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Credit card surcharge on sundry accounts 

Some payments made with a credit card incur a 0.7% surcharge (left column below). The surcharge will be added to the total payable amount for Sundry accounts (including development services, trade waste, water carriers and standpipes). We are charged fees by our financial institutions when our customers pay using the credit option. The 0.7% surcharge is the same rate charged to us by financial institutions. 

We have many other payment options available that do not incur the surcharge.

Middle column: if you prefer paying with your credit card but do not want to incur the credit card surcharge. 

Right column: our other convenient payment methods that do not incur the credit card surcharge. 

Pay with your credit card now

Surcharge applies

A 0.7% surcharge applies to MasterCard or Visa credit card payments:

 NO surcharge applies using your debit card or credit card: NO surcharge using other payment options:

Visa and MasterCard credit card over the phone: 1300 047 763

Visa and Mastercard debit card over the phone: 1300 047 763

BPAY - from a bank account

Visa and MasterCard credit card online via our website or My Account

 Visa and MasterCard debit card online via our website or My Account.  Elockbox EFT fund transfers
Australia Post (phone, online or counter)

BPAY - with a credit card

Cheques by mail
Unitywater reception counters (Visa or MasterCard credit card for amounts of $1000 or more)

Surcharge FAQs

The credit card surcharge is applied on top of your transaction when you select ‘credit’ as your method of payment.

Unitywater is charged fees by financial institutions when customers pay using the credit option.

It has become standard business practice elsewhere in government and industry that customers who choose to pay for services using the credit option incur a surcharge.

There are many other ways to pay that do not incur a surcharge, including:

  • BPAY 
  • Direct debit from your bank account or credit card
  • eLockbox EFT fund transfers 
  • EFTPOS payments from your savings and cheque account (at Unitywater counters only)
  • Cheques by mail.

Please see your Unitywater tax invoice for more details on these payment options.

The credit card surcharge will apply for as long as there are these costs associated with credit facilities.
Unitywater are charged the same amount of 0.7% by the financial institution. 
The credit card surcharge may increase in line with business costs associated with credit transactions.
Other government jurisdictions do pass on these fees. Unitywater incurs a high cost of credit card merchant fees due to the large volume of payments. The decision to surcharge for our products was made in line with current government priorities, aiming to reduce costs to the government.
The money collected is offsetting the fees charged by financial institutions.

 

This table provides examples of the 0.70% surcharge. 

Example amount Example surcharge
 $500 $3.50
$1000 $7.00
$1500 $10.50
$2000 $14.00
$2500 $17.50
$3000 $21.00
$3500 $24.50
$4000 $28.00
$4500 $31.50
$5000 $35.00





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