How to earn points paying the ATO and your bills

Your biggest bills usually earn the fewest points. Tax, rent, council rates and supplier invoices often can't be paid by credit card, or earn reduced points when they can. And paying the ATO directly by card usually earns few or no points.

Bill payment platforms are the workaround. Here's how they work, what's changing at the ATO, and the simple test for whether paying a fee to earn points is worth it.

What's changing at the ATO

The ATO had planned to stop accepting credit cards from 1 December 2026, after the RBA's surcharge ban stopped it passing card fees on. On 9 October 2026, the Government agreed to cover the card costs instead, so the ATO will keep accepting credit cards, with no surcharge, until 30 June 2027. What happens after that hasn't been confirmed.

Either way, most cards give few or no points on payments made directly to the ATO. American Express was an exception, though at a reduced rate.

How bill payment platforms work

1. You pay the platform with your credit card, or sometimes by bank transfer.
2. The platform pays your biller, including the ATO, by BPAY or bank transfer.
3. You earn your card's points on the payment, and on some platforms the platform's own bonus points too.

You pay the platform a fee, usually a percentage of the bill. Business fees are generally tax-deductible, but check with your accountant.

The platforms

For businesses:

For individuals:

Correct as of October 2026. Fees vary by card type and change often, so check each platform before you pay. Business payment rewards platforms compared and Bill payment apps that earn points, compared go into each one.

Is it worth it? The one-line test

Divide the fee by the points you earn per dollar. That's the value each point must reach for you to break even.

Break-even value per point = fee % ÷ points per dollar

Say a platform charges 1.25% and your card earns 1 point per dollar. Each point must be worth at least 1.25 cents. If you redeem for business class at 3 cents or more, you're well ahead. If you'd spend the points on gift cards at half a cent, you're paying to lose money.

Platform bonus points improve the maths. If the same payment also earns 0.1 bonus airline points per dollar, your break-even drops to about 1.14 cents.

Also count the free credit. Paying a large bill by card can give you up to the card's interest-free period before you pay it off. That only helps if you clear the card in full.

Worked examples

Both examples value Qantas Points at 3.5 cents each, a typical value for a business class Classic reward, and assume the payment earns the card's everyday rate. Fees were correct in October 2026.

Business: a $10,000 supplier bill through pay.com.au on an American Express Qantas Business Rewards card (Free plan, PayRewards Core package)

Fees exclude GST, which a GST-registered business can claim back. After tax assumes a 25% company tax rate. Without PayRewards, the same bill nets $280.00, so the bonus points add $100. If you only get 1.6 cents a point, Point Hacks' average valuation, the net profit falls to $47.50.

Personal: a $2,000 bill through Sniip on a Qantas American Express Ultimate card (Points Booster Bronze)

Personal fees include GST and aren't tax-deductible. Without Points Booster, the same bill nets $68.70, so the Booster adds $15: it buys points at 2 cents each, which pays when you redeem for more than that. At 1.6 cents a point, Point Hacks' average valuation, the net profit falls to $13.40, and the Booster costs you money. Sniip charges Amex payments to the ATO at its business rate, 2.19% including GST, which cuts the margin.

Why platforms can pay you points on bills

A bill payment platform earns the fee you pay. Out of it, it covers the card processing cost and, on some platforms, buys bonus points from airline programs to pay out to you. For businesses, card interchange is still capped at 0.8%, which leaves more room than on consumer cards.

The platforms that offer an "accelerator" are effectively selling you points: you pay a higher fee and receive more airline points per dollar. That's not a bad thing, but it means you should value those points like any other bought points. Compare the effective cost per point with what you'd get when you redeem.

What to do now

1. If you pay the ATO by credit card, check what your card actually earns on tax payments. You can keep paying the ATO by card until 30 June 2027, but a platform may earn you full points.
2. Run the break-even test for your card, your platform and how you redeem.
3. Set up a platform account early. Business accounts can take a few days to verify.
4. Pay the card in full. Interest wipes out the benefit.