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Why an NDIS invoice or payment request can be rejected, and how to fix it

A rejection can come from a plan manager who sends your invoice back, or from the NDIA's payment system turning a claim down. This guide separates the two, groups the NDIA's own error codes by cause with the fix for each, and says what differs for plan-managed, NDIA-managed and self-managed participants.

No credit card required - 5 free invoices a month. Read from ndis.gov.au on 19 October 2026 (some pages on 12 October 2026, as shown under each list of sources). General information, not tax or legal advice.

Two different things are called a rejection

Work out which one you have before you change anything. The fix is different, and so is who you ask.

How the plan is managedNDIA-managedWho turns it downThe NDIA payment system, when the provider makes a payment request in the myplace provider portal.Where you see whyA "rejected" status in the portal, with an error message saying what went wrong. The NDIS also says it contacts you in writing with the reasons.What you doFix the cause and make a new payment request. The rejected one cannot be edited.
How the plan is managedPlan-managedWho turns it downThe plan manager first, who checks your invoice before entering the claim in the provider portal. The NDIA system then checks the claim the plan manager enters.Where you see whyFrom the plan manager. The NDIS says the plan manager enters your claim; it does not say how an error is passed back, so ask for the reason in writing.What you doAsk what failed, correct that, and send the corrected invoice. Each plan manager sets its own way of working.
How the plan is managedSelf-managedWho turns it downThe participant, who pays your invoice themselves.Where you see whyFrom the participant. The NDIS pages we read describe no payment request or rejection step for a self-managed invoice.What you doTalk to the participant. See the self-managed section below.

Sources: Guide to getting paid, How to make a payment request, Bulk payment requests guide, checked 19 October 2026.

Where the error codes below come from
They come from the NDIA's guide to bulk payment requests (December 2025 edition), written for providers who claim in the myplace provider portal. The NDIS pages around it are being rewritten, so read the live guide when a code is not listed here.

The NDIA error codes, grouped by cause

Each row is a cause, the codes the NDIA gives for it, what they say and the fix the guide gives. The wording is shortened and grouped for reading, not in the NDIA's order; the codes are the NDIA's own.

CauseThe price is wrongCodesC06, M05, C20What the NDIA saysC06: the price entered is more than the price on the selected service booking. M05: the quantity or unit price is incorrect (the quantity is a whole amount, and the price is in dollars and cents without the dollar sign). C20: the claim amount must be greater than 0.00.The fixCheck the unit price against the service booking and, for the maximum, the Pricing Schedule 2026-27. Correct it and make a new request.
CauseThe support item does not fit the date or the claimCodesC16, C29, C15What the NDIA saysC16: the support is not available for the dates entered, because each support item has a start and end date. C29: this support item is not allowed for this claim type. C15: the provider is not registered for this support item.The fixChoose the item that is valid for the date of the support. For C16 the guide says to check the pricing arrangements so the line item matches the claim period. For C15, check that the item is in a registration group you hold.
CauseThe dates do not fit the plan or the bookingCodesC28, C03, C22, C05, C01, C02, C10, C32What the NDIA saysC28: the claim is outside the plan dates. C03: the start or end date is outside the service booking dates. C22: no plan was found for the participant in those dates, and the claim must fit wholly within the plan period. C05: no service booking exists for the item in those dates. C01: the service booking does not exist. C02: the service booking is still pending. C10: a start or end date is missing. C32: the dates are outside your registration dates.The fixCheck every date against the plan and the service booking. For C05 the guide says you cannot create a service booking once the plan has expired, and to contact the NDIS for help.
CauseThe support is dated in the futureCodesC27What the NDIA saysClaims cannot be made for a future date.The fixClaim only for supports that have already been delivered.
CauseThere is no budget or quantity left for itCodesP03, C23, C04What the NDIA saysP03: the amount requested is more than the participant's budget amount. C23: there is no support budget in the service booking. C04: the quantity is more than the quantity in the service booking.The fixFor P03 and C23 the guide says to contact the participant and tell them there is no support budget available in the service booking. For C04 it says to check the plan for the quantity in the service booking, and you may need a new service booking.
CauseThe same claim was made alreadyCodesP04, P05What the NDIA saysP04: a payment request with the same details already exists. P05: the maximum number of claims for that claim reference number has been reached, so the same claim reference cannot be claimed twice.The fixFor P04 the guide says to cancel the paid payment request for the same support line item and put the lines for the same day under one payment request. For P05 the guide says to check the claim reference number is the right one, and to check your records for whether you were paid twice for it.
CauseThe participant details do not matchCodesS01, C07, C11What the NDIA saysS01: no plan matches the NDIS number you gave; it may be a parent's or nominee's number instead of the participant's. C07: the participant is not in the selected service booking; the person must be a participant, not a nominee or child representative. C11: the support dates are after the participant's recorded date of death.The fixUse the participant's own NDIS number, not a nominee's or a parent's. For C11, contact the NDIS.
CauseThe ABN is missing or wrongCodesC33, C34What the NDIA saysC33: provide a valid ABN, or the reason you are exempt from quoting one. C34: check the ABN is a valid 11-digit number.The fixCorrect the ABN or give the exemption reason. On an invoice to a plan manager, the NDIS says a Statement by a supplier form goes with it if you are exempt.
CauseThe funding is managed another wayCodesC25What the NDIA saysNo fund-management agreement exists for this participant, so no service booking could be made. The participant may be self-managed or have a plan manager, and you may be required to forward a tax invoice to the participant or plan manager.The fixAsk the participant how the plan is managed, then invoice the plan manager or the participant.
CauseThe GST code is wrongCodesM06What the NDIA saysThe GST code is incorrect. The guide's codes are P1 for 10% GST, P2 for GST-free and P5 for GST out of scope.The fixChoose the code that matches how the support is treated. Which one applies is a GST question for you and your adviser.
CauseThe claim is too oldCodesC39, C09What the NDIA saysC39: the claim must be submitted within 2 years of the support start date, and older claims may be considered under the exceptional circumstances criteria. C09: a payment request can only be made until 90 days from the service booking end date, and later ones may not be paid.The fixClaim soon after each support. For C39 the guide says to send a payment enquiry with supporting evidence; for C09, contact the NDIS. The time limits section below sets out both.

