Availability
What does it cost?
Getting Started
Adding Payments Logo
Banks
Customers
Merchants
Developers
What bills can I pay? 
You can pay the bills of any participating Merchant displaying the payments.com.au logo
How much does it cost to Customers?
The service is totally free to Customers (other than a local phone call cost - or the few minutes that they are connected to the Internet to process the payment).
I already have a credit card facility.
As a Merchant, you may already be able to accept credit card payments. Unfortunately, this will not work with the Payments.com.au facility. You will need to ask your bank to supply you with a separate Internet Merchant Terminal Id.
What do Merchants need?
To join as a Merchant, you need to do the following:
- Have a valid ABN, business name and bank account set up within Australia
- Visit Payments.com.au and register at http://www.payments.com.au/registerm.asp
- Obtain an Internet Merchant Terminal ID from your bank
- Choose one of the methods of connecting to Payments.com.au (eg. Formgenie, Instant eCommerce, Cash Collector)
- Look forward to being paid by your customers, securely, in real-time, over the Internet or Telephone, 24 hrs x 7 days.
What does a Merchant Terminal ID Cost?
This depends on the relationship that your business has with your bank. The cost can vary from anywhere between nil and $200 - but the precise amount depends upon the Bank and the relationship with the customer.
What is an Internet Merchant Terminal ID?
An Internet Merchant Terminal ID is a credit card processing facility issued to Merchants by their banks. It allows a customer to make a payment from their credit card, directly into the bank account of the Merchant. It is an integral part of the Payments.com.au payments facility.
How do I display the payments.com.au logo in MYOB
Download the Payments.com.au logo from within the Payments.com.au Merchant Administration section.
Import the Payments.com.au logo into your MYOB or other accounting package invoices template - and you can then print this logo in any prominent position on your invoices.
What credit card fees are charged?
Payments.com.au does not charge any credit card fees. These fees are charged to Merchants by their bank. You need to check with your individual bank about the credit card collection fee that you will be charged.
Which banks can I use?
You can use any of the following participating banks, when you sign up: Register here
Changes may occur to this list from time to time.
Which credit cards are accepted?
Merchants can accept any credit card cleared by their participating bank. These typically are: Visa, Bankcard, Mastercard, American Express, Diners, JCB, Novus and others.
Are my details private?
Yes, your details are only provided to the Merchant that issued the Invoice, and only sufficient details to enable reconciliation of the payment. Your credit card number is not provided to the Merchant, nor is it stored by Payments.com.au.
You will only be contacted by Payments.com.au either to advise of new features, services or new Merchants, or for Payment reconciliation purposes.
Can I pay my bills from anywhere in the world?
Yes, you can pay any bill for any Merchant from any Internet connected computer anywhere in the World. The only limitation is that you must use a credit card accepted by your Merchants bank and the Merchant.
With the Automated Telephone Payments System, payments can only be accepted from anywhere within Australia.
Does a customer need to register?
No, a Customer does not need to register to use the Payments.com.au bill payment facility. There are advantages in registration however: - it saves time in keying in your details each time you visit the site, and it does not cost you anything at all to register.
What credit cards are accepted?
Not all Merchants accept all credit cards. You need to check that the Merchant accepts the card that you wish to use - this will be evident when you attempt to make the payment. You may need to use another card, or ask your Merchant to consider accepting another card type.
Merchants can accept any credit card cleared by their participating bank. These typically are: Visa, Bankcard, Mastercard, American Express, Diners, JCB, Novus and others.
What if I am unhappy with the goods or services?
Customers need to resolve any quality issues that they have with the goods or services supplied by the Merchant - with the Merchant concerned. Payments.com.au will not intervene in any dispute between the two parties.
What if I have a dispute with the transaction?
Customers need to resolve any dispute that they have with the Merchant concerned. Payments.com.au will not intervene in the dispute.
What if my credit card is near the limit?
If you attempt to pay for an Invoice, and aren't sure of the amount of remaining credit that you have on your card - the Bank may decline to honour your transaction. You will need to reduce the amount owing on your credit card, or you may need to use a different credit card with sufficient credit limit.
What sort of computer do I need to access the Payments.com.au web site
Any Internet connected computer capable of running a web browser such as Netscape or internet Explorer can access the Payments.com.au system.
Are Payments.com.au fees subject to GST?
Yes. All fees and charges levied by Payments.com.au include GST. The amount of GST can be determined by dividing Payments.com.au fees and charges by eleven in the usual manner. Consult your professional advisor if you need any further assistance.
Are the Merchant fees deducted from the Customer payment?
No. The full amount of the Customer payment is deposited into the Merchant Account.
