Registering for BPAY

BPAY is the University's preferred option for payment of all tuition fees and any late fees incurred. The Student & Academic Services cashier will only receive payments for late re-enrolment fees, academic transcripts, reading bricks, and other miscellaneous fees.

What is BPAY?

BPAY is a bill payment service operated over the phone or via the internet by Australian financial institutions such as banks and credit unions. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thus enabling students to pay fees at a time that is convenient to them. ANU is recommending this payment method because it eliminates the need to queue to pay tuition fees. It also eliminates the uncertainty about whether posted payments or faxes have reached the office by the due date for payment.

Who can use BPAY?

All students with an Australian bank account with one of the financial institutions participating in BPAY will be able to use this method to pay their fees. Some of these financial institutions waive transaction fees for students, so remember to ask about special accounts for students.

A large number of Australian financial institutions offer this bill payment service, including the Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, and the Credit Union of Canberra, which have branches on campus. A full list of the 148 participating institutions offering the service can be found on the web at http://www.bpay.com.au. BPAY can be used to pay ANU fees from cheque, savings or credit card accounts. Credit card payments through BPAY can be made using Visa or MasterCard if linked to an Australian bank account. Your financial institution will advise you about using your credit card with BPAY.

Should you be unable to pay your fees using the BPAY service, or you do not wish to use this preferred payment method, the University will continue to accept posted payments and faxed credit card authorisations. Students using the postal service or faxing credit card authorisations will be responsible for ensuring that the payment reaches the Student Fees Office by the due date. It is recommended that posted payments be sent by express post. It is also recommended that transmissions reports are kept as proof of the date faxed payments have been sent. Faxed credit card authorisations that cannot be processed by the due date for payment because the transaction is electronically declined, will incur a late fee for late payment.

How to use BPAY

If you already have an Australian bank account but you do not currently use BPAY, you will need to be registered for internet or phone banking with your financial institution. Some financial institutions have a waiting period before you can use the service for the first time. So register early to ensure you are ready to pay your fees with BPAY by the appropriate due date.

Follow these steps to register for BPAY:

Questions and answers

How can I find out the terms and conditions of BPAY?

When you register to use phone banking and or internet banking with your financial institution, you will agree to certain terms and conditions of using the service. Ask your institution to provide you with a full list of the BPAY terms and conditions before you use BPAY for the first time. It is important that you read them before accessing the service, as once you use the BPAY service your financial institution will assume that you have read, understood and accepted these terms and conditions.

How long will it take for my payment to appear on my ISIS account?

Each business day ANU receives an electronic file of payments made through the BPAY service. Depending on the time and day you make the payment, you may be able to view the payment through ISIS as soon as 24 hours later. However, payments made on a Friday may not appear on your account until the following Tuesday or Wednesday. The BPAY file from the bank includes the date, time and transaction reference number of each payment. In some cases, the name of the financial institution through which you made the payment is also recorded. If you pay your fees by your financial institution's business day cut-off time on the day the fees are due, the University will record you as having paid by the due date and you will not incur a late fee, even if the payment does not appear on the bank file until the next business day.

Do I have to have a cheque or savings account or credit card to use BPAY?

ANU will accept BPAY payments from cheque and savings accounts. We also accept credit card payments made using Visa and MasterCard. We do not accept any other credit cards. If you do not have sufficient cleared funds in your account to cover the transaction, or insufficient available credit if paying by credit card, your transaction will not be successful. You may be charged a dishonour fee by your financial institution as well as incurring a late fee from the University for not paying your fees by the due date.

Will my money be secure if I use BPAY?

If you have any concerns about the level of security that your financial institution may have in place to protect the transfer of your funds to the University, you should discuss the matter directly with your institution. Many of our students have been successfully using BPAY to pay their tuition fees for the last 18 months. Because the media has been focusing on problems people have had purchasing goods using the Internet, you may be concerned about its safety. If so, you may prefer to complete your BPAY transaction by telephone. Remember that like other financial transactions, such as cheque, debit card and credit card transactions, BPAY transactions are traceable. So if you have a problem, we will advise you to contact your financial institution about the matter.

What does BPAY cost?

A BPAY transaction is an account transaction. Your financial institution will tell you what the cost is to use this service. Some financial institutions waive account fees for students. Check with your institution as to whether this is the case for you.

Can I make a partial student contribution payment using BPAY?

The University will accept partial Student Contributions of $500.00 or more via BPAY, up to the same due date for other upfront HELP fees. If you intend to defer your student contribution but change your mind and make a partial student contribution payment after the due date set by the University your payment will not be accepted and we will arrange for you to be refunded the money.