Latest News
Unity Bank MUA Working Waves 2023
Unity Bank has sponsored the annual MUA Working Waves event for over 20 years. This surfing competition is held over a single day at Norah Head, a surf beach on the Central Coast of NSW and is organised through the MUA Newcastle Branch. It is always enthusiastically supported by members and sponsors, with some competitors travelling from interstate.
The MUA retired members have the “Barbie” going all day and it is a great event for MUA members, family, and friends.
This year was again a fantastic day out with amazing weather, and fun had by all.
MEU AGM Northen Mining NSW 2023
We have supported the Mining & Energy Union (MEU) for over 50 years and understand the highs and lows experienced over that time. The MEU is a division of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union, representing mining and energy workers for over 150 years.
At Unity Bank, we’re proud to offer local and personal services in key mining areas across Australia. That’s why we support various community events and AGMs MEU are involved in throughout the year, providing exceptional service to workers across Australia. No matter when you need us, we’re here to help you make the best decisions about your financial future.
MEU AGM Northern Mining NSW 2023
We have supported the Mining & Energy Union (MEU) for over 50 years and understand the highs and lows experienced over that time. The MEU is a division of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union, representing mining and energy workers for over 150 years.
At Unity Bank, we’re proud to offer local and personal services in key mining areas across Australia. That’s why we support various community events and AGMs MEU are involved in throughout the year, providing exceptional service to workers across Australia. No matter when you need us, we’re here to help you make the best decisions about your financial future.
2023 May Day Newcastle
Unity Bank is a proud supporter of May Day events around Australia. May Day is a celebration of International Workers Day, which commemorates the struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement. Many union members take part in marches held in all capital cities and regional towns.
In Newcastle, union members from 24 different unions marched from Newcastle Museum to Foreshore Park to celebrate Workers and enjoyed a family fun day with carrnival rides, food stalls, entertainment and more.
Bank Impersonation Scams
We'd like to draw your attention to the increasing number of bank impersonation scams in Australia, which have been growing in sophistication and complexity.
How strong passwords can help protect your money
There are several reasons why using strong passwords to protect your money is crucial. With the rise of cybercriminals over the last few years, providing an extra layer of security is essential to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive financial information. Strong passwords are more difficult for hackers to guess or crack, making it more difficult for them to access your account.
A strong password should contain a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters and be at least 8-12 characters long. It should also be unique and not easily guessable by others.
If a weak password is used, it can be easily cracked by automated password guessing tools or by hackers who use social engineering tactics to guess or obtain passwords. This can lead to unauthorized access to your bank account, allowing hackers to steal your money or personal information.
Therefore, using strong passwords is an essential step in protecting your financial security and keeping your sensitive information safe.
Savings Interest Rate Changes
We are increasing the interest rates for the following savings products, effective 1 April 2023.
- Bonus Saver (S7) for balances $1 - $100,000 interest rate increased by 0.50% to 4.00% (inclusive of the base plus bonus rate)1.
- Power-Up eSaver (S6) for balances $1 and over interest rate increased by 0.10% to 2.55%2.
- Pensioner Security Account S8 for balances $1 - $45,400 interest rate increased by 0.05% to 2.61%3.
Savings Interest Rate Changes
We are increasing the interest rates for the following savings products, effective 1 June 2023.
- Bonus Saver (S7) for balances $1 - $100,000 interest rate increased by 0.25% to 4.25% (inclusive of the base plus bonus rate)1.
- Power-Up eSaver (S6) for balances $1 and over interest rate increased by 0.10% to 2.65%2.
- Pensioner Security Account S8 for balances $1 - $45,400 interest rate increased by 0.05% to 2.66%3.
- Pensioner Security Account S8 for balances $45,400.01 and over interest rate increased by 0.05% to 2.80%3.
Latest Scam Alert: Linkt Scams
We are urging our Members to be wary of messages impersonating Linkt (QLD Toll Road Provider) requesting your card details to make a payment or update your details by clicking a link, most often contact is made through SMS and WhatsApp. These are phishing scams designed to steal your credit card details and then used to set up a digital wallet, such as Apple Pay or Google Pay operated by a scammer.
To protect yourself from these scams, please follow the advices from ACCC.