Sources: Bulk payment requests guide, Pricing Schedule 2026-27, checked 19 October 2026.

Sources: Guide to getting paid, checked 19 October 2026.

The guide lists more codes than these, including registration and account codes. If yours is not here, look it up in the live guide or contact the NDIS.

Fixing it and sending it again

Read the error message first
The NDIS says that when a claim is rejected the system sends an error message saying what went wrong and what you need to do to fix the claim before resubmitting it. It says claims can be rejected for incorrect information such as the date, the price or the fund management type.
A rejected claim cannot be edited
The guide says a rejected claim cannot be fixed in the portal and stays in "Rejected" status, so a new payment request has to be created.
In a bulk upload, resend only what failed
The guide says not to reload the whole file. Create a new file with only the line items that failed.
If a plan manager sent it back
Ask what failed, correct that line or detail, and send the corrected invoice. Keep a copy of what you sent each time.

Sources: How to make a payment request, Bulk payment requests guide, checked 19 October 2026.

Time limits: when a claim is too late

The NDIS gives the limit in more than one way. Here is each, as it read on 19 October 2026.

The general limit
The guide to getting paid says: "You need to submit payment requests within 2 years after an NDIS support has been delivered."
The window it recommends for NDIA-managed claims
It also says: "Submit claims within 90 days of a support being delivered in full to help avoid processing delays." The NDIS does extra checks on claims made more than 90 days after delivery, and may hold one for review, which it says can take up to 28 days.
The codes in the bulk guide
The December 2025 bulk payment guide lists C39 (within 2 years of the support start date) and C09 (only until 90 days from the service booking end date). They are not worded the same way as the guide to getting paid.
What is changing
The government has said the time to make a claim is changing from December 2026. Our NDIS invoicing page keeps a dated list of what is changing.
Read the live page before you rely on a limit
The wording of this limit on the NDIS's own page changed between 12 and 19 October 2026, and the NDIS says new legislation is coming. Invoice soon after each support instead of saving them up.

Sources: Guide to getting paid, Bulk payment requests guide, checked 19 October 2026.

Sources: New NDIS laws, checked 9 October 2026.

Plan-managed participants: what a plan manager needs before paying

The NDIS says what the claim needs. Each plan manager then adds checks of its own.

The invoice goes to the plan manager
The NDIS says to send the invoice directly to the participant's plan manager, who enters your claim in the relevant provider portal.
A valid ABN, or the exemption form
The invoice must include a valid ABN unless you are exempt from providing one. If you are exempt, a Statement by a supplier form goes with it.
The details the claim is built from
Participant name, participant reference number or NDIS number, dates of support, support item reference number and support item price.
A price inside the maximum
For plan-managed supports the Pricing Schedule 2026-27 sets a maximum for each support item, and says each maximum already includes any GST. If GST applies and you add it on top of a price already at the maximum, the line is over it.
A valid tax invoice
The 2025-26 pricing arrangements say plan managers must always ensure a valid tax invoice with relevant information about the supports is included for all payment requests. Expect your plan manager to ask for the details above.

Sources: Guide to getting paid, Pricing Schedule 2026-27, Pricing arrangements 2025-26, checked 19 October 2026.

Sources: How to plan-manage your funding, ATO, Statement by a supplier, checked 12 October 2026.

