DEFT Payment Systems
DEFT Payment Systems is a Macquarie Bank-owned, Australia-only online bill-payment platform that enables individual payers to settle strata levies, rent, insurance premiums, and other invoices via PayID, BPAY, direct debit, and Australia Post, serving thousands of billers across strata, real estate, insurance, and general B2B verticals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersSydney, Australia
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What DEFT Payment Systems does
DEFT Payment Systems is an Australian online bill-payment platform owned and operated by Macquarie Bank Limited, established in 1995 and headquartered in Sydney. It enables individual payers to settle invoices, levies, rent, and insurance premiums via PayID (NPP), BPAY, direct debit from bank account, Australia Post (Post Billpay), and — until 1 October 2026 — debit and credit cards. Each biller is assigned a unique DEFT Reference Number (DRN), which anchors both payer-initiated and biller-initiated direct-debit flows and where applicable maps to a DEFT PayID in the format @deft.com.au. Registered users can schedule one-off, future-dated, or recurring payments, view up to 12 months of payment history, store payment credentials in a tokenised 'My Wallet,' and receive email notifications. Security is supported by 256-bit SSL, 3D Secure, PCI DSS compliance, and the ePayments Code.
The platform's commercial model is twofold. On the payer side, payments via bank account, BPAY, PayID, and Australia Post are fee-free; card payments historically carried per-transaction surcharges ranging from 0.40% (Visa/Mastercard Debit) to 4.80% (Mastercard International), which constituted DEFT's only direct transaction revenue. On the biller side, DEFT is offered exclusively to Macquarie Bank clients, with onboarding handled by relationship managers and indirect distribution layered through strata, property, and insurance software providers that embed DEFT options into billing templates. The geographic scope is constrained to Australian residents, and the primary verticals are strata management, real estate, insurance, and broader B2B billing.
Strategically, DEFT is in a defensive transition. The platform's principal revenue stream — card surcharge income — is being eliminated from 1 October 2026 in response to RBA rules prohibiting card payment surcharges, leaving DEFT as a fee-free, multi-rail bill-payment service whose economic value within Macquarie Bank will increasingly depend on indirect benefits (deposits, float, relationship stickiness) rather than explicit transaction fees.
DEFT Payment Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DEFT Payment Systems
- Legal name
- Macquarie Bank Limited
- Website
- https://deft.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- DEFT Payment Systems is a Macquarie Bank-owned, Australia-only online bill-payment platform that enables individual payers to settle strata levies, rent, insurance premiums, and other invoices via PayID, BPAY, direct debit, and Australia Post, serving thousands of billers across strata, real estate, insurance, and general B2B verticals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DEFT Payment Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bill Payment Processing
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232), Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bill Pay, Invoicing & Payables Platforms (BPAMAFAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- A2A Payouts & Disbursements (FSAMAFAG), Payables & Disbursements (ACH/SEPA, wires, checks, virtual cards) (FSABAIAB)
Keywords
Where DEFT Payment Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sydney
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
DEFT Payment Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Card Transaction Surcharges: DEFT charges billers a fee for processing card payments. Billers may pass these surcharges on to payers. Surcharges vary by card type: Visa Debit 0.40%, Visa Credit 1.50%, Visa International 4.00%, MasterCard Debit 0.40%, MasterCard Credit 1.20%, MasterCard International 4.80%, American Express 1.5%. Note: From October 2026, card payments are being removed as a payment option.
- Bank Account Transactions: No transaction fees charged for direct debit or bank account payments. These are fee-free for payers.
- BPAY, PayID, and Australia Post Payments: No transaction fees charged for BPAY, PayID, or Australia Post cheque/eftpos payments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Bank Account / Direct Debit payments - No fees |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Visa Debit Card - 0.40% surcharge |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Visa Credit Card - 1.50% surcharge |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Visa International Card - 4.00% surcharge |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | MasterCard Debit Card - 0.40% surcharge |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | MasterCard Credit Card - 1.20% surcharge |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | MasterCard International Card - 4.80% surcharge |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | American Express Card - 1.50% surcharge |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
DEFT Payment Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DEFT Payment Systems is an online payment platform owned and operated by Macquarie Bank that enables billers (strata managers, property managers, real estate agents, insurance brokers) and their customers to make and receive payments through multiple rails including PayID (NPP), BPAY, Australia Post (Post Billpay), direct debit from bank accounts, and card payments. The platform supports one-off, scheduled, and recurring payments with payment history tracking, secure tokenised card and bank storage (My Wallet), and Biller-Initiated Direct Debit (BIDD) capabilities.
Product overview
DEFT Payment Systems is a single unified online bill payment platform owned and operated by Macquarie Bank Limited. The platform enables payers to make one-off card payments without registration, or to register for a DEFT account to pay by card or bank account, set up scheduled or recurring payments, track payment history, and receive email notifications. Payment methods include PayID (via NPP), BPAY, Australia Post (in-person eftpos or cheque), and direct debit from bank account. Card surcharges vary by card type (Visa Debit 0.40%, Visa Credit 1.50%, Mastercard Credit 1.20%, Amex 1.5%). From 1 October 2026, card payment options will be removed in response to RBA surcharge regulation changes, with the platform shifting to fee-free methods.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- DEFT Online Bill Payment Platform
Quantifiable outcome
- Payments made on business days via PayID are received instantly (same business day)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use DEFT Payment Systems
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
DEFT Payment Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
DEFT Payment Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.
