Using your BasicsCard

Where you can use your BasicsCard

You can use your BasicsCard to buy items like:

• food
• clothes
• health items
• hygiene products.

If an approved store does lay-by, you can lay-by items and use your BasicsCard to pay it off.

You can also use your BasicsCard for services, such as transport, Australia Post and some medical centres if the business accepts BasicsCard. If they do, you may be able to do all of these using your BasicsCard too:

• buy bus or train credit
• pay some bills
• pay for a doctor’s appointment.

Get a refund

If you buy something with your BasicCard that you need to take back to the store for some reason, you should get a refund. If you do, the refund amount will go back on your BasicsCard.

Where you cannot use your BasicsCard

You cannot use your BasicsCard to get cash out at an ATM. You also can’t use it to book-up credit in stores or businesses in Australia.

You cannot use it to buy any of these:

• alcohol
• pornography
• tobacco and tobacco products
• gambling products and services
• home-brew kits and home-brew concentrates
• gift cards or vouchers that can be transferred for cash or credit.

Find stores and businesses

Not all stores and businesses can accept your BasicsCard. But there are over 18,000 stores and businesses across Australia that we’ve approved to accept your BasicsCard, like:

• supermarkets
• service stations
• pharmacies
• shoe shops
• department stores.

When you're shopping, look for stores and businesses that display a BasicsCard sticker. If they have one, you can use your card there.

If a store doesn’t accept your BasicsCard, you may still shop there. We can arrange a direct payment from the money in your Income Management account, to the store on your behalf. To do this, call the BasicsCard general enquiry line.

How to find a business

You can find a list of stores that accept the BasicsCard in your area. Enter your location into the find a business or organisation search tool. It will show you a list of stores near you.

Remember to take your BasicsCard with you when you travel. You can use it right across Australia.