How to Pay the ATO with Amex After 30 June 2027

Short answer: Yes. Until 30 June 2027, you can pay the ATO with your American Express directly or through pay.com.au. After that, you can keep paying with your Amex through pay.com.au: you pay us with your American Express Card, and we pay the ATO by bank transfer. The ATO gets paid. You keep your Membership Rewards® Points and your cashflow.

The ATO announced it would stop accepting credit card payments after 30 November 2026. On 9 October 2026, the Government extended that date to 30 June 2027. For Amex Card Members, that’s still one of the biggest earns of the year heading for the exit, just a little later. Here’s how to hold on to it.

Can I still pay the ATO with Amex after 30 June 2027?

Yes. Through pay.com.au, you can pay any ATO bill on your Amex after 30 June 2027.

The ATO’s change covers card payments made directly to the ATO, via their Online Services for business. pay.com.au pays the ATO by bank transfer, which the ATO keeps accepting. So the payment that leaves your Amex goes to pay.com.au, and the payment that lands at the ATO is a bank transfer.

That covers the bills Amex Card Members put on card today:

• BAS and IAS

• PAYG instalments and PAYG withholding

• Income tax and company tax

• Payment plans and other ATO debts

Your Q1 BAS (due 28 October, or 25 November if lodged through a tax agent) still falls before the cutoff. Every ATO bill after that goes through pay.com.au if you want it on your Amex.

How do I pay the ATO with Amex through pay.com.au?

Paying the ATO with Amex through pay.com.au takes three steps and a few minutes.

1. Create your pay.com.au account. You need an active ABN and to be a director or beneficial owner of the business. New accounts start with a 90-day Premium trial.
2. Add the ATO as a payee and enter your bill. Use the BPAY biller code and your payment reference number (PRN) from your ATO notice or ATO online services.
3. Choose your Amex and pay. pay.com.au charges your American Express Card and sends the funds to the ATO by bank transfer.

That’s it. BAS in. Membership Rewards ® out.

How many Membership Rewards ® Points do I earn paying the ATO with Amex?

Through pay.com.au, your Amex earns its full everyday business rate on ATO payments, not the government rate. Your Card sees a business purchase from pay.com.au, so the standard earn applies.

Paying the ATO directly on Amex has long earned a reduced government rate. After 30 November, that direct option ends altogether. pay.com.au is how the earn keeps going.

On a $50,000 BAS, the Amex Platinum Business Card earns 112,500 Membership Rewards points through pay.com.au. Earn rates are set by American Express and can change.

How does paying the ATO with Amex help my cashflow?

Paying the ATO with Amex through pay.com.au gives you up to 55 days before the money leaves your account, depending on your Card and statement cycle.

The ATO is paid on the due date. Your cash stays in your business until your Amex statement is due. That gap is working capital: stock, payroll, a buffer for a slow month.

Here’s the timing on a quarterly BAS:

• Day 1: You pay your BAS through pay.com.au on your Amex. The ATO is paid on time.

• Up to day 55: You pay your Amex statement.

• In between: Your cash keeps working for your business, not sitting with the ATO.

Tax paid on time. Cash kept in hand. Points on the way.

How much does it cost to pay the ATO with Amex through pay.com.au?

pay.com.au charges 1.75% to 2.10% ex GST to process an Amex payment, depending on your plan and payment size.

On a $50,000 BAS, the pay.com.au fee is $1,050 ex GST on the Free plan, or $950 ex GST on Premium. pay.com.au fees are typically tax deductible for businesses. Rates are current at publishing; see pricing for the latest.

Can I earn PayRewards Points on top of my Amex points?

Yes. You can add 1 or 2 PayRewards Points per $1 to any ATO payment on top of your Membership Rewards ® points.

You choose per payment. The 1-point option is 1.0% ex GST and the 2-point option is 1.8% ex GST, added to the Amex processing fee. That’s the double-dip: your Amex points plus PayRewards Points, on the same tax bill.

PayRewards Points transfer to 17 airline and hotel partners, including Qantas Business Rewards, Virgin Australia Business Flyer, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and Marriott Bonvoy. pay.com.au is also the only platform that lets you redeem points to pay your business invoices. See all partners

Paying the ATO with Amex: FAQs

• Does the ATO’s credit card change include American Express?
  The ATO’s change applies to all credit cards paid directly to the ATO after 30 June 2027 . Amex Card Members can keep paying ATO bills on Amex through pay.com.au, which pays the ATO by bank transfer.
• Will my Membership Rewards points be capped on ATO payments through pay.com.au?
  No. Your Amex earns its standard business rate on payments through pay.com.au, subject to your Card’s own terms. On the Amex Platinum Business Card, that’s 2.25 Membership Rewards points per $1.
• Can my accountant pay the ATO with my Amex?
  Your accountant can set up the ATO bill in pay.com.au for you to approve. You approve it and pay with your own Amex, so your Card stays in your hands.
  
• Are pay.com.au fees tax deductible?
  pay.com.au fees are typically tax deductible for businesses. Check with your accountant for your circumstances.
• How long does it take for the ATO to receive my payment?
  Payment processing time for credit cards including American Express take 1–2 business days. For an outline of our processing times please visit

Written by Fabian Andreou

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