Merchant fees are paid directly to Payments.com.au by the Merchant through the Merchants Transaction Float. If there are insufficient funds in the Merchant Transaction Float - Customers cannot pay your invoices at Payments.com.au.
Are there any other fees?
Normal bank and government fees apply in addition to the fees charged by Payments.com.au. Your bank will also charge you your agreed rate for credit card collection fees.
Can I import invoices from other Accounting programs?
Yes, we intend offering import abilities from most major Accounting applications over time. You can use a program called Uniwin Cash Collector to collect and upload your invoices to Payments.com.au.
Currently Cash Collector supports the following accounting packages:
- MYOB v10.02
- QuickBooks v8
- Any application capable of generating a CSV or TAB file eg. Filemaker, Excel.
If your package is currently not listed, send an email to info@payments.com.au and we will assist with a solution as soon as possible.
Can Merchants Switch between fee structures?
Yes. Merchants can switch between any available fee structures at any time, subject to the current switching fee being deducted from their Merchant Transaction Account. This fee is normally $49.95, but special conditions may apply to your fee schedule. Refer to the transaction fee schedule option in your Payments.com.au merchant account area.
Do I need to have a web site?
No, Merchants do not need to have a web site. All that a Merchant needs is an Internet connected computer to send Invoices to the Payments.com.au Internet site ready for payment by customers. The Merchant will also need to use the computer to download details of invoices that have been paid or to view/print transaction reports.
Merchants using FormGenie will need a web site to host their order form.
How do I connect to Payments.com.au?
There are many different ways of connecting to Payments.com.au:
- Developers can integrate using either the Direct gateway interface, or the PayLink (hosted) payment interface.
- For merchants seeking payment of invoices, Cash Collector allows you to upload your invoices directly to Payments.com.au
- For merchants wanting quick and easy order checkout page for their web site, use FormGenie to rapidly build your own eCommerce checkout.
- For call centres, or multiple operator processing solutions, consider VTerm (demo at http://www.payments.com.au/vterm/
- For custom applications development, call eFirst on +613 9427 9233 or email eCommerce@efirst.com.au
How often are reports issued?
There are no reports issued. Merchants can visit the site at any time of the day or night, and can view any of their details over any selected date range. Reports can be printed by the Merchant at any time.
The Merchants bank statement issued each month will provide further confirmation of all payments received.
What are the transaction costs?
A Merchant has a number of plans for using the Payments.com.au facility.
Current plans can be found when you sign up for payments.com.au at the following address: Register now
Plans start from $19.95 per month and 0.45 cents per transaction.
What sort of computer do I need to use the Payments.com.au system?
Any computer capable of running an internet browser such as Netscape or internet Explorer can use the Payments.com.au system.
To run the Cash Collector software you will require an IBM compatible computer, Pentium 100 or higher, 16 Mb RAM or higher, 50Mb HDD space, CDROM drive, Keyboard, Mouse, 256 colours or higher monitor, Windows 95/98/NT4/2000, Internet Connection.
When do I get access to the customer payment?
The payment occurs in real-time and is available at the time that your bank processes the transaction to the Merchant bank account. This differs from bank to bank, but is usually on the same day and prior to the next business day. The transaction is charged against the Customer credit card in real-time, as it occurs.
Will you notify me when my Merchant Transaction Account Balance is low?
Yes. Payments.com.au will send an email to Merchants when their Merchant Transaction Account Balance is getting low. Merchants can also set an amount they wish to be notified at and they will receive an email notifying that their Transaction Account balance has reached that level.
Merchants will then need to top up the account balance to a level sufficient to cover transaction charges expected from Customer payments.
Direct Gateway Interface
The Payments.com.au Direct interface allows a transaction to be processed in the same request and response. This is suitable for websites where access to an SSL certificate exists to secure credit information, or desktop applications.
The Direct interface can accept either an XML document or Form string containing the transaction details. The transaction is then processed, and the response can be returned as either XML or Form string.
If you would like to obtain a developer guide for this interface, please contact Payments.com.au on +613 9427 9233.
PayLink (hosted) Interface
The Payments.com.au PayLink interface is a hosted payment solution. This means the card holder is passed across to an SSL encrypted page that resides on Payments.com.au servers, to enter their credit information. Once the transaction has been processed the merchant website can be notified of results in a number of ways.
The PayLink interface also allows the developer to customise the header and footer of the payment page to match the merchant website. This interface is most suited to websites that do NOT have access to SSL encryption.
To view a demo of the PayLink interface, please click here
If you would like to obtain a developer guide for this interface, please contact Payments.com.au on +613 9427 9233.
