Mozo guides

What are Osko payments?

Person using online banking on phone

Gone is the era of waiting 2-3 business days to send or receive money with your bank account

A few years back a new online banking day dawned with the launch of Osko and the New Payments Platform (NPP). Osko and the New Payments Platform are designed to bring faster, easier, more convenient online bank transfers to Aussies, so that everything from paying your energy bill, to buying old IKEA desks off Gumtree is simpler. In this guide, we’ve collected the main need-to-knows about Osko, to help you get your banking up to date.

What is Osko?

  • Osko enables 24/7 online bank transfers in under a minute
  • It offers easier account identification by phone number and email
  • Osko is backed by BPAY for added security

Osko is brought to you by BPAY and works alongside this existing operator, but with a focus on person-to-person payments over paying or issuing bills. It’s the first consumer-built product being released as a part of the New Payments Platform.

It focuses on the day-to-day purchases, letting you transfer money directly and instantly to someone’s account. Osko is currently partnered with over 85 financial institutions including the big four banks, so more than likely you already have access to it.

How Osko works

The process is simple: firstly Osko works off your current online banking app, so there’s no need to download anything new. From here you have two options to identify the account you’re transferring to.

You can do the classic BSB and account number combo we’ve all become used to, or you can use PayID to simply jot in someone's phone number, email or ABN. Once you’ve identified the account, put in the amount and pay away, after which the account can be saved.

Let's dig into the jargon for a moment. Osko uses ISO22002, which is a standard system for many international financial institutions using electronic data exchange. This just means it has the same backdoor processes and protections that you probably already use everyday.

How is Osko different?

So you may be wondering, what exactly is different about Osko - I already have online banking? Fair point, but there are a few main differences that really put Osko ahead of the old system.

  • Faster: Because it uses the NPP, Osko works faster than a regular bank transfer that can take days and may not even be available on weekends. Osko is available 24/7 and usually transfers your money in under a minute. It’s even working on bringing down those transfer times to be as instantaneous as possible.
  • Easier: If you’ve ever felt transferring from your bank account using your BSB and account number seems a little antiquated, then you’ll be glad to know with PayID you’ll be able to pop in someone’s number or email address instead. Although you can obviously still use a BSB and account number if that’s what you prefer.
  • Better descriptions: While the 18 or so letters you get right now might be enough to convey a payment like “pizza” or “concert tickets”, Osko is upping the game. It allows for 280 characters in your description, including emojis, so you can properly explain what each payment is for.

When would you use Osko?

There’s many times when you can use Osko, from sending your friend money to buy a movie ticket for you, to paying the babysitter cash-free, and splitting bills with your roommate. And as Osko and the NPP become more widely adopted, the usage possibilities will increase too.

On a personal basis

The biggest benefit of Osko is the being able to make personal payments instantly, without having to know someone’s full bank details. This lets you pay or be paid by your friends, family and colleagues right away.

Ever been the one to pay for dinner and not receive payment from a member of the group? You won’t need to stress about nagging in the group chat for the next two months before they finally pay up, because with Osko there’s no excuse for tardy payments. All they need to do is pop your phone number or email into the app and you’ll get the cash before you’ve even left the restaurant.

Paying for goods or services

It’s likely you’ve found yourself in a situation where you’re needing to pay someone there and then, whether it’s a tradie, buying something secondhand or paying an instructor after an impromptu, one-off class. With no ATM around, Osko can fix the situation quick-smart.

For example, say you’ve been scouring Gumtree for the last three weeks looking for a chest of drawers and you finally find the one you want. You rock up to their house, put them in your car and all you need to do is put their number into your phone and you can finish the transaction right there.

For a small business

You should find the fiddly aspects of your business banking and bookkeeping are taken care of much quicker and with greater accounting clarity. You’ll be able to pay your staff, suppliers or bills instantly, and it could help keep track of your invoices and accounts with less hassle.

As far as receiving money, when your customer makes the transaction, you get the money straight away, instead of having to wait a couple of days.

If you’re interested in getting connected to a bank that is a bit more ‘in the know’ when it comes to the latest in banking technology, check out the different accounts at Mozo’s comparison hub. 

Still have questions about Osko payments and how it all works? Check out the FAQs below.

Are Osko payments safe?

Osko is backed by BPAY, meaning that your payments will be sent securely. Banks will also screen Osko payments like they do any others, and flag them if anything looks suspicious.

Do Osko payments send on the weekend?

Yes – as Osko is an entirely electronic payment system, and software doesn’t need a day off  (yet), payments can be sent and received on the weekends.

Can you cancel an Osko payment?

You can’t cancel a payment with Osko unfortunately. This is due to the instant nature of the service. If you’ve made a payment by mistake, contact your bank and see if there’s anything they can do to help you out.

If you send an Osko payment to a closed account, or an account that doesn’t exist (e.g. incorrect account number or BSB), the payment will fail and you should be refunded.

Why was my Osko payment rejected?

If your Osko payment fails, it might be because you have input the incorrect account number or BSB. If not, there might be something wrong with the Osko system, or the payee’s bank doesn’t accept Osko.

Tom Watson
Tom Watson
Finance journalist

Tom has over five years experience as a finance journalist covering everything from property and fintech to consumer banking.

Jack Dona
Jack Dona
RG146
Money writer

Jack is degree-qualified in communications and creative writing, with a talent for simplifying financial jargon. His approach helps consumers make better decisions. Jack is RG146 certified in generic knowledge and uses flair to make finance interesting.