Thank you for becoming a BasicsCard merchant
This DVD includes important information about the BasicsCard, your obligations as a
BasicsCard merchant, getting your business ready to accept the BasicsCard and staff
training.
Income Management and the BasicsCard
Income Management helps customers budget for important things such as food, clothing
and household goods. Part of a customer’s Centrelink payment is income managed, which
can be spent at approved stores, or used to pay for utility bills and rent.
Income Management ensures income support payments are spent in the best interests of
children and families.
The BasicsCard is one way these customers can spend their income managed money. It is a
reusable, PIN protected card. The BasicsCard can be used to make purchases through
EFTPOS and is processed the same way as other EFTPOS transactions.
Your obligations as a BasicsCard merchant
As a BasicsCard merchant it is important that you are aware of your obligations.
You must read and understand the BasicsCard Merchant Terms and Conditions. You can find
a copy in the BasicsCard Merchant Manual, or on the Department of Human Services
website.
The BasicsCard Merchant Terms and Conditions explain your obligations. These include:
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ensuring that your staff are trained
not selling excluded goods and services in BasicsCard transactions, as outlined
later in this DVD
not providing cash refunds or cash out transactions
giving itemised receipts to cardholders
keeping records of BasicsCard transactions for two years
ensuring that only the authorised cardholder uses the card, and
not keeping a customer’s BasicsCard.
You must ensure your staff are trained, so that they understand their obligations and know
how to process BasicsCard transactions.
It is important to note that some BasicsCard merchants are given limited approval to sell
certain goods or services; for example, fuel and automotive services only. If this applies to
you, details about limited approval will be outlined in your approval letter from the
department.
The department may conduct audits and reviews to ensure you are meeting your
obligations as outlined in the BasicsCard Merchant Terms and Conditions. Breaches of the
BasicsCard Merchant Terms and Conditions can have implications on your continued
approval as a BasicsCard merchant.
You should contact the department if you have any questions.
Getting your business ready to accept the BasicsCard
Your customers can now shop at your store using their BasicsCard.
Your EFTPOS terminals are ready to accept the BasicsCard. The department has used the
information you supplied in your application to remotely activate your EFTPOS terminals.
It is important that your customers know they can use their BasicsCard in your store. As
outlined in the BasicsCard Merchant Terms and Conditions, you must display the stickers
and posters provided in the BasicsCard Merchant Manual in your store. These stickers and
posters let customers know that you accept the BasicsCard.
The BasicsCard Register Checklist enclosed in your BasicsCard Merchant Manual is to be
displayed on your cash register to help your staff process BasicsCard transactions.
BasicsCard purchases
Customers can use their BasicsCard to purchase most items from your store.
There are certain items that customers cannot purchase, under any circumstances, using
their BasicsCard. These requests must be politely refused.
The excluded goods and services are:
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alcoholic beverages
tobacco products
gambling products and services
pornographic material
gift cards or store cards
vouchers
home-brew kits—this includes a fermenter, an airlock and a thermometer, and
home-brew concentrate—items used for brewing beer or making wine such as
malt, hops, wort and grape concentrate.
Your customers can, however, purchase these goods and services using their other money.
BasicsCard customers cannot be given cash out or cash refunds from your store when they
use their BasicsCard. If BasicsCard purchases need to be refunded, the money must be
refunded back onto their BasicsCard.
Book up is also not allowed on the BasicsCard. Book up is credit offered by stores and other
traders for the purchase of goods or services, particularly in remote and regional areas of
Australia.
Your customers can use their BasicsCard for Layby purchases. For more details about Layby
transactions, please refer to the BasicsCard Merchant Terms and Conditions.
You must not impose a transaction charge or fee on customers using a BasicsCard unless
you impose the same charge or fee on all EFTPOS card transactions.
If your business decides to impose a minimum spend limit for BasicsCard purchases, it
cannot be more than $5. Please refer to the BasicsCard Merchant Terms and Conditions for
more information.
Only the authorised cardholder can use the BasicsCard. The name of the authorised
cardholder will be printed on the front of the card. Some customers have nominees and in
these cases the nominee’s name will also be printed on the card. Occasionally, when cards
are issued remotely, the authorised cardholder’s name may be hand written on the back of
the card, these can still be accepted.
