pay.com.au fees explained: platform fees, PayRewards and how the two stack
FairPayments · · Last updated:
pay.com.au is an Australian platform for paying suppliers, bills and the ATO by card or bank transfer while earning points. Its pricing page says more than 100,000 Australian businesses use it and that pay.com.au Limited holds AFSL 700223. There are two separate charges.
What is the pay.com.au platform fee?
This is what you pay to fund a payment with a credit card. It depends on your plan and card type.
| Free ($0/month) | Regular ($85/month) | Premium ($165/month) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | 1.20% | 1.10% | 1.00% |
| Mastercard | 1.20% | 1.10% | 1.00% |
| Amex $0 to $99,999 | 2.10% | 2.05% | 1.90% |
| Amex $100,000 to $499,999 | 2.05% | 2.00% | 1.85% |
| Amex $500,000 to $999,999 | 2.00% | 1.95% | 1.80% |
| Amex over $1,000,000 | 1.95% | 1.90% | 1.75% |
What do PayRewards packages cost?
PayRewards is pay.com.au's own points currency. You choose a package on each payment:
| Package | PayRewards Points per $1 | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Core | 1 | 1.00% |
| Plus | 2 | 1.80% |
| Ultra (Regular and Premium only) | 3 | 2.70% |
The help centre is clear that these fees are separate from the card platform fee. Pay by card and add a package, and you pay both. Pay by bank transfer (PayTo, PayID or direct debit) and you can buy PayRewards without the card fee.
If you use both on one card payment, check the total on the confirmation screen rather than adding the percentages in your head.
What are PayRewards worth?
pay.com.au's help centre lists a transfer rate of 2 PayRewards Points to 1 Qantas Point (through Qantas Business Rewards) or 1 Velocity Point (through Virgin Australia Business Flyer). Points expire after 18 months with no activity. Earning, redeeming or transferring points resets the clock, but payments made with PayRewards switched off don't. So the Core package buys roughly half an airline point per dollar for 1%. Whether that is good value depends on how you redeem.
Which plan makes sense?
A rough break-even, using only published prices:
- Regular costs $85 a month and saves 0.10% on Visa and Mastercard compared with Free. You need about $85,000 a month in card payments for the saving to cover the subscription.
- Premium costs $165 a month and saves 0.20% compared with Free, so the break-even is about $82,500 a month. Above that, Premium beats Free on card fees alone.
These numbers ignore Amex tiers, the Ultra package and concierge extras. Run your own figures.
Why do Point Hacks' figures differ?
Point Hacks has detailed guides to pay.com.au and discloses that it is affiliated with the company. Its product guide currently shows Mastercard from 0.80%, which differs from the 1.00% to 1.20% now on pay.com.au's own pricing page. Treat third-party tables as a starting point and check the provider's page on the day.
Where does FairPayments fit?
pay.com.au helps on the money you send. If your business also takes card payments, the money you receive can earn points too (more on that here). FairPayments (Nuvei Preferred Partner) charges merchants 0.95% on Visa and Mastercard and a flat 25c per eftpos transaction (published rates) and earns Velocity Points at 1 point per $25 in card sales, for eligible auto, wholesale food and trade supply businesses.
Is pay.com.au worth it?
pay.com.au has two fees: a card platform fee from 1.00% to 1.20% for Visa and Mastercard, and optional PayRewards packages from 1.00%. Add them up honestly, compare with your card's earn rate, and only pay for points you will use.
Related reading
Common questions
How much does pay.com.au charge?
Visa and Mastercard platform fees are 1.20% on Free, 1.10% on Regular ($85 a month) and 1.00% on Premium ($165 a month). Amex is tiered from 2.10% down to 1.75%.
What is PayRewards and what does it cost?
PayRewards is pay.com.au's points program. Packages cost 1.00% for 1 point per $1, 1.80% for 2 points, or 2.70% for 3 points (Regular and Premium only). These are on top of any card platform fee.
Do PayRewards Points expire?
Yes. pay.com.au says they expire after 18 months with no activity. Earning, redeeming or transferring points resets the clock.
Is there a free trial?
New accounts get 90 days on the Premium plan, then move to the Free plan automatically.
Sources
- pay.com.au/pricing
- help.pay.com.au/hc/en-au/articles/14199847319823-What-are-pay-com-au-s-fees
- help.pay.com.au/hc/en-au/articles/14199849479439-Do-I-pay-a-fee-to-earn-PayRewards
- help.pay.com.au/hc/en-au/articles/15109240686351-Do-PayRewards-Points-expire
- help.pay.com.au/hc/en-au/articles/14199725714959-PayRewards-transfer-rates-to-our-tra
- help.pay.com.au/hc/en-au/articles/14197709374863-How-to-add-the-ATO-as-a-BPay-payee
- pointhacks.com.au/product-guide/payrewards