- Do not click on any links in unexpected messages. Even if you expect a message, it is best to access the information directly from a website or a source you have found independently.
- Pay attention to typos or grammatical mistakes in the text message. Delete the message and do not respond.
- If you think you have an unpaid bill, contact the company separately through their legitimate channels.
- Do not reply to the message. Delete and block the number.
If you are concerned about the security of your account or believe you have been scammed, contact us immediately on 1300 36 2000.
We are sorry
Dear Members,
Over recent weeks Unity Bank has experienced technical issues that have intermittently impacted the availability of some of our services and particularly our Banking app.
This has caused considerable frustration for everyone who relies upon this service and expects it to be available 24/7. It is certainly not the standard we strive to uphold, and so I apologise for the inconvenience caused to you.
Our team has worked around the clock with our external software suppliers to rectify the technical issues behind the outages and made several changes to improve our system reliability and return to the level of service excellence you expect of us.
I again apologise for the disruptions and inconvenience this may have caused, and thank you for your patience and ongoing support.
Yours faithfully,
Danny Pavisic
Chief Executive Officer
The NEW Unity Bank Internet Banking is now available
We're very excited to announce that our NEW Unity Bank Internet Banking is now available for you to use.
Read more: The NEW Unity Bank Internet Banking is now available
Free Bank@Post Withdrawals
From 1 January 2023 Unity Bank members including business account holders will no longer have to pay a fee to withdraw funds using the Bank@Post service available at over 3,100 Post Offices throughout Australia.
For Members without easy access to one of our branches or a nearby ATM, banking at the local post office provides a convenient alternative. Until now a $2.60 fee ($3 for Business Accounts) has applied for withdrawals to cover the cost of Australia Post providing the service. From 1 January 2023 this cost will now be absorbed by the Bank, and the withdrawal fee removed.
Click here to learn more about Bank@Post facilities. You can access the Fees and Charges Transaction Limit Document here.
Updates to our Fees and Charges Transaction Limit Document
Effective 14 November 2022
Since 28 February 2022 we have been phasing out member chequing services.
This process has now been completed and our Fees and Charges Transaction Limit Document has been updated to remove the following fees.
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cheque dishonour fees;
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cheque honour fees (where a cheque paid to the Bank causes a member’s account to be overdrawn/over limit)
You can access the Fees and Charges Transaction Limit Document here.
Protecting Your Data
Important Data Security Message
We are aware of the Optus data breach involving the loss of Optus customer data. Our systems have not been compromised as a result of the Optus data breach. Our real-time monitoring of your accounts helps detect and protect you from unauthorised activity.
Unity Bank Protection
Keeping your account and personal information safe remains our priority.
- Member information is constantly monitored for data-breaches, including the recent Optus breach. We have also implemented additional verification and transaction monitoring processes to protect our members accounts.
Protecting your own personal information
- Always remain vigilant against phishing and other scam communications that may lure you into clicking on links and attachments or sharing your personal information.
- Setting a strong, unique password and changing it regularly is key to keeping your accounts safe.
- Enable multi-factor authentication for all online services, including online banking.
- Using PayID to send money allows you to see details about who you are paying, before you pay them, helping protect you from scams.
- Unsure whether a message is legitimate? Check our latest scam alerts before clicking anything.
Questions to ask & things to look out for
- Do you know the sender, and do you usually receive SMS messages from the sender? Beware, scammers can mimic the phone numbers of legitimate organizations.
- Does the message seem generic or does it contain errors and grammatical mistakes?
- SMS Phishing, or ‘Smishing’ messages, play on your emotions by creating a sense of urgency, followed by a link to click. For example, ‘Your account is temporarily frozen, please login immediately to lift the restriction’.
If you’re concerned your ID may have already been compromised, IDCARE is an independent organisation that provides free support to individuals impacted by fraud or scams. IDCARE have released a Response Fact Sheet relating to the Optus Data Breach.
For more information on protecting your data please visit Money Smart. If you're worried or you’ve noticed a suspicious transaction, call us immediately on 1300 36 2000.
Protecting Your Information
Protecting your information is our absolute priority – and there are several ways you can help too.
