PPSR Registration Checklist

Before you start

The PPSR lets you register a security interest — commonly retention of title over goods you supply on credit — so you rank ahead of unsecured creditors if a customer goes under. Getting the details wrong can void the registration, so prepare carefully. This is general information; PPSR law is technical and worth professional advice.

• Trading terms that include a retention-of-title or security clause.
• The customer's correct legal entity details and ABN or ACN.
• Access to the PPSR and an account to lodge registrations.
• A clear description of the collateral you are securing.

Step 1 — Confirm you have a registrable interest

1. Check your terms create a security interest — typically retention of title until goods are paid for.
2. Confirm the customer accepted those terms in writing before you supplied.
3. Identify whether you have a purchase money security interest, which can give super-priority if registered correctly and on time.
4. Decide the collateral class — for example, specific goods or all present and after-acquired property of a class.
5. Note any strict timing rules that apply to your type of interest.

Step 2 — Register with the correct details

1. Identify the grantor correctly: for a company, use the ACN; for an individual or certain entities, follow the prescribed identifier rules.
2. Double-check the grantor identifier — an error here can make the registration ineffective.
3. Select the right collateral type and describe it accurately.
4. Register within any critical time limit so your priority is preserved.
5. Set an end date or no-fixed-term as appropriate and save the registration number.

Step 3 — Maintain and rely on it

1. Keep evidence linking the registration to the customer and the accepted terms.
2. Search the PPSR before extending significant new credit to check competing interests.
3. Diarise renewals well before any expiry so the registration does not lapse.
4. Amend the registration promptly if the customer's details change.
5. If the customer fails, act quickly to enforce your interest and claim the goods.

Common mistakes

• Using the wrong grantor identifier, which can void the registration entirely.
• Registering late and losing purchase-money super-priority.
• Describing the collateral too narrowly or incorrectly.
• Letting a registration lapse because no one diarised the renewal.
• Assuming retention-of-title wording protects you without any PPSR registration at all.

A correct PPSR registration can turn an unsecured loss into a recovered debt. Use the Merion tools to keep track of registrations and renewals. This is general information, not legal advice — PPSR rules are technical, so get professional help for material exposures.