Bpay pays the ATO by bank transfer using your payment reference number. You keep your card's full points, earn B2B Points on the Earn Plus and Earn Max plans, and get up to 55 days interest-free depending on your card.

You can also pay the ATO directly by card for now. The ATO accepts Visa, Mastercard and American Express and currently charges no card fee, but it has stated that after 30 June 2027 credit cards will no longer be accepted. Direct payments also tend to earn reduced or no card points because issuers class them as government payments. The current rules are on the ATO's payment options page.

Paying through B2Bpay side-steps both problems. The ATO sees an ordinary electronic payment, your card issuer sees a purchase from B2Bpay, and the service keeps working after the ATO's cut-off. Read more in ATO credit card changes 2027.

Which ATO payments can I make by card?

Any ATO liability that has a payment reference number can be paid through B2Bpay, including:

• Business activity statements (GST, PAYG withholding and PAYG instalments reported on the BAS)
• PAYG instalments and PAYG withholding paid separately
• Income tax for companies, trusts, partnerships and sole traders with an ABN
• Other ATO account balances where you hold a payment reference number

The payment reference number (PRN) is the key. It tells the ATO which account and liability the money belongs to, and B2Bpay includes it with the bank transfer so the payment lands in the right place. You will find it on your BAS, your notice of assessment or in ATO online services.

If you are unsure whether a particular ATO payment can be made through the platform, call 1300 205 575 and the team will confirm before you pay.

How do I pay my BAS by credit card step by step?

The process takes a few minutes the first time and less after that.

1. Register at the B2Bpay sign-up page with your ABN. There is no joining fee.
2. Add your card to My Wallet. Visa, Mastercard and American Express are accepted.
3. Add the ATO as a biller and enter your payment reference number exactly as it appears on your BAS.
4. Enter the amount and choose your card. The platform fee is displayed before you confirm.
5. Confirm. B2Bpay charges your card and pays the ATO by bank transfer on your behalf.

Your card statement shows one charge from B2Bpay covering the payment and the fee. B2Bpay issues a tax statement for the fee, which you can download from the portal. If you connect Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks, the payment and the fee are recorded automatically; see paying bills from your accounting software.

You can also schedule the payment for a future date, which is useful for lining up a BAS payment with your card statement cycle.

Do you earn points paying the ATO directly?

Usually not at your card's full rate. Many Visa and Mastercard rewards programs exclude or reduce points on payments to government agencies, and American Express cards commonly earn a reduced rate on direct ATO payments. Check your own card's terms; the rules vary by issuer and product.

Through B2Bpay the transaction on your card is a purchase from B2Bpay, not a payment to the ATO, so you earn points at your card's everyday rate. B2Bpay's own help pages put it simply: you earn full points on all billers, including the ATO, government agencies, telcos, insurers and utilities, which with many cards earn nothing or half as many points when paid directly.

On top of card points, the Earn Plus plan adds 1 B2B Point per $2 and Earn Max adds 1 B2B Point per $1. B2B Points credit 5 days after payment and convert 1:1 to Qantas Points or Velocity Points. See earning full card points on ATO payments.

What does it cost to pay the ATO by card?

The platform fee depends on your card and the plan you choose. All fees are ex GST and are shown before you confirm each payment.

Worked example: a $20,000 BAS paid with Visa on Earn Max costs $500 ex GST in fees and earns 20,000 B2B Points, convertible to 20,000 Qantas or Velocity Points, plus your card's own points. On Essential the same payment costs $220 ex GST and earns your card's points only.

The fee is generally a business expense; confirm deductibility with your accountant. Use the points calculator to run your own numbers, and see platform fees, GST and tax deductions for the detail.

How long does a payment take to reach the ATO?

Allow a few business days. The ATO advises that electronic payments can take up to 4 business days to appear on your account, and B2Bpay's help pages state payments are passed to the biller within 3 business days, with the settlement date shown in your Payment History.

In practice, do not leave a BAS payment to the due date. Paying a week ahead gives comfortable margin, and scheduling the payment in advance means you do not have to remember on the day. The ATO's own guidance on timing is on its payment options page.

Your card is charged when the payment is processed, so your interest-free period starts then. Timing a BAS payment just after your statement closes gives you close to the maximum number of interest-free days; see 55 days interest-free explained.

Is this a cash advance?

No. A cash advance is what you get when you draw cash or make a BPAY payment directly from a credit card; issuers typically charge fees and interest from day one and award no points.

A payment through B2Bpay is different. Your card is charged by B2Bpay as a purchase, and B2Bpay then pays the ATO by bank transfer from its own side. That is why you earn points and keep your interest-free days. The same applies to every supplier, landlord or biller you pay through the platform.

If you have been paying BAS by BPAY from a credit card and seeing cash advance fees, switching to B2Bpay is the fix. Our guide to paying BPAY bills with a credit card explains the mechanics.