Checking out on chequebooks

As of March, Kiwibank has gone cheque-free. What are our other payment options?

To make a payment to someone else, you can use internet, mobile or phone banking. You’ll need the account number of the person you are paying.

If you think you’ll be paying the same person again, you can save their bank account details on your Saved Payee list to make future payments easier.

If you make regular payments to the same person, you can set up an automatic payment.

You can set up a direct debit from your account to pay your utility bills. Talk to your provider.

In some cases, you will get a discount for doing direct debits.

So, why bank online? You get flexibility, convenience and online banking means you can view your balances, transfer funds, day or night.

You can do this all on a smart phone, and many banks offer free mobile phone apps that you can download to allow this.

Both channels are safe and secure if you take the appropriate basic precautions on computer or mobile phone.

Your financial information is safe as banks are required by government regulation to meet stringent security requirements.

Banks have a vested interest to ensure this.

You may even be able to have the facility to ‘chat’ or instant message an online representative to answer your questions and concerns.

Otherwise, it is hard to beat the convenience of banking this way.

❚ Source: The NZ Justices’ Quarterly, the journal of the Royal Federation of NZ Justices’ Association (Inc).