Editor’s Note: Overdraft Apps provides detailed product reviews and recommendations based upon extensive research and our own hands-on testing. We may earn a referral fee when you sign up for or purchase products mentioned in this article.
Mitchel holds a Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance from The Goizeta School of Business at Emory University and a Masters of Business Administration from The Haas School of Business at The University of California.
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Updated November 2026.
Short answer: If Centrelink is your only income, Beforepay, PressPay, MyPayNow, Wagetap, and Wagepay will say no. They look for a regular wage from a job. If you also work, and Centrelink is less than 51% of your income, Beforepay can say yes. If you need cash and you do not have a job, start with Centrelink’s own advance payment. That one has no extra fee.
Pick the path that matches your week
- Centrelink only, and you need cash: Apply for an advance payment in myGov or the Express Plus Centrelink app. On JobSeeker, Parenting Payment, or Youth Allowance, that is $250 to $500.
- You need a fridge, a repair, or a bond, not cash in your hand: A No Interest Loan can pay the shop. It cannot pay rent, bills, or give you cash.
- You have a job and Centrelink: Beforepay can say yes when Centrelink is less than 51% of your income and your pay is regular.
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If Centrelink is your only income
These apps will not treat a Centrelink payment as a wage. Applying to all of them will not change that.
| App | Centrelink only | If you also have a job |
|---|---|---|
| Beforepay | No | Yes, if Centrelink is less than 51% of your income and you get a regular wage. Casual work can qualify when pay lands on a steady pattern. |
| PressPay | No | Centrelink cannot be more than half of your earnings. You also need at least $350 a week after tax. |
| MyPayNow | No | Your job has to pay at least $450 take-home a week ($900 a fortnight, or $1,950 a month). Centrelink can sit beside that. |
| Wagetap | No | Centrelink must be less than half of your after-tax income. Wages need to come through payroll, at least $800 a month. A pension does not count as a wage. |
| Wagepay | No | You need at least $500 a week from work. Centrelink on its own is a no. |
Full comparison of fees and limits: compare pay advance apps.
Get cash from Centrelink, with no interest
You can get a chunk of your Centrelink money early, straight from Centrelink. You pay the same dollars back over about six months. There is no interest and no fee. A $500 advance costs you $500, not $525 or $550.
Centrelink takes a bit out of your normal payment each fortnight until it is paid off. You do not set up a separate debit. You can pay it off early if you want to.
$500 paid back over time: about $38.46 comes out of each fortnightly payment, 13 times. That adds up to $500.
How much you can get
On JobSeeker, Parenting Payment, Youth Allowance, Austudy, or ABSTUDY, you can get $250 to $500. You can take it in one go, or in two smaller payments.
On the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, or Carer Payment, the amounts are higher. Right now a single person can get from $588.05 up to $1,764.15. A member of a couple can get from $443.30 up to $1,329.90. Those tops change in March and September.
What you can use it for
The money goes into your account. Rent, food, a bill, petrol, or something else you need this week. Centrelink does not pay a shop for you.
If you just started a job and you need work boots, tools, or hi-vis clothes before the first pay, ask about a Special Employment Advance. That one is $50 to $500 and uses its own form.
Who can get one
You need to already be on a Centrelink payment. JobSeeker, Parenting Payment, Youth Allowance for job seekers, the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, and Carer Payment also need at least 3 months on that payment. Students on Austudy, ABSTUDY, or Youth Allowance, and people getting Family Tax Benefit Part A, do not have that 3 month wait.
You usually cannot get another one if you already had an advance in the last 12 months. That covers JobSeeker, Parenting Payment, Youth Allowance, Austudy, and ABSTUDY. Parenting Payment can make an exception if you became single in the last 28 days.
Centrelink can also say no if you owe them money, you are outside Australia, or the smaller payments would be too hard to live on for the next 6 months.
How to apply
Sign in to myGov and choose Apply for Advance. The Express Plus Centrelink app can do it too. They will ask about your income and your regular bills, to check you can pay it back. Full rules are on the Services Australia advance payment page.
When you need an item, not cash
A No Interest Loan (people call it NILs) charges no interest and no fees. Good Shepherd pays the supplier. You pay back only what the item cost, over up to 24 months. Centrepay can take the repayments from your Centrelink payment.
You can borrow up to $2,000 for things like a fridge, a washing machine, car repairs, a laptop, dental work, or school costs. A rental bond or natural disaster costs can go up to $3,000. Phones and tablets are capped lower, at $1,000.
It cannot be used for cash, bills, rent, or old debts. You need to have lived at your address for at least 3 months, and you need to show you can afford the repayment. A Health Care Card or Pension Card is one way to qualify. Call 13 6457.
If you have a job and Centrelink
Add the two amounts for the same week, then see what share Centrelink is.
A week that can fit Beforepay: $400 from Centrelink and $500 from work. Together that is $900. Centrelink is about 44% of it. That is under 51%.
A week that will not: $600 from Centrelink and $400 from work. Centrelink is 60%. That is over the line for Beforepay, PressPay, and Wagetap. The $400 job is also under MyPayNow’s $450 week and Wagepay’s $500 week.
Beforepay still has to see a regular wage. If your pay is irregular, Beforepay says no. You also need to be 18 or older, be an Australian resident, and have a current driver licence, passport, or Medicare card. You can only have one Beforepay loan at a time.
Beforepay’s pay advance is $50 to $2,000. The fee is 5%, plus interest up to 24% a year. On $100 for about two weeks, the fee is $5 and the interest is under $1, so you pay back about $106. If that is the only amount you need, what $100 costs is the short version. PressPay charges 5% and no interest, if you earn at least $350 a week after tax and Centrelink is not more than half your earnings.
If paying an app back on payday would leave you short on food or rent, do not take it. The National Debt Helpline is 1800 007 007. That call is free.
Check Beforepay only if your job is the bigger part
$50 to $2,000. If Centrelink is most of your income, you will not be approved.
FAQ
Can I get Beforepay on Centrelink?
Yes, if you also have a regular wage and Centrelink is less than 51% of your total income. Centrelink on its own is a no. Beforepay does not run a traditional credit check for Pay Advance. Your bank history still matters.
Can I get a pay advance if Centrelink is my only income?
Not from Beforepay, PressPay, MyPayNow, Wagetap, or Wagepay. Use Centrelink’s own advance payment for cash, or a No Interest Loan if you need an item paid to a supplier.
How much is a Centrelink advance on JobSeeker?
$250 to $500. You pay the same amount back over 13 fortnights. There is no extra fee. You usually need 3 months on the payment, and you cannot get another one if you had an advance in the last 12 months.
Does MyPayNow work with Centrelink?
Only beside a job that pays at least $450 take-home a week. Centrelink on its own is a no.
Is this for the United States or Canada?
No. Centrelink and these apps are for people in Australia. US readers can use the Overdraft Apps directory. Canada readers can use PockBox.
Mitchel holds a Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance from The Goizeta School of Business at Emory University and a Masters of Business Administration from The Haas School of Business at The University of California.
- What Happens If You Don’t Pay Back Brigit - November 6, 2026
- What Happens If You Don’t Pay Back Dave ExtraCash - November 6, 2026
- How to Borrow $200 in Australia (2026) - November 6, 2026
