A Treebate claim declined notice in your ServiceWA Inbox is frustrating. Most Treebate claim declined notices come down to one of ten fixable errors. This guide covers every confirmed decline reason, the exact fix for each one, and how to resubmit successfully.
First: Check Your ServiceWA Inbox
When ServiceWA declines a Treebate claim, the reason is included in the notification message sent to your ServiceWA Inbox. Open the app, go to your Inbox, and read the full message before doing anything else.
If the message is unclear, contact ServiceWA Customer Care on 13 33 92 (available 24/7) or email support@digital.wa.gov.au (8.30am–4.30pm weekdays).
Your claim will show one of four statuses:
- Pending — received and under review. No action required.
- Approved — payment processing within 7 business days.
- Declined — not approved. Check your Inbox for the reason. You can revise and resubmit if eligible.
- Fulfilled — payment successfully made to your bank account.
Treebate Claim Declined — Every Reason at a Glance
Every Treebate claim declined case falls into one of these ten categories.
| # | Rejection Reason | Fixable? | Fix in One Line |
| 1 | Handwritten invoice or handwritten additions | Yes | Return to nursery — request a system-generated tax invoice |
| 2 | Missing or invalid ABN | Yes | Ask nursery to reissue invoice with correct ABN |
| 3 | Species name not found in ServiceWA | Yes | Email plant label photo to support@digital.wa.gov.au |
| 4 | EFTPOS receipt submitted — not a tax invoice | Yes | Return to nursery — request a proper tax invoice |
| 5 | Tree purchased before 28 July 2025 | No | Purchase a new eligible tree on or after 28 July 2025 |
| 6 | No plant label photo, or photo unclear | Yes | Re-photograph the label clearly and resubmit |
| 7 | Tree does not reach 3m+ at maturity | No | Purchase a new eligible non-dwarf species |
| 8 | Private sale — not a registered WA nursery | No | Purchase a new tree from a registered WA commercial nursery |
| 9 | File too large or wrong format | Yes | Compress image to under 10MB, JPEG or PNG |
| 10 | Already claimed — lifetime cap reached | No | One claim per person for the entire program |
The Full Fix for Each Decline Reason
1. Handwritten Invoice or Handwritten Additions
The tax invoice must not be handwritten or have handwritten additions of any kind — including a date, ABN, or species name added by pen to a printed receipt. This is an automatic rejection with no exceptions.
Fix: Return to the nursery and request a system-generated tax invoice from their point-of-sale system. If the nursery cannot provide one, that receipt cannot be used to claim.
2. Missing or Invalid ABN
A valid Australian Business Number is a mandatory field on every Treebate tax invoice. Without it, ServiceWA cannot verify the nursery as a registered WA commercial business.
Fix: Contact the nursery and request a corrected invoice showing their registered ABN. Verify the ABN first at abr.business.gov.au before resubmitting.
3. Species Name Not Found in ServiceWA
ServiceWA maintains a list of eligible Australian natives. If the name you entered does not match exactly — because the nursery uses a slightly different common name, or a cultivar name that differs from the official list — the system may not recognise it.
Fix: Email support@digital.wa.gov.au with a clear photo of your plant label showing the species name. ServiceWA will advise the correct format to use in your resubmission.
4. EFTPOS Receipt Submitted Instead of Tax Invoice
An EFTPOS receipt is proof of payment, not a tax invoice. It typically shows only the total — no ABN, no invoice number, no itemised species description, no GST breakdown.
Fix: Return to the nursery and request a proper tax invoice. A valid Treebate invoice must show: TAX INVOICE as the document title, nursery name and ABN, a unique invoice number, purchase date, the tree species as an itemised line item, price paid, and GST breakdown.
5. Tree Purchased Before 28 July 2025
Only purchases made on or after 28 July 2025 are eligible. There are no exceptions to this date regardless of circumstances.
Fix: This claim cannot be resubmitted. If you have not yet used your lifetime Treebate claim, you will need to purchase a new eligible tree and claim for that purchase instead.
6. No Plant Label Photo, or Photo Unclear
A clear photo of the plant label showing the common or scientific name of the tree is required to verify you purchased a native species.
Fix: If you still have the label or pot, photograph it clearly in good light and resubmit. If the label is gone, check whether the nursery can provide a replacement. If there was a shelf label at the time of purchase, a photo of that may also be acceptable — contact support@digital.wa.gov.au to confirm.
7. Tree Does Not Reach 3m+ at Maturity
The tree must reach a canopy height of over 3 metres at maturity. Dwarf, Nana, Little, and Compact cultivars typically do not meet this threshold, and DWER auditors check the plant label directly.
Fix: This claim cannot be resubmitted for the same tree. If your lifetime claim has not been used, purchase a new eligible species confirmed to reach 3m+ at maturity. See our Treebate Tree List for every verified-eligible species.
8. Private Sale — Not From a Registered WA Nursery
Purchases through Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, neighbours, or any private seller are explicitly excluded from the program.
Fix: This claim cannot be resubmitted. A new purchase from a registered WA commercial nursery with a valid ABN is required.
9. File Too Large or Wrong Format
ServiceWA enforces a 10MB maximum file size per upload. Accepted formats are JPEG, PNG, TIFF, GIF, and HEIC only.
Fix: Reduce the file size — on most phones, sharing the photo to yourself and resaving at a lower resolution brings it under 10MB. Convert to JPEG if needed. Then resubmit.
10. Already Claimed — Lifetime Cap Reached
Treebate is available once per person for the entire four-year program (2025–2029). Not once per year — once for the whole program.
Fix: There is no fix for your own claim. However, other eligible adults in your household who have not yet claimed can each claim independently for a separate tree — using the same invoice if each person claims a different tree line item.
Can You Resubmit?
If your Treebate claim was declined for a fixable reason, you can revise and resubmit it through ServiceWA. The DWER FAQ confirms this: “If eligible, you may revise your application and resubmit it for consideration.”
The four situations where resubmission is not possible for the same purchase: pre-program purchase date, tree under 3m at maturity, private sale, and lifetime cap already used.
How to Avoid a Rejection Next Time
Before you leave the nursery, confirm these five things:
- Species reaches 3m+ canopy at maturity — confirmed on the plant label, no Dwarf / Nana / Little / Compact in the name
- Purchased from a registered WA commercial nursery with a valid ABN
- Purchase date is on or after 28 July 2025
- Tax invoice is system-generated — no handwritten text or additions anywhere
- Invoice shows: TAX INVOICE as document title, nursery name, ABN, invoice number, date, itemised tree line, price, and GST
Following these steps gives your resubmitted Treebate claim the best chance of approval.
For the full step-by-step claiming guide, see our Complete Guide to Claiming Your $150 WA Treebate.
Not sure which species to choose? Use our Tree Selection Tool for a PSHB-verified, Treebate-eligible shortlist for your suburb in under two minutes.
All decline reasons and program rules verified against the official DWER Treebate FAQ(updated 18 September 2025) and ServiceWA Treebate page (updated 12 March 2026). treebate.com.au is an independent guide and is not affiliated with DWER or the WA Government. Final rebate approval rests solely with DWER and ServiceWA. Always verify current requirements at wa.gov.au/treebate before purchasing.