diff --git a/pkg/postage/batch.go b/pkg/postage/batch.go
index 073df452dd4..c1c9384da0f 100644
--- a/pkg/postage/batch.go
+++ b/pkg/postage/batch.go
@@ -11,26 +11,23 @@ import (
 
 // Batch represents a postage batch, a payment on the blockchain.
 type Batch struct {
-	ID                []byte   // batch ID
-	Value             *big.Int // overall balance of the batch
-	Start             uint64   // block number the batch was created
-	Owner             []byte   // owner's ethereum address
-	Depth             uint8    // batch depth, i.e., size = 2^{depth}
-	NormalisedBalance *big.Int // normalised balance of the batch
+	ID    []byte   // batch ID
+	Value *big.Int // normalised balance of the batch
+	Start uint64   // block number the batch was created
+	Owner []byte   // owner's ethereum address
+	Depth uint8    // batch depth, i.e., size = 2^{depth}
 }
 
 // MarshalBinary implements BinaryMarshaller. It will attempt to serialize the
 // postage batch to a byte slice.
 func (b *Batch) MarshalBinary() ([]byte, error) {
-	out := make([]byte, 157)
+	out := make([]byte, 93)
 	copy(out, b.ID)
 	value := b.Value.Bytes()
 	copy(out[64-len(value):], value)
 	binary.BigEndian.PutUint64(out[64:72], b.Start)
 	copy(out[72:], b.Owner)
 	out[92] = b.Depth
-	normalisedBalance := b.NormalisedBalance.Bytes()
-	copy(out[157-len(normalisedBalance):], normalisedBalance)
 	return out, nil
 }
 
@@ -42,6 +39,5 @@ func (b *Batch) UnmarshalBinary(buf []byte) error {
 	b.Start = binary.BigEndian.Uint64(buf[64:72])
 	b.Owner = buf[72:92]
 	b.Depth = buf[92]
-	b.NormalisedBalance = big.NewInt(0).SetBytes(buf[93:])
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/postage/batch_test.go b/pkg/postage/batch_test.go
index 617041a14dd..d8c06ff9629 100644
--- a/pkg/postage/batch_test.go
+++ b/pkg/postage/batch_test.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ func TestBatchMarshalling(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	if len(buf) != 157 {
+	if len(buf) != 93 {
 		t.Fatalf("invalid length for serialised batch. expected 93, got %d", len(buf))
 	}
 	b := &postage.Batch{}
@@ -43,7 +43,4 @@ func TestBatchMarshalling(t *testing.T) {
 	if a.Depth != b.Depth {
 		t.Fatalf("depth mismatch, expected %d, got %d", a.Depth, b.Depth)
 	}
-	if a.NormalisedBalance.Uint64() != b.NormalisedBalance.Uint64() {
-		t.Fatalf("normalised balance mismatch, expected %d, got %d", a.NormalisedBalance.Uint64(), b.NormalisedBalance.Uint64())
-	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/postage/batchservice/batchservice.go b/pkg/postage/batchservice/batchservice.go
index ad33bccf37b..3705f562d4b 100644
--- a/pkg/postage/batchservice/batchservice.go
+++ b/pkg/postage/batchservice/batchservice.go
@@ -37,14 +37,13 @@ func New(storer postage.Storer, logger logging.Logger) (postage.EventUpdater, er
 
 // Create will create a new batch with the given ID, owner value and depth and
 // stores it in the BatchStore.
-func (svc *batchService) Create(id, owner []byte, value *big.Int, normalisedBalance *big.Int, depth uint8) error {
+func (svc *batchService) Create(id, owner []byte, normalisedBalance *big.Int, depth uint8) error {
 	b := &postage.Batch{
-		ID:                id,
-		Owner:             owner,
-		Value:             value,
-		Start:             svc.cs.Block,
-		Depth:             depth,
-		NormalisedBalance: normalisedBalance,
+		ID:    id,
+		Owner: owner,
+		Value: normalisedBalance,
+		Start: svc.cs.Block,
+		Depth: depth,
 	}
 
 	err := svc.storer.Put(b)
@@ -58,14 +57,13 @@ func (svc *batchService) Create(id, owner []byte, value *big.Int, normalisedBala
 
 // TopUp implements the EventUpdater interface. It tops ups a batch with the
 // given ID with the given amount.
-func (svc *batchService) TopUp(id []byte, amount *big.Int, normalisedBalance *big.Int) error {
+func (svc *batchService) TopUp(id []byte, normalisedBalance *big.Int) error {
 	b, err := svc.storer.Get(id)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("get: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	b.Value.Add(b.Value, amount)
-	b.NormalisedBalance.Set(normalisedBalance)
+	b.Value.Set(normalisedBalance)
 
 	err = svc.storer.Put(b)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -85,7 +83,7 @@ func (svc *batchService) UpdateDepth(id []byte, depth uint8, normalisedBalance *
 	}
 
 	b.Depth = depth
-	b.NormalisedBalance.Set(normalisedBalance)
+	b.Value.Set(normalisedBalance)
 
 	err = svc.storer.Put(b)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/postage/batchservice/batchservice_test.go b/pkg/postage/batchservice/batchservice_test.go
index 30d98820da6..f2c7934f440 100644
--- a/pkg/postage/batchservice/batchservice_test.go
+++ b/pkg/postage/batchservice/batchservice_test.go
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ func TestBatchServiceCreate(t *testing.T) {
 			testBatch.ID,
 			testBatch.Owner,
 			testBatch.Value,
-			testBatch.NormalisedBalance,
 			testBatch.Depth,
 		); err == nil {
 			t.Fatalf("expected error")
@@ -78,7 +77,6 @@ func TestBatchServiceCreate(t *testing.T) {
 			testBatch.ID,
 			testBatch.Owner,
 			testBatch.Value,
-			testBatch.NormalisedBalance,
 			testBatch.Depth,
 		); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("got error %v", err)
@@ -104,17 +102,12 @@ func TestBatchServiceCreate(t *testing.T) {
 		if got.Start != testChainState.Block {
 			t.Fatalf("batch start block different form chain state: want %v, got %v", got.Start, testChainState.Block)
 		}
-		if got.NormalisedBalance.Cmp(testBatch.NormalisedBalance) != 0 {
-			t.Fatalf("normalised batch value: want %v, got %v", testBatch.NormalisedBalance.String(), got.NormalisedBalance.String())
-		}
-
 	})
 