- Macquarie Bank LimitedcoreDEFT is wholly owned and operated by Macquarie Bank Limited ABN 46 008 583 542, AFSL 237502. Macquarie provides the banking infrastructure, regulatory framework, and capital backing for DEFT operations. Billers must be Macquarie clients to use DEFT.
- NPP Australia LtdcoreNPP Australia operates the New Payments Platform (NPP) on which PayID payments are made. DEFT integrates with NPP's PayID system allowing payers to make instant fee-free payments from any banking app using the DEFT PayID format.
- Australia PostsecondaryAustralia Post offers Post Billpay services enabling DEFT payers to make in-person payments at Australia Post outlets via eftpos or cheque using the barcode provided by their biller.
- BPAY Pty LtdcoreBPAY is the bill payment network. DEFT integrates with BPAY allowing payers to make payments through BPAY using DEFT Biller Code and Customer Reference Number from any banking app.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
DEFT Payment Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ezidebit: Ezidebit is an Australian direct debit and bill payment platform serving small businesses and recurring billing. Comparable business model focused on recurring consumer payments via direct debit, similar to DEFT's BIDD functionality.
- BPAY Group: BPAY operates the dominant Australian bill payment network that DEFT integrates with. Comparable as the underlying bill payment infrastructure that processes similar transaction types, though BPAY is a network/utility while DEFT is a biller-facing platform.
- POLi Payments: POLi Payments is an Australian online payment platform enabling direct bank transfers for bill payments and e-commerce. Comparable as a real-time account-to-account payment platform competing for Australian bill payment volume.
- Australia Post (Post Billpay): Australia Post's Post Billpay service is a direct distribution channel for DEFT payments and also a competitor offering in-person bill payment services. Both compete for biller relationships and payer payment mindshare in the Australian market.
Regional players
- Pin Payments: Pin Payments is an Australian payment processor and gateway for online businesses. Comparable in serving Australian SMB billers with online payment infrastructure, though focused more on e-commerce than recurring bill payments.
Broad incumbents
- Tyro Payments: Tyro is an Australian bank and payment provider offering EFTPOS, online payments, and bill payment services to SMBs. Comparable as an Australian-headquartered payment platform serving similar customer segments.
- Commonwealth Bank (BPAY owner): Commonwealth Bank owns BPAY and offers native bill payment, PayID, and direct debit services through its banking app. Comparable as a major Australian bank competitor offering bill payment infrastructure that competes with DEFT.
- Stripe: Stripe is a global payment infrastructure platform with growing presence in Australia offering bill payment, recurring billing, and direct debit capabilities. Competes with DEFT for enterprise biller relationships in the Australian market.
- Hub24: Hub24 is an Australian wealth platform that integrates payment and account infrastructure for advisors and their clients. Comparable as an Australian Macquarie-adjacent financial services ecosystem with payment capabilities.
Emerging players
- Pay.com.au: Pay.com.au is an Australian bill payment and payment processing platform serving SMBs with online payment infrastructure. Comparable as an emerging Australian payment platform competing for similar biller customer segments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
DEFT Payment Systems compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
DEFT Payment Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DEFT Payment Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
DEFT Payment Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DEFT Payment Systems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DEFT Payment Systems
What does DEFT Payment Systems do?
DEFT Payment Systems is an online payment platform owned and operated by Macquarie Bank that enables billers (strata managers, property managers, real estate agents, insurance brokers) and their customers to make and receive payments through multiple rails including PayID (NPP), BPAY, Australia Post (Post Billpay), direct debit from bank accounts, and card payments. The platform supports one-off, scheduled, and recurring payments with payment history tracking, secure tokenised card and bank storage (My Wallet), and Biller-Initiated Direct Debit (BIDD) capabilities.
Is DEFT Payment Systems a public or private company?
DEFT Payment Systems is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was DEFT Payment Systems founded?
DEFT Payment Systems was founded in 1995. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is DEFT Payment Systems based?
DEFT Payment Systems is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does DEFT Payment Systems make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Card Transaction Surcharges are the primary driver. The others are bank Account Transactions and BPAY, PayID, and Australia Post Payments.
Who are DEFT Payment Systems's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ezidebit, BPAY Group, POLi Payments and Australia Post (Post Billpay). Pin Payments is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Tyro Payments, Commonwealth Bank (BPAY owner), Stripe and Hub24. Pay.com.au is listed as an emerging player.
Does DEFT Payment Systems have an API?
No public API is recorded for DEFT Payment Systems.
What industry is DEFT Payment Systems in?
DEFT Payment Systems's product category is Bill Payment Processing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAFAF, Bill Pay, Invoicing & Payables Platforms, with a secondary code of FSAMAFAG, A2A Payouts & Disbursements. Its NAICS code is 52232 and its SIC code is 6199.