If any person other than the authorised cardholder attempts to use a BasicsCard, they must
be politely refused.
Refer to the BasicsCard Merchant Terms and Conditions for more information.
Processing BasicsCard transactions
Now I will outline how to process a BasicsCard transaction as well as important things to
remember when serving a BasicsCard customer.
The BasicsCard is used in the same way as an EFTPOS card.
The BasicsCard is swiped through the EFTPOS terminal. The customer then selects
“Savings"—remember, only the authorised cardholder can use the BasicsCard.
The customer will then enter their PIN. You must not do this for them.
As with any EFTPOS transaction, your EFTPOS terminal will advise whether the transaction
has been approved or declined.
If the transaction has been approved, give the customer their goods and their itemised
receipt and make sure you give them their BasicsCard back. You must not keep the
customer’s BasicsCard even if they ask you to.
If your customer’s BasicsCard transaction is declined they may need to pay another way.
Their BasicsCard can be declined for a number of reasons. Your customer may:
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have incorrectly entered their PIN. You can ask them to re-enter their PIN. If they
have forgotten their PIN, please refer them to the department
have insufficient funds on their BasicsCard
have exceeded their BasicsCard daily spend limit for that day, or
be using an inactive or suspended card.
Alternatively, the EFTPOS terminal you are using may not have been activated by the
department.
If the customer has insufficient funds or they have exceeded their daily spending limit, you
can suggest that they check their BasicsCard balance.
Customers can check their card balance 24 hours a day, seven days a week by:
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calling Freecall™ 1800 057 111
calling the Income Management Line on Freecall™ 1800 132 594
using phone self service on 136 140
using a BasicsCard balance checking kiosk (available in selected locations)
by visiting humanservices.gov.au
or by visiting one of our Service Centres or a Community Agent during normal
business hours.
BasicsCard balances can also be printed on EFTPOS receipts at participating stores. This is a
free service for customers; however they must set this up with the department.
Not all financial institutions providing EFTPOS facilities can support the BasicsCard Balance
on Receipt service. You will need to contact the financial institution providing your EFTPOS
facilities to check if they support Balance on Receipt.
For more information about this service call the Income Management and BasicsCard
Merchant Helpdesk (Income Management and BasicsCard Merchant Helpdesk) on 1800 039
417 or visit humanservices.gov.au
You can help reduce the incidents of declined transactions by encouraging your customers
to check their BasicsCard balance before they shop.
For more information on other balance checking options available to customers, please
refer to your BasicsCard Merchant Manual.
No BasicsCard transactions are allowed if the EFTPOS system is not available.
If the EFTPOS system states “approved with signature” do not complete the BasicsCard
transaction. BasicsCards do not contain a signature. Cancel and make another attempt to
process the transaction.
Remember:
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A BasicsCard sale is the same as a savings EFTPOS sale.
Customers must enter their 4 digit PIN.
Do not ask a customer to tell you their PIN.
You must not keep a customer’s BasicsCard.
You must give an itemised receipt for each BasicsCard transaction to the
cardholder.
Receipts should indicate what purchase was made on the BasicsCard.
You must keep transaction records for 2 years.
No BasicsCard transactions are allowed when EFTPOS is unavailable. If the
EFTPOS terminal requests a signature, cancel the transaction and try again.
If you change your EFTPOS terminals or the bank that you get your terminals
from you must let the department know so your terminal information can be
updated to accept the BasicsCard.
You must not sell excluded goods and services on the BasicsCard. These excluded
goods are alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, gambling products and
services, pornographic material, gift cards, store vouchers, home-brew kits and
home-brew concentrates.
You cannot give cash out or cash as a refund. If a customer requests a refund for
a BasicsCard purchase, the refund must go directly back on to the BasicsCard.
To ensure you can maintain your approval as a BasicsCard merchant, you must tell the
department when there is a change to your business circumstances. For example:
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If you sell your business
If you change the bank you get your EFTPOS terminals from
If you get new or additional EFTPOS terminals
If your contact details change
Thank you for your participation as a BasicsCard merchant. We hope you have found this
DVD helpful.
If you are unsure of anything, or require more information,
call the Income Management and BasicsCard Merchant Helpdesk Freecall™ on 1800 039 417
or visit humanservices.gov.au/business