Short Answer
The advertised card price is only part of what an MSIC actually costs. The AusCheck government background check fee, now the largest single cost in the process since the 1 July 2026 fee rise, is the same no matter who issues your card. What differs between providers is everything wrapped around it: whether identity verification is included, whether an Australia Post admin fee applies and is disclosed, whether a card issue fee is published, and whether the price you're quoted is dated and current. Ask these six questions of any provider before you compare headline prices. Below, we answer each one for ClientView, with figures dated to this page's last review.
Why the headline price doesn't tell you the total cost
Every MSIC issuing body pays the same AusCheck government background check fee, currently $504.50 for a 4-year adult card and $262.00 for a 2-year adult card (see our fee increase explainer for the full breakdown). That fee is fixed and identical everywhere. Everything a provider adds on top, service fee, identity verification method, postage, is where prices and value genuinely diverge, and where a headline number can hide the real cost. The six questions below are what we'd suggest checking before you commit to any issuing body, ClientView included.
Six questions to ask before you choose a provider
1. Is identity verification included in the price?
Some application processes separate the card fee from identity verification, meaning a visit to a third-party service is a separate, additional step. Ask whether verification is bundled into the quoted price or arranged and paid for separately.
ClientView's answer: Identity verification is included in our quoted price. You can verify with an approved company verifier at no extra cost, or at Australia Post if you prefer.
2. Is there an Australia Post admin fee, and is the amount disclosed?
If a provider requires in-person verification at Australia Post, ask whether Australia Post charges its own administration fee on top of the card price, and whether that amount is published anywhere before you commit.
ClientView's answer: If you choose to verify at Australia Post, our registered post fee of $8.95 ex GST is the only add-on, shown on our pricing page before you pay. Verifying with an approved company verifier instead avoids any Australia Post fee altogether.
3. Is a card issue fee published, or does it only appear at checkout?
Ask to see every fee a provider charges, including any separate "card issue" line, in writing, before you start an application.
ClientView's answer: Every fee is shown on our pricing page before you apply. There is no separate card issue fee beyond the price shown.
4. Is the price shown both ex GST and inc GST, with nothing added later?
A price quoted only ex GST can look lower than what you'll actually pay. Ask for both figures upfront, and ask whether anything gets added between quote and checkout.
ClientView's answer: Every price on our site is shown both ways: $479.09 ex GST ($527.00 inc GST) for a 2-year MSIC, $774.56 ex GST ($852.02 inc GST) for a 4-year MSIC, verified with an approved company verifier. Corporate accounts with in-house verifier training pay $451.82 ex GST (2-year) and $765.45 ex GST (4-year). What you see is what you pay.
5. Is the processing time backed by dated, sourced data?
"Fast processing" is easy to claim and hard to verify. Ask for an actual sample size, an actual date range, and a definition of what's being measured.
ClientView's answer: 98.7% of our applications clear within three weeks of lodgement, measured across 3,832 applications between January 2025 and June 2026. Full methodology on our processing times page.
6. Is the price itself dated, so you know it's current?
AusCheck's fee rose by up to 174% on 1 July 2026, and prices across the industry have moved as a result. A price with no visible date could be from before or after that change. Ask when a quoted price was last checked.
ClientView's answer: This page, and our pricing page, show a visible "last reviewed" date. If you're reading this after that date, check the live pricing page for the current figures.
Frequently asked questions
Does every MSIC issuing body charge the same government fee?
Yes. The AusCheck background check fee is set by the Department of Home Affairs and is identical regardless of which issuing body processes your application. It is not something any provider can discount.
So what actually makes one provider cheaper than another?
The service fee added on top of the AusCheck charge, whether identity verification is included or costs extra, whether postage or admin fees are added, and which service tier you choose. Comparing total cost, not just the headline card price, is the only way to see the real difference.
Why does ClientView publish this guide instead of just listing its own price?
Because the AusCheck fee increase made total-cost comparisons more important, and because we'd rather a buyer ask the right questions of any provider than compare on headline price alone. Our own answers are dated and sourced so they can be checked.
Ready to see the numbers for yourself?
Every figure in this guide is also on our pricing and application pages, kept current and dated.
