Westpac Handycard - any good?

[Guest Emu]

Hello,

We just got a Westpac Handycard and by the looks of it we can't buy nothing online with it, it's a Cirrus card. Was told that to get a Mastercard or Visa, we need to have a credit card. I don't understand this because in the UK you can have a Mastercard/Visa on a current account. I am very annoyed that we have all our savings on this card and we can't use it for most transactions! Was told that because we not permanent residents we can only get a card like this, this is very annoying, we can't wait 3 years to get a decent bank card.

Can anyone help?

Is it worth changing banks? If so which one would offer us a decent bank card?

 

Note for new migrants - keep a UK credit card open, you can always cancel over the phone, we had to wait 2 weeks for a Westpac card. We ordered 2 cards and only one has showed up. It makes it very difficult to settle if we can't have access to your own money.

[Flutterby]

Emu

 

I had the same problem with Westpac. ANZ offer a Everyday Visa Debit card to temp residents which I have now got, you can apply online and will prob get your card a few days later, also the Migrant Banker from Commonwealth Bank wrote on here a few weeks ago, she said that people should contact her if they have problems like this as Commonwealth definitely issue Mastercard Debits to temp residents. Link to thread attached.

 

http://www.pomsinadelaide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8854

[Guest Emu]

Hi, thanks for the info on both threads, just had a talk with Westpac but they still say we can't have it, I guess we have to move banks.

[Flutterby]

I know, it is a pain having to move banks again but hey if they don't have the service you want then what do they expect!

[Guest thebaddeleys]

Hello,

We just got a Westpac Handycard and by the looks of it we can't buy nothing online with it, it's a Cirrus card. Was told that to get a Mastercard or Visa, we need to have a credit card. I don't understand this because in the UK you can have a Mastercard/Visa on a current account. I am very annoyed that we have all our savings on this card and we can't use it for most transactions! Was told that because we not permanent residents we can only get a card like this, this is very annoying, we can't wait 3 years to get a decent bank card.

Can anyone help?

Is it worth changing banks? If so which one would offer us a decent bank card?

 

Note for new migrants - keep a UK credