Changes to DEFT card payments from 1 October 2026

Macquarie Bank has announced an important change to the payment methods available through DEFT.

From Thursday, 1 October 2026, owners will no longer be able to make levy payments through deft.com.au using a credit or debit card.

Any future or recurring DEFT payments scheduled using a credit or debit card for processing on or after 1 October 2026 will also be cancelled. Owners who currently use this payment method will need to update their arrangements before the change takes effect.

Why is DEFT removing card payments?

The change follows reforms announced by the Reserve Bank of Australia that will remove surcharges on eftpos, Mastercard and Visa credit, debit and prepaid card payments from 1 October 2026.

Macquarie has advised that, in response to these changes, DEFT will focus on payment methods that allow funds to be paid directly from a bank account without a card surcharge.

How can owners continue to pay their levies?

A number of DEFT payment options will remain available, depending on the options provided by your owners corporation.

PayID

Owners can make a payment through their mobile or internet banking using a DEFT PayID.

The PayID will generally be:

[your DEFT reference number]@deft.com.au

You can obtain the correct PayID by visiting deft.com.au and entering the DEFT reference number shown on your levy notice.

PayID payments are generally received on the same business day. Payments made outside business days may not settle until the next business day, and individual banks may apply security holds.

BPAY

You can continue to pay through your mobile or internet banking using:

• The DEFT BPAY biller code shown on your levy notice
• Your DEFT reference number as the customer reference number

Processing times will depend on your financial institution, so payments should be made before the levy due date.

Direct debit from a bank account

Owners can continue to make one-off, scheduled or recurring payments through deft.com.au using an Australian bank account.

If you currently have a recurring payment linked to a credit or debit card, you will need to log in to your DEFT profile and change the payment method to a bank account before 1 October 2026.

Australia Post

Where this option is offered, payments can be made at Australia Post by eftpos or cheque.

You must take a levy notice containing the DEFT barcode. Australia Post cannot process the payment using the DEFT reference number alone.

What do owners need to do?

If you currently pay your levies using a credit or debit card through DEFT, we recommend that you:

1. Review any scheduled or recurring DEFT card payments.
2. Select an alternative payment method before 1 October 2026.
3. Update recurring payments to draw from a bank account, if appropriate.
4. Allow sufficient processing time for payments to reach the owners corporation before the due date.

Owners who already pay by PayID, BPAY or direct debit from a bank account do not need to change their payment method.

Need assistance?

The available payment methods and the relevant DEFT reference details are shown on your levy notice.

If you require assistance understanding your levy notice or the payment options available to your owners corporation, please contact your Netstrata strata manager.

Further information about the changes is also available on the DEFT website.

Payment options may vary between owners corporations. Owners should confirm the methods shown on their current levy notice and allow sufficient time for their payment to be processed.