Pay strata levies and body corporate fees by card
Keep paying your strata levies, body corporate fees or owners corporation fees by card, even if your levy notice no longer offers a card option. A bill payment service charges your card and pays the scheme by BPAY using the details on your notice.
Earn points on your levies. Each levy you put on your card can earn points, depending on your card's rewards terms. Through Sniip you can also earn 1 Qantas Point per $10 by linking Qantas Frequent Flyer (capped at 2,000 a month).
Fees apply and are shown by the provider before you pay. Card The Bill may receive a referral reward from providers we link to.
The name depends on where you live: strata levies in NSW and WA, body corporate fees in Queensland, owners corporation fees in Victoria, and strata or community corporation levies in South Australia. The steps below work the same way for all of them.
How it works
- You pay the service by card. A bill payment service such as Sniip charges your credit or debit card.
- The service pays the scheme. It pays by BPAY, using the biller code and your reference (or your DEFT reference number) from the levy notice, or by bank transfer.
- The scheme gets a normal payment. Your strata scheme, body corporate or owners corporation receives it like any other BPAY payment, and you repay your card on your usual statement cycle.
Step by step
- Find the payment details on your levy notice. Look in the payment options section for the BPAY biller code and your reference number. On a DEFT notice, the reference is your DEFT reference number.
- Pick a service. Sniip suits owners paying personally, with no ABN needed. pay.com.au and B2Bpay are for businesses. See which services can pay your levy.
- Add the levy and pay. In Sniip, scan the notice, forward it from your email, upload a photo or type in the biller code and reference. Choose your card and confirm. The service shows its fee before you pay.
- Keep the receipt. Save the payment confirmation with your levy notice in case your strata manager asks for it.
If your levy notice uses DEFT
Many strata managers and owners corporations collect levies through DEFT, a Macquarie payment system. The levy notice shows a DEFT BPAY biller code and your DEFT reference number.
From 1 October 2026, DEFT no longer accepts credit or debit cards on deft.com.au, and card payments that were scheduled from that date were cancelled. BPAY is still one of DEFT's payment options: pay to the DEFT biller code on your notice and use your DEFT reference number as the customer reference.
That means you can keep paying by card through a bill payment service. Sniip has a page for paying DEFT bills: add the biller code and DEFT reference from your notice and pay with Visa, Mastercard or debit. To use Amex, your notice must also show the biller's BSB and account number.
Which services can pay BPAY levies
- Sniip: pays BPAY bills, including levy notices with a DEFT reference, and charges your card. Households and businesses; no ABN needed for BPAY bills. Supports recurring payments.
- pay.com.au: for businesses with an active ABN, for example if you own the lot through a business. Free plan Visa or Mastercard 1.20% + GST.
- B2Bpay: for businesses, including sole traders. Pays business rent, strata and property expenses by BPAY or EFT. Essential plan Visa or Mastercard 1.10% + GST (checked 7 Oct 2026).
| Card | Sniip (incl. GST) | pay.com.au free plan | B2Bpay Essential plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa / Mastercard credit | 1.50% | 1.20% + GST (1.32%) | 1.10% + GST (1.21%) |
| Personal Amex | 1.29% on eligible bills, 2.19% on others | 2.10% + GST (2.31%) | Business payments only |
| Business Amex | 1.99% + GST (2.19%) | 2.10% + GST (2.31%) | 2.10% + GST (2.31%) |
| Debit card | 0.65% | Check current fees | Check current fees |
| Who can use it | Households and businesses | Businesses with an active ABN | Businesses, including sole traders |
Amex rates shown are for payments under $100,000. The service shows its fee before you pay. Full comparison.
Allow time before the due date
BPAY payments through a bill payment service take 1 to 3 business days to reach the scheme. Sniip pays BPAY billers the next business day for payments made before 5pm AEST on a business day. pay.com.au says card payments take 1 to 2 business days, and B2Bpay says it passes payments on within 3 business days. Pay a few business days before the due date on your levy notice, or schedule it ahead.
Since 1 October 2026
Businesses can no longer add card surcharges on eftpos, Mastercard and Visa, and American Express has removed surcharging too (RBA). Some billers have dropped card payments instead, including DEFT. See our changes log.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pay strata levies by credit card?
Yes. If your levy notice shows a BPAY biller code and reference, a bill payment service such as Sniip can charge your card and pay the levy by BPAY. The strata scheme, body corporate or owners corporation receives a normal BPAY payment.
DEFT stopped taking cards. Can I still pay my levy by card?
Yes. DEFT stopped accepting credit and debit cards on deft.com.au from 1 October 2026, but BPAY is still one of its payment options: you pay to the DEFT biller code using your DEFT reference number as the customer reference. A bill payment service can make that BPAY payment for you and charge your card.
Can I pay a DEFT levy with Amex?
Through Sniip, only if the levy notice shows the biller's BSB and account number. Sniip says that without them you can't pay a DEFT bill with Amex, so use another card.
Do I need an ABN?
Not for Sniip: you can pay BPAY bills, including levy notices, without one. pay.com.au is only for businesses with an active ABN. B2Bpay is for businesses, including sole traders and partnerships, and pays strata and property expenses.
Does my strata manager need to do anything?
No. The bill payment service pays the scheme by BPAY or bank transfer using the details already on your levy notice, so the scheme receives a normal payment. There's no merchant facility for the scheme to set up.
How long does the payment take to arrive?
Allow 1 to 3 business days. Sniip pays BPAY billers the next business day for payments made before 5pm AEST on a business day. pay.com.au says card payments take 1 to 2 business days. B2Bpay says it passes payments on to billers within 3 business days.
Can I set up recurring levy payments?
Yes. In Sniip you can create a recurring payment with your chosen amount, start date, frequency and card, which suits quarterly levies. Check the amount on each new levy notice, as levy amounts can change.
Will I earn points?
Your card earns points on the payment, depending on your card's rewards terms. Through Sniip you can also earn 1 Qantas Point per $10 by linking Qantas Frequent Flyer (capped at 2,000 a month).
Sources
DEFT and Sniip DEFT pages checked on 7 Oct 2026. Fees checked on 6 Oct 2026 (B2Bpay 7 Oct 2026). Rules and fees change, so confirm with the source before you pay.
- DEFT (Macquarie): Changes to payments via DEFT (no cards from 1 Oct 2026; BPAY with DEFT reference) (opens in a new tab)
- Sniip: Pay a DEFT bill (Amex needs BSB and account; processing times) (opens in a new tab)
- Sniip: BPAY (cut-off times) (opens in a new tab)
- Sniip: Pricing (opens in a new tab)
- Sniip: Earn Qantas Points (cap) (opens in a new tab)
- pay.com.au: Pricing (opens in a new tab)
- pay.com.au: FAQ (processing times) (opens in a new tab)
- B2Bpay: Pay rent, strata and property expenses (opens in a new tab)
- B2Bpay: Fees (opens in a new tab)
- B2Bpay: FAQ (settlement time) (opens in a new tab)
- RBA: Removal of card payment surcharges from 1 Oct 2026 (opens in a new tab)