BECS Transition Update

May 2026

The A2A Vision

The draft A2A vision has been developed through the Roundtable process drawing on:

• last year’s consultation on the future of A2A payments undertaken by AusPayNet and AP+;
• bilateral engagement over the past six months; and
• four stakeholder sessions held directly with the Roundtable in February and March 2026. Stakeholders that participated in these Roundtable sessions included representatives from government, corporates, service providers, industry advocacy groups, consumers and members of BECS and NPP.

On 30 April 2026, the A2A Roundtable announced the launch of a public consultation on the draft A2A vision, with feedback due by 22 May 2026. Feedback received will be used to update the A2A vision and inform the development of an industry roadmap involving the prioritisation and sequencing of industry deliverables, consistent with public interest considerations. The updated A2A vision is targeted to be published by the end of June 2026.

The A2A Industry Roadmap

The industry roadmap will define the way forward for the design and development of A2A payments infrastructure, capabilities and standards to deliver the desired future state and meet end-user objectives. It will encompass the proprietary roadmaps for the individual clearing schemes, including BECS and NPP, as well as any interoperability arrangements. 

The A2A Payments Roundtable is aiming to deliver the A2A Industry Roadmap by the end of 2026, including in-principle agreements on the level of coordination to deliver the roadmap. Implementation of the A2A Industry Roadmap will be subject to ACCC review and potential authorisation.

Industry Options Analysis

A critical first step in developing the industry roadmap is the Industry Options Analysis. The Industry Options Analysis aims to determine the desired target end-state for A2A infrastructure by assessing infrastructure options being proposed to meet the A2A vision’s end-user objectives and system characteristics for BECS, NPP and any other modern infrastructure alternatives proposed by other operators.

Extensive engagement with system participants and stakeholders, including end-users, will be required for this assessment which is expected to run in parallel to the development of the A2A Industry Roadmap and occur through the remainder of this year.

BECS Counterfactual Analysis 

A key input into the Industry Options Analysis is AusPayNet’s BECS Counterfactual Analysis, that considers the options for potential maintenance or upgrades of the BECS ecosystem that may be required to support the A2A vision. The key findings of the Counterfactual Analysis have been shared with BECS Members.

Wider communication of the Counterfactual Analysis is expected to occur in July when AusPayNet will update its six-monthly outlook for BECS.

Revisions to Roundtable governance model

A revised Roundtable governance model is being implemented to support the Industry Options Analysis and A2A Industry Roadmap. This model includes the establishment of a Roundtable Participants Committee (RTPC) and a Voice of Customer (VOC) forum, with end-user representation from government, businesses and consumers.

The RTPC’s purpose is:

• To identify areas of consensus amongst system participants on material aspects of the Industry Options Analysis and A2A Industry Roadmap and seek to resolve key outstanding issues.
   
• In relation to Industry Options Analysis and A2A Roadmap, the RTPC would aim to align on the target end-state for the A2A system to meet the A2A vision’s end-user objectives and system characteristics.
   
• To achieve that target end-state, the RTPC would identify capabilities, requirements and investments required to support delivery of the A2A vision’s end-user objectives and system characteristics, and aim to align on the proposed prioritisation and sequencing of deliverables.

In order to achieve the above purpose, the RTPC would, among other things, assess:

• Planned and potential NPP capabilities (informed by the existing NPP roadmap as agreed via the AP+ scheme governance process).
• BECS maintenance investments and timing (if needed).
• Any other modern infrastructure alternatives proposed by other operators.

The RTPC will be supported by:

• targeted working groups set up by the Roundtable;
• ongoing scheme committees; and
• bilateral meetings with Members. 

Public interest considerations, including those within the specific remit of Treasury and the RBA, will inform this process, as will the VOC forum.