01.How to switch
1. Find a new account
You can get some ideas from:
2. Open the new account
You’ll need to provide identification and other details.
3. Contact your existing bank for a list of your automatic payments
Under the government’s bank account switching package, financial institutions must provide consumers with a list of their direct credit and debits for the previous 13 months, to make it easy to arrange for the new institution to set up those payments. You’ll also need to check for regular direct debit and “pay anyone” arrangements.
4. Set up regular payments in the new account
If you give the new institution a list of all your regular credit and debit payments it should help you to re-establish those payments on the new account with forms to advise each relevant organisation of your new account details.
Alternatively you can download standard change of debit and credit letters from the Australian Payments Clearing Association:
Next steps:
- You will also need to ask the new institution to set up other periodical payments. If you have direct debit arrangements with other merchants or utilities providers, for example, you will need to advise them of your new account or card number. If you use internet banking to make “pay anyone” transactions, you’ll need to set up those arrangements on the new account.
- Lodge money to the new account - make sure there's at least enough money to cover upcoming scheduled payments.
- Redirect your salary and other payments to the new account.
- Leave the old account open with some money in it for a short time, to make sure no more payments are going in or out.
5. Close the old account
When everything is running smoothly with the new account, transfer any remaining balance to the new account, and close the old one.
More information
30 Sep 2009
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Many financial institutions now offer debit cards that can be used for transactions through the MasterCard, Visa and EFTPOS systems.
15 Jan 2008
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If you've got money parked in an everyday transaction account paying next to nothing interest, you could be earning much more by switching to an account with a better rate.
3 Aug 2009
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