Australian Payments Network (AusPayNet), the self-regulatory body for the payments industry, and Australian Payments Plus (AP+), the domestic payments provider, have today launched a public consultation to collect feedback from stakeholders and end-users on the future of account-to-account payments in Australia.

The RBA Risk Assessment on the decommissioning of the Bulk Electronic Clearing System (BECS) released in March 2025 highlighted the need to establish a clear vision for the future of account-to-account payments in Australia.

Account-to-account payment systems support a range of payment types including payroll, superannuation, welfare, dividends, disbursements, taxes, supplier payments and direct debits, amongst other consumer, business and government payments.

To help develop a future vision for these payments, this consultation aims to identify the current and future payment needs and expectations of the users of Australia’s account-to-account payments systems, including consumers, businesses, government, financial institutions, payment service providers, and other key stakeholder groups.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and Commonwealth Treasury have indicated their support for this consultation. RBA Assistant Governor (Financial System) Brad Jones said: “The account-to-account system supports consumers, businesses and government agencies in their everyday economic activities. It is a vital part of Australia’s financial infrastructure. This consultation provides a broad range of stakeholders the chance to provide input into how the system can be modernised to meet the opportunities and challenges of the future, in the public interest.

The responses to the consultation will help shape an industry plan for the account-to-account payments system, with high-level deliverables and milestones, including clear prioritisation and sequencing.

AusPayNet CEO Andy White said: “This consultation is an important step forward in designing a modern account-to-account payments ecosystem that meets the needs of its users well into the future. It is timely to gather feedback from the widest possible range of stakeholders and users to ensure that account-to-account payments continue to contribute to the vibrancy, productivity and resilience of Australia’s digital economy.”

“We’re excited to hear from users of the payments system and other industry participants as we work together to define the next chapter of Australia’s payments landscape,” said AP+ CEO Lynn Kraus. “The insights and feedback we gather will inform the industry’s strategic approach to account-to-account payments and ensure we’re addressing the priorities and needs of all stakeholders.”

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The full consultation paper and more information can be found on both the AusPayNet website: www.auspaynet.com.au/insights/consultations/A2Avision and the AP+ website: https://www.auspayplus.com.au/stakeholder-engagement/public-consultations.

Submissions to this consultation should be submitted byto either AusPayNet via [email protected] or AP+ via [email protected].

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