Safer banking for our younger customers

Check out our Family Hub to discover the safety features, giving younger customers the freedom to bank confidently, knowing we've got their back.

How we’re encouraging good money habits

In our Online Banking Family Hub, we're supporting parents and guardians by introducing features to our Westpac Choice Youth account so that together, we can help young people learn to manage their money safely.

How we’re making it safer for under 14s

Parents or guardians with third-party value access can see their child's accounts via Family Hub, monitor transactions, receive parental Push Notifications, and more.

Daily Limit controls

Every under 14s Choice Youth transaction account has an automatic block limiting transactions to $50 per day.

Payment controls

To keep your child safe online, they'll be restricted from making international payments or payments via BPay®.

Parental notifications

Get notifications about your child's activity, from transactions to changes to Daily Limits and any attempts to remove third-party access.

Card management controls

Temporarily lock or unlock your child's card anytime, or report it lost or stolen to order a new card if it can't be located.

What happens when a child turns 14?

Once a child turns 14, many of the controls can be lifted. They'll be able to remove third-party access and parental notifications, change their Daily Limit, and make BPay and international payments.

Information for signatories, such as a parents and guardians:

1. Set up Push Notifications

To get better visibility of a young person’s banking, set up Push Notifications on your Westpac App.

These notifications will tell you when money goes into or out of Bump Savings or Choice Youth accounts you have third party access to. This helps you stay on top of the account holder’s spending while keeping an eye out for suspicious or unexpected account activity. You can also be notified when your third party access has been removed so you can have a discussion with your child about accessing and having oversight of their account. Lastly, you can receive notifications if your child’s Daily Payment Limit changes so you can intervene on any change in spending.

To set them up, search notifications in the app and follow the prompts – choosing which accounts to monitor. You can give accounts nicknames to distinguish them from your own banking services. Here’s how to set up nicknames.

2. Access Card Controls

You can manage locking your child’s Debit Mastercard® or report it lost or stolen in the Westpac App or Online Banking. 

In the Westpac App or Online Banking:
1. Find your child’s Choice Youth account

2. Select Family Hub

3. Review who has access to accounts

Check and change who has third party access

You may wish to chat with the account holder about who else has access to their account and how setting up these controls can help keep their money safe.

How to check and change third party access in Online Banking on a PC or laptop:

1. In your child’s Online Banking, select the account you want to check

2. Select third party access

3. You’ll see a list of people who can access the account.

If the account holder is happy to have anyone’s access removed or the type of access changed:

4. Select the arrow next to the person’s name

5. Select Remove > Confirm

6. Use Edit to change the type of access they have.

Alternatively, you can visit us in branch or call us.

FAQs about accounts, signatories, and notifications

What are signatories and third parties?

A signatory is someone, such as parent, grandparent, or guardian, who can operate an account in branch. If the account holder is under 14, they are required to have a signatory on their account.

A third party is someone who has been granted access to an account in Online Banking. This person can see the account in their own Online Banking and depending on their permission level can either view the account only, or view and transact with the account. A third party may or may not be the same person as a signatory.

Access can be set up when an account is opened, or it can be added in branch.

You can only request third party access to an account by visiting us in branch. Remember to bring your ID documents, your child’s ID documents, and their 8-digit customer ID. If you aren’t a signatory to the account, you’ll need approval from a signatory if the child is under the age of 14.

Once you’re set up, you’ll be able to view their account in your own Online Banking or Westpac App.

Push Notifications are messages that can be sent to your mobile device when money goes in and out of accounts you own or have third party access to. This free service can be set up in the Westpac App, in Online Banking, or in branch.

> Learn more about Push Notifications

You can set up notifications on your Westpac App, telling you when money goes into or out of Bump Savings and Choice Youth accounts you have third party access to. This will help you keep an eye out for suspicious or unexpected account activity. You can also be notified when your third-party access has been removed so you can have a discussion with your child about accessing and having oversight of their account. Lastly, you can receive notifications if your child’s Daily Payment Limit changes so you can intervene on any change in spending.

To set them up, search notifications in the app and follow the prompts – choosing which accounts to monitor.

Any co-holder of a joint Choice account who’s under 14 won’t be able make BPAY payments or international transfers until they turn 14. If they’re 14 or over, they’ll be able to make these payments.

Push Notifications can be received by all people with third-party access to a joint Choice Youth account, regardless of the age of the account holders.

FAQs about payments and payment limits

How can I manage my child’s Debit Mastercard controls and Daily Payment Limit?

You can lock your child’s Debit Mastercard or report it lost or stolen in the Westpac App or Online Banking. 

In the Westpac App or Online Banking:
1. Find your child’s Choice Youth account

2. Select Family Hub

If you can’t see the controls in your Online Banking, you can visit us in branch with your child and your ID documents and we’ll set you up with access.

You can also change their Daily Payment Limit in branch or over the phone.

If you can’t see the controls in your Online Banking, your child might not have a Choice Youth account or you might not have the right access levels. You can visit us in branch with your child and your ID documents and we’ll set you up with access.

Choice account holders under the age of 14 cannot use Online Banking or the Westpac App to make BPAY or international payments. Account holders who are 14 and over are able to use these services. 

Customers under 14 can only make a BPAY payment using phone banking. Or they can ask a third party on the account to make the payment online on their behalf.

To arrange an international payment, the account holder can visit a branch with an account signatory.

Yes. All BPAY payments are secure, so you can be confident that your information is protected. We’ve removed access to BPAY in Online Banking for customers under the age of 14 to simplify their banking options.

A Daily Payment Limit is the total amount you can pay out of an account within a day using Online Banking and the Westpac App.

Accounts for Choice Youth customers under the age of 14 have an automatic $50 limit. The limit can only be changed by a parent or guardian by visiting a branch or using phone banking.

Like to chat? Give us a call:

1300 558 724

8am – 8pm Sydney time, Mon-Fri

Update your account in branch

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Things you should know

Read the Westpac Online Banking Terms and Conditions (PDF 355KB) (PDF 740KB) at westpac.com.au before making a decision and consider whether the product is right for you.
 

  1. Account holders under 14 years old cannot make BPAY Payments in Online Banking. They can make BPAY payments through Telephone Banking.
  2. Account holders under 14 years old cannot make International Payments in Online Banking. They can make International Payments in branch.
     

Mastercard® is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.
 

Registered to BPAY Pty Ltd ABN 69 079 137 518.