Safer banking for our younger customers
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.
Tell us who you are to learn what you could do next
Information for account holders:
1. Learn about Push Notifications, Card Controls, and Daily Payment Limit controls
Are you happy for a third party to access these controls?
- A third party - such as a parent, guardian or other trusted person - may have access to your accounts to help you look after your banking.
- You can check who has this third party access, then chat with them about whether you’re happy for them to keep it.
- Remember that anyone with third party access to a Choice Youth account can set up Push Notifications, letting them know each time money goes into or out of your accounts. They can also get notifications if your Daily Payment Limit changes or if their third-party access has been removed.
- A third party with value access to your Choice Youth account can lock your Debit Mastercard® or report it lost or stolen and change your Daily Payment Limit.
- For your safety, this helps them spot if anything unexpected is happening with your money.
2. Check who can access your accounts
How to check and change third party access in Online Banking on a PC or laptop:
1. Select the account you want to check
2. Select Third party access
3. You’ll see a list of people who can access your account.
If you’re sure you want to remove anyone’s access and you’re 14 or over:
4. Select the arrow next to the person’s name
5. Select Remove > Confirm
6. Use Edit if you want to change the type of access they have.
If you have more than one account, select Back to choose another one to check.
Under 14?
You’ll need to visit a branch if you want to change access to an account.
FAQs about card controls, payment controls, and payment limits
These controls are designed to help keep your money safe by letting trusted people know if your account is being used in an unexpected or worrying way. So, it’s best to chat with those people first, before making any changes.
If you’re sure you don’t want a third party on your account to get manage the controls, you can remove their third party access in Family Hub in Online Banking.
How to remove third party access:
1. Select the account
2. Select third party access
3. You’ll see a list of people who can access your account
4. Select the arrow next to the person’s name
5. Select Remove > Confirm
6. Use Edit if you want to change the type of access they have.
If you have more than one account, select Back to choose another one to check.
You can also have access removed by visiting any Westpac branch, and you’ll have to do it this way if you’re under 14.
A signatory is someone, such as parent, grandparent, or guardian, who can operate your account in the bank. If you are under 14, you must have a signatory on your account to help you look after your banking.
A third party is someone who has been given access to your account(s) in Online Banking. This person can see your account in their own Online Banking and depending on their permission level can either view your account (just look at your activity) or view and transact with your account (pay for things or transfer money). A third party may or may not be the same person as the signatory.
Access levels can be set up when an account is opened, or they can be added in branch.
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.
Notifications are designed to help keep your money safe by letting trusted people know if your account is being used in an unexpected or worrying way. So, it’s best to chat with those people first, before making any changes.
If you’re sure you don’t want a third party on your account to get notifications, you can stop them by removing their third party access either by visiting a branch or in Online Banking on a PC or laptop.
How to remove third party access:
1. Select the account
2. Select third party access
3. You’ll see a list of people who can access your account
4. Select the arrow next to the person’s name
5. Select Remove > Confirm
6. Use Edit if you want to change the type of access they have.
If you have more than one account, select Back to choose another one to check.
Any co-holder of a joint Choice account who’s under 14 won’t be able make BPAY or international payments until they turn 14. If you’re 14 or over, you’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
Yes. All BPAY payments are secure, so you can be confident that your information is protected.
Your Daily Payment Limit is the total amount you can pay out of your account within a day using Online Banking and the Westpac App.
Customers who are 14 or older can update their limit in the Westpac App or Online Banking.
In the Westpac App:
1. Search Daily Payment Limit.
2. Follow the prompts to enter the new limit.
In Online Banking:
1. Go to Service > Preferences > Daily Payment Limit
2. Select Update my Daily Payment Limit.
3. Enter your new limit, then select Save.
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
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.
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
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.
Update your account in branch
Find a branch:
Things you should know
Read the Westpac Online Banking Terms and Conditions (PDF 355KB) (PDF 547KB) at westpac.com.au before making a decision and consider whether the product is right for you.
- Account holders under 14 years old cannot make BPAY Payments in Online Banking. They can make BPAY payments through Telephone Banking.
- 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.