- NEVER share your password or Internet Banking login details
- We will NEVER contact you to ask for your passwords, or card or account details
- We will NEVER send you an SMS containing links
So please watch out for any unexpected phone calls, SMS or emails asking for private details or information about you or your banking credentials … no matter who they say they are, or who they are pretending to be.
If you come across anything like this, or feel that something just doesn’t seem right, please report it immediately to us on 1300 36 2000.
For more information on protecting your information please visit Scamwatch.
Changes to Account & Access Facility Conditions of Use
Published 28 October 2022
Changes have been made to our Account & Access Facility Conditions of Use. These changes are effective from 31 October 2022 and include updates covering:
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new amendments under the Customer Owned Banking Code of Practice 2022.
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additional terms and conditions for members accessing our PayTo service
Our latest Account & Access Facility Conditions of Use can be found here. If you would like to discuss any of these changes, please contact us on 1300 36 2000 8:00 am to 7:00 pm AEST, Monday to Friday.
| Subheading of document | Summary of changes |
|---|---|
| Proof of Identity required | List of identification documents removed and amended to read ‘government issued photo identity document such as driver’s licence or passport. |
| Joint Accounts | Amended to explain in greater detail what access and transaction authority is given to joint account holders. |
| Third Party Access | Amended to clarify the extent of an account signatory’s authority to act on the account. |
| Account Statements | Amended to clarify the methods of how account statements may be provided. |
| Closing Accounts, Cancelling Access Facilities & Blocking access, or transactions | Amended to clarify the Bank’s level of authority to cancel, block or limit access to customer accounts. |
| How we send Notices or Statements | Amended to clarify the methods of how account statements & notices may be provided. |
| Chequing | Section has been omitted in its entirety as facility no longer available. |
| PayPal | Section has been omitted in its entirety. |
|
Important Information About Protecting Your Access Cards, Devices and Pass Codes |
Amended to reflect minimum passcode and Security Requirements. |
| Visa Card | Information re chargebacks amended to reflect both the Bank and the Customers obligations in relation to chargebacks. |
| Digital Wallet | Section has been omitted in its entirety and adopted in new section 28 of the document. |
| Authority to Recover Mistaken or Misdirected Payments | Amended to clarify the difference between a mistaken and misdirected payment. |
| Complaints | Amended to clarify how customer complaints are handled. |
| Use After Cancellation or Expiry of Access Card | Amended to clarify that recurring transactions will be declined if the card has expired. |
| Withdrawing or Transferring from The Account, Overdrawing an Account Transactions, Cancellation of Access Card or of Access to Telephone and/or internet Banking | Updated to include PayTo. |
| Direct Debit | Updated to clarify that this section does not extend to PayTo. |
| Definitions |
Updated to include:
• BECS procedures
• Direct Debit
• Mandate Management Services
• Migrated DDR Mandates
• NPP
• NPP Payments
• Payment Agreement
• Payment Initiator
• PayTo
• Transfer ID
|
| Creating a PayTo Payment Agreement, Amending a Payment Agreement, Pausing your Payment Agreement, Transferring your Payment Agreement, Cancelling your Payment Agreement, Migration of Direct Debit Arrangements, General PayTo provisions, Privacy and PayTo, Authority for PayTo | New sections |
Read more: Changes to Account & Access Facility Conditions of Use
2022 Annual Report
|
2022 was another highly successful year for Unity Bank Limited. Review our financial summary and hear first hand from those we serve how our Member-first approach has made all the difference. |
|
Flood relief: Unity Bank Community Support Package
With floods impacting many families and communities across Australia, we again stand ready with Unity Bank's Community Support Package to support you and other Members, including:
Read more: Flood relief: Unity Bank Community Support Package
Changes to Privacy Notification
There are changes that have been made to our Privacy Notification.
How to Protect Your Privacy Online
Published on September 23 2022
With the increase in cyber crimes, we urge you to be on the look out for scams and take steps to secure your personal information.
More Articles...
- Latest Scam Alert: Hi Mum Scams
- Use PayID to combat scams
- Special tribute to Ina Heidtman
- Important Reminder: Making payments in the new app
- The NEW Unity Bank app has arrived!
- Changes to our Account & Access Facility Conditions of Use document
- Change to Interest Rates
- Let us know when you are travelling overseas
- May Day 2022
- Central Coast Regional Show
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