FAQs

Yes. The SmartCard can be used for purchasing goods and services at online merchants and over the phone or mail order purchases, unless the merchant sells restricted items, or falls into a category of business that is prohibited under the program. A list of blocked business categories and merchants can be found here.

In certain circumstances, yes. If a merchant sells both restricted and unrestricted goods, they may be able to accept the SmartCard in their business if they sign an agreement. Services Australia is also working with merchants to assess their capabilities for implementing new technology that automatically prevents the purchase of restricted items with a SmartCard.

SmartCards are to be treated like any other Visa Debit or eftpos Card product, however we recommend that you check the following:

• The network may be offline. Ask the customer to provide another payment type or return when the payment system is online. SmartCards cannot be processed when the system is offline, as a PIN is required for the transaction to be validated.
• The card’s chip or magnetic stripe may be damaged (a damaged card message will appear on the keypad screen). Advise the cardholder that they will need to contact Services Australia to replace their card.
• There may be insufficient funds left on the card for the transaction (the response code will display as ‘51’ on the terminal). Ask the customer to provide another form of payment.
• The cardholder may have forgotten their PIN (the response code will display as ‘55’ on the terminal). Ask the cardholder to re-enter the correct PIN.
• The terminal may be blocked. This would only occur if your business sells both restricted and unrestricted goods and you have signed an agreement. Ask the cardholder to use the approved terminal.

No. Cash is not accessible through the SmartCard nor will cash-out work with the SmartCard at the point-of-sale. If a SmartCard participant is receiving a refund on an item they purchased with the SmartCard, the merchant should not provide cash as a refund.

The SmartCard can be used at almost any merchant that accepts Visa or eftpos. The SmartCard can be used at merchants all over Australia or online unless the merchant primarily sells restricted items or falls into a category of business that is prohibited under the program. A list of blocked business categories and merchants can be found here.

Yes. Refunds to a SmartCard should only be performed for purchases made with the SmartCard. No cash is to be provided as a refund where the purchase was made with a SmartCard.

No. If your point-of-sale system or the network is not operating (i.e., it is offline) then the SmartCard cannot be used for payment of goods and services. It is recommended that you request the cardholder use another form of payment or return when the system is online.

Yes. SmartCard transactions are processed like all other debit cards and must be processed through your terminal when a purchase is being made.

Restricted goods include:

1. Alcohol
2. Gambling goods and services (excluding lottery tickets and Scratchies)
3. Tobacco
4. Pornography
5. Gift cards (cash-like products) that allow cardholders to access cash or purchase alcohol, tobacco, gambling products or pornographic material
6. Any other goods or services determined by the Commonwealth of Australia in accordance with the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 (Cth).

Yes. A four (4) digit PIN will need to be entered on the keypad by the SmartCard cardholder for the transaction to be validated for their purchases.

The SmartCard can be enabled by customers for contactless transactions.  Payment can be made by tapping the card on a contactless enabled terminal and waiting for the transaction to be confirmed. Cardholders will not need to enter a PIN for purchases of $100 or less (the maximum value threshold may be increased from time to time).