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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 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.
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 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.
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.
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: alcoholic beverages, tobacco and 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.
Now I will outline how to process a BasicsCard transaction
Only the authorised cardholder can use the BasicsCard.
The name of the authorised card holder will be printed on the front of the card
Some customers have nominees. In these cases, the nominee's name
will also be printed on the card.
Occassionally when cards are issued remotely,
the authorised card holder's name may be hand written on the back of the card.
These can still be accepted.
If any person other than the authorised card holder attempts to use a BasicsCard
They must be politely refused.
Refer to the BasicsCard Merchant Terms and Conditions for more information.
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 card holder 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 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 calling the Basics Card balance enquiry line on 1800 057 111
calling the Income Management Line on 1800 132 594,
using phone self service on 136 240
using a BasicsCard balance checking kiosk (available in selected locations)
by visiting humanservices.gov.au/basicscard or by visiting one of our Service Centres
or a Community Agent during normal business hours.
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: 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 and 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 onto 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: 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 on 1800 039 417 or visit humanservices.gov.au/business