Plan managers also publish their own checks. These are their practice, not NDIS rules, and they differ from one plan manager to the next. Ask yours for its list before the first invoice. Here is what several of them say they look for.

Dates
Some query an invoice with no date, an end date before the start date, a date in the future, or dates that cannot be real. Some ask for one individual date on each line rather than a range.
The name on the invoice
Some ask for the invoice in the name of the person with the plan, not a parent and not the plan manager.
The support item number
Some say a wrong or out-of-date support item number can lead to a rejected claim. Check each against the current catalogue instead of copying an old invoice.
The kind of document
Some can process only invoices, not quotes or statements.
A repeated invoice number
Some say a duplicate invoice number can lead to the claim being rejected, so give every invoice its own number.

From the published pages of Plan Partners, Provider Choice, My Plan Manager and Leap in!, read between 9 and 24 October 2026. They are plan managers describing their own practice.

Self-managed participants: when the invoice is not paid

The NDIS pages we read describe no payment request or rejection step for a self-managed participant's invoice. The NDIS says to send the invoice to the participant, who pays it through the participant portal, and then to send a receipt so they can acquit the expense against their plan.

So an unpaid self-managed invoice is a conversation with the participant, not an error code. Check that it reached them, that it names them, and that it matches what you agreed. The NDIS lists what a participant's records need, among other things: your name and ABN (or the reason you are exempt), the start and end dates, and a receipt or tax invoice, kept for 5 years. A self-managed participant can agree a price with you, so the Pricing Schedule maximums do not apply to them in the same way.

Sources: Guide to getting paid, checked 19 October 2026.

Sources: How to self-manage your funding, What is self-managed funding, checked 12 October 2026.

Doing this in Invio

Invio is invoicing software. It cannot see the NDIA system, so it cannot tell you a code in advance. What it does is help the invoice carry what the codes above ask for.

A date on every line
Each line can carry its own date, a unit (hour, km or each) and a support item number, which is where most date and item problems start. "Duplicate for next day" copies a line forward one day at a time.
The participant's NDIS number
It prints under the participant's name on every invoice. Invio checks only that it is nine digits.
Notes before you send
Before you send, it shows short notes, for example a participant with no NDIS number or a priced line with no date. They never stop you sending.
Support item numbers from the catalogue
Download the Support Catalogue from the NDIS website, save the sheet as a CSV, and import it under Settings, then Item Library, then Import. Invio reads the support item number as the code, so it is copied rather than typed. Invio does not bundle the catalogue: the file you import is your own download.
Plan-managed: invoice the plan manager
On the participant's record, under "Send invoices to someone else", add the plan manager. The invoice goes to their email address, the participant stays the named client, and the plan manager's name prints as "c/o".

Invio does not submit claims, and it does not check item numbers, dates or prices against the NDIA.

What the whole option does, and what it does not do, is on Invoicing software for NDIS support workers in Australia.

Questions about rejected NDIS invoices

Why was my NDIS invoice rejected?
It depends who turned it down. A plan manager can send an invoice back for its own reasons, such as a missing or impossible date, a wrong name or an out-of-date support item number. The NDIA system rejects a payment request with an error code, for example a price over the service booking (C06), dates outside the plan (C28) or a repeat of a claim already made (P04). The table above groups the codes by cause.
Can I edit a rejected NDIS payment request?
No. The NDIA guide says a rejected claim cannot be fixed in the portal and stays in "Rejected" status, so you make a new payment request. In a bulk upload, send only the lines that failed, not the whole file again.
How long do I have to make an NDIS claim?
On 19 October 2026 the guide to getting paid said within 2 years after a support has been delivered, and recommended claiming within 90 days of delivery for NDIA-managed supports to avoid delays: later claims get extra checks, and a review can take up to 28 days. The government has said the time to claim is changing from December 2026, so check the live page.
What does an NDIS payment request error mean?
The portal shows a "rejected" status with an error message and a code. Find the code in the table above, fix the cause it names and make a new request. If your code is not listed, read the live bulk payment guide or contact the NDIS.
My NDIS invoice has not been paid. Is it rejected?
Not necessarily. For NDIA-managed funding, look for a "rejected" status in the portal and the NDIS's written reasons. For a plan-managed participant, ask the plan manager where the invoice is. For a self-managed participant, the participant pays it through the participant portal, so check with them. A claim made more than 90 days after delivery can be held for review for up to 28 days.
What should I do if a plan manager rejects my invoice?
Ask for the reason in writing, fix what it names and send the corrected invoice. Each plan manager sets its own checks, so what one asks for another may not, and those checks are their practice rather than NDIS rules.
Can an unregistered provider have a claim rejected?
The NDIS says an unregistered provider cannot be used for NDIA-managed supports, and code C15 is the NDIA system telling a provider it is not registered for a support item. Plan-managed and self-managed participants can choose providers who are registered or unregistered.

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