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Anyone who has access to your personal information – your PIN, Internet Banking password or Telephone Banking access code – can transact on your accounts.

Security guidelines

This is why we encourage you to treat this information as confidential. Our "Safeguard your valuables" brochure outlines what you need to do to protect your card against a breach of security. It also explains what to do if your card is lost or stolen, and how to keep your card safe when travelling.

Liability for losses

If an unauthorised transaction occurs on your account, you will not be held liable if it is clear that you (or anyone authorised to use your account) did not contribute to the loss.

Our BusinessChoice card offers additional protection against misuse of the card with liability cover of up to $20,000 per cardholder and $150,000 for your business per year.

Protection against credit card fraud

At Westpac we've put in place a number of processes and best practice solutions to help protect our customers and reduce incidents of fraud.

For example, we employ a world-class fraud detection system which highlights unusual activity on credit cards. If alerted by the system, we will contact you immediately to verify the information.

We also have staff working around the clock monitoring cards. If they suspect fraud, we could block your credit card temporarily while we contact you to confirm your card activity.

These measures are in place to detect fraud at the earliest convenience, but there are a number of things you can do to help us.

Coming soon to CardShieldTM - Chip technology: We'll shortly upgrade existing credit cards to feature an embedded microchip which will give you access to the latest in credit card security

What you can do

• Call Westpac to update your contact details (including home, work and mobile phone numbers and email address)
• Advise Westpac of your travel plans, and also provide a general travel itinerary if possible
• Ensure that you can be contacted by us at all times, in all global locations. Establish an email account, or ensure that your mobile telephone has "global roaming" activated if you are travelling
• When you travel ensure that you have a range of payment methods such as cash, traveller's cheques as well as credit card in case of emergency
• Know where your cards are at all times. If possible, walk to the counter to pay your bills, instead of giving your card to the waiter; and never leave your card behind a bar
• Do not use any suspicious looking terminals
• Ensure you keep all receipts until you have reconciled your statement. Check amounts and dates thoroughly as some merchants may have a different business name to what may appear on your statement
• Once you have reconciled your statements either store your receipts securely or destroy them
• Destroy any carbon imprints of your card from a manual credit card machine
• Ensure your mail is delivered to a secure location and lock your letterbox so that your mail cannot be accessed
• Only shop online at secure websites
• Sign your new cards as soon as you receive them
• Destroy expired or unwanted cards by cutting through the signature panel and magnetic strip
• Report lost or stolen cards immediately on1300 651 089 (fraudulent use of cards normally takes place soon after they are lost or stolen)
• Keep a list of your credit card numbers in a secure location; this information is helpful when reporting lost or stolen cards
• Do not give your card to anyone
• Treat your card as if it were cash; do not leave it unattended, such as in a car or workplace
• Be suspicious of any person who phones and seeks personal information or bank details without properly identifying themselves
• Never write your PIN down; make sure it is a number that can not be found in your wallet, eg date of birth or last four digits of your phone

Safeguard your valuables (PDF 131kb) brochure.