Managing payments on the Companies Register

Our invoicing and payment options

Many online services can be completed on the Companies Register free of charge. If there's a fee, we let you know how much it is and offer several payment options. You're responsible for the payment of all fees charged to your online services account, no matter who uses it.

Schedule of fees

Our schedule of fees shows which online services require payment of a fee.

Where an online service has a fee attached, a message appears showing the fee and giving you the option to Pay Now, or Exit without completing the transaction.

Selecting a payment method

The most practical payment method for you, or an organisation you're acting for, can depend on:

  • how frequently you use the Companies Register, and
  • how many people are linked to, and completing transactions on an online services account.

We offer the following payment methods.

  1. Direct debit — useful if you use our services regularly and want to receive an invoice, and pay your account each month.
  2. Credit card or debit card — practical if you use our services from time to time and want to pay as you go.
  3. Internet banking — suitable if you only use our services occasionally and don't want to set up a direct debit or use a credit or debit card.

Paying by direct debit

When you create an individual or an organisational online services account, you're invited to set up a direct debit payment option to pay your online transaction fees. You can also do this at a later time.

How direct debit works

Our direct debit payment option allows you to complete transactions online and charge them to your online services account. You then receive an invoice at the end of each month. The amount of that invoice is deducted from your nominated bank account on the 20th of the following month. If the 20th falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the payment is processed the next business day.

The direct debit payment option can be added to an individual or organisation online services account.

Where your individual online services account is linked to an organisation's account — for example, as an employee — you'll be asked to confirm whether you're performing the transaction on behalf of that organisation, or yourself. If you select:

  • 'for my employer' (the organisation) fees will be added to the organisation's account.
  • 'for myself', fees must be paid at the time using a credit card or debit card or internet banking.

What information you need to provide

To set up the direct debit payment option you need to provide:

  • details for the bank account from which funds will be deducted each month
  • an email address, so we can send a Direct Debit Authority Form for you to sign and return
  • an email address where we can send your monthly invoices.

Authority to add direct debit

To set up direct debit payment option on an individual or organisation online services account you must:

  • have a RealMe® login
  • be an administrator of the account.

Add direct debit to an online services account

Log in to your online services account and follow these steps.

  1. Select either the Manage your user settings or Manage your organisation settings option.
  2. Select Direct debit details, and enter your bank account details and email addresses.
  3. Select Save. 
  4. We send an email with a Direct Debit Authority Form attached which must be signed and returned to us before a direct debit facility is activated on your account.
Manage your user account details Manage your organisation settings

Returning the Direct Debit Authority Form

You can return the signed Direct Debit Authority form by:

  • post, to the address at the top of the form, or
  • email.

Email: revenue@business.govt.nz

Your payment details

Pay by credit or debit card

If you use our online services less frequently, credit or debit card payment is a practical payment option.

We accept the following credit and debit cards.

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • American Express
  • Diners.

We offer secure credit and debit card transaction facilities and your payment, if successful, is confirmed immediately on screen and by email.

Pay using internet banking

If you haven't set up a direct debit payment option, and don't have a credit or debit card, you can pay your online services account fees using internet banking. We use the Windcave payment gateway.

If you choose this method of payment, you'll be asked to log in to your bank account via a secure Windcave webpage.

Your invoice and payment history

You can view and download details of fees you've been charged, payments you've made, and credits you've received, along with details of your invoiced transactions.

View your invoice and payment history

To view your invoice and payment history, log in to your online services account and follow these steps.

  1. Under Managing your account, select Invoices and fees.
  2. All invoices issued over the past 6 months appear under Search results.
  3. Change the search criteria at the top of the screen to filter the available information to show:
    • fees you've been charged
    • invoices that have been issued to you
    • payments you've made, or
    • credits you've received.
  4. You can also:
    • change the start and end date of your search in the Date Range field
    • restrict your search to payments, fees, invoices or credits of a particular dollar amount
    • search for a particular invoice using the invoice number, amount, company name or number
  5. To extract your search results to a CSV file select Extract all to file.
  6. To view a particular invoice, select the invoice from your search results and choose View tax invoice. You can print the invoice or save a PDF file to your computer.
Invoices and fees

Our refund policy

We'll refund your transaction fee if:

  • you believe you were given incorrect information by us and as a result are late in filing information, or
  • we've made a mistake when processing a document.

If for any other reason you didn't complete your company incorporation and wish to start the process again, we refund the incorporation fee if you can confirm your company is incorporated within 6 months of your original application.

We can't give refunds if you change your mind after having paid an application or processing fee.

Terms and conditions

You can find further information about managing payments to the Companies Register in our terms and conditions.

Terms and conditions — Fees and charges

All help topics

Before you start a company 5 guides

Get an overview of how companies are structured, find out about the company records you need to keep, and what's involved when you incorporate with and report to the Companies Office.

Shares and shareholders 7 guides

When you incorporate, you must provide details of all company shares and shareholders. As changes occur, you must update this information on your own share register and in your company's annual return.

Company directors 7 guides

Directors have responsibilities to their company and shareholders, and under the Companies Act 1993. You must register all your directors with the Companies Office and they must sign a consent form.​

Filing annual returns 8 guides

Find out about filing an annual return — the information you need to update, how to change your filing month or request a time extension — and what happens if you don't file your annual return by the due date.

Complying with the law 11 guides

Restoring a company to the register 4 guides

Only some companies can be reinstated to the Companies Register once they've been removed. Find out who can apply, what evidence to provide and if you should apply to the Registrar or the High Court.

Managing your online account 8 guides