 }
 
 func TestBatchServiceTopUp(t *testing.T) {
 	testBatch := postagetesting.MustNewBatch()
-	testTopUpAmount := big.NewInt(10000000000000)
 	testNormalisedBalance := big.NewInt(2000000000000)
 
 	t.Run("expect get error", func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -124,7 +117,7 @@ func TestBatchServiceTopUp(t *testing.T) {
 			mock.WithGetErr(testErr, 1),
 		)
 
-		if err := svc.TopUp(testBatch.ID, testTopUpAmount, testNormalisedBalance); err == nil {
+		if err := svc.TopUp(testBatch.ID, testNormalisedBalance); err == nil {
 			t.Fatal("expected error")
 		}
 	})
@@ -136,7 +129,7 @@ func TestBatchServiceTopUp(t *testing.T) {
 		)
 		putBatch(t, batchStore, testBatch)
 
-		if err := svc.TopUp(testBatch.ID, testTopUpAmount, testNormalisedBalance); err == nil {
+		if err := svc.TopUp(testBatch.ID, testNormalisedBalance); err == nil {
 			t.Fatal("expected error")
 		}
 	})
@@ -145,10 +138,9 @@ func TestBatchServiceTopUp(t *testing.T) {
 		svc, batchStore := newTestStoreAndService(t)
 		putBatch(t, batchStore, testBatch)
 
-		want := testBatch.Value
-		want.Add(want, testTopUpAmount)
+		want := testNormalisedBalance
 
-		if err := svc.TopUp(testBatch.ID, testTopUpAmount, testNormalisedBalance); err != nil {
+		if err := svc.TopUp(testBatch.ID, testNormalisedBalance); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("top up: %v", err)
 		}
 
@@ -160,10 +152,6 @@ func TestBatchServiceTopUp(t *testing.T) {
 		if got.Value.Cmp(want) != 0 {
 			t.Fatalf("topped up amount: got %v, want %v", got.Value, want)
 		}
-
-		if got.NormalisedBalance.Cmp(testNormalisedBalance) != 0 {
-			t.Fatalf("normalised batch value: want %v, got %v", testNormalisedBalance.String(), got.NormalisedBalance.String())
-		}
 	})
 }
 
@@ -211,10 +199,6 @@ func TestBatchServiceUpdateDepth(t *testing.T) {
 		if val.Depth != testNewDepth {
 			t.Fatalf("wrong batch depth set: want %v, got %v", testNewDepth, val.Depth)
 		}
-
-		if val.NormalisedBalance.Cmp(testNormalisedBalance) != 0 {
-			t.Fatalf("normalised batch value: want %v, got %v", testNormalisedBalance.String(), val.NormalisedBalance.String())
-		}
 	})
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/postage/interface.go b/pkg/postage/interface.go
index 79f313565e5..ac092de2b25 100644
--- a/pkg/postage/interface.go
+++ b/pkg/postage/interface.go
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ import (
 // EventUpdater interface definitions reflect the updates triggered by events
 // emitted by the postage contract on the blockchain.
 type EventUpdater interface {
-	Create(id []byte, owner []byte, amount *big.Int, normalisedBalance *big.Int, depth uint8) error
-	TopUp(id []byte, amount *big.Int, normalisedBalance *big.Int) error
+	Create(id []byte, owner []byte, normalisedBalance *big.Int, depth uint8) error
+	TopUp(id []byte, normalisedBalance *big.Int) error
 	UpdateDepth(id []byte, depth uint8, normalisedBalance *big.Int) error
 	UpdatePrice(price *big.Int) error
 }
diff --git a/pkg/postage/testing/batch.go b/pkg/postage/testing/batch.go
index 1676151a221..51bf5b07566 100644
--- a/pkg/postage/testing/batch.go
+++ b/pkg/postage/testing/batch.go
@@ -50,11 +50,10 @@ func NewBigInt() *big.Int {
 // be filled with random data. Panics on errors.
 func MustNewBatch(opts ...BatchOption) *postage.Batch {
 	b := &postage.Batch{
-		ID:                MustNewID(),
-		Value:             NewBigInt(),
-		Start:             rand.Uint64(),
-		Depth:             defaultDepth,
-		NormalisedBalance: NewBigInt(),
+		ID:    MustNewID(),
+		Value: NewBigInt(),
+		Start: rand.Uint64(),
+		Depth: defaultDepth,
 	}
 
 	for _, opt := range opts {
@@ -96,7 +95,4 @@ func CompareBatches(t *testing.T, want, got *postage.Batch) {
 	if want.Depth != got.Depth {
 		t.Fatalf("depth: want %v, got %v", want.Depth, got.Depth)
 	}
-	if want.NormalisedBalance.Cmp(got.NormalisedBalance) != 0 {
-		t.Fatalf("normalised balance: want %v, got %v", want.NormalisedBalance, got.NormalisedBalance)
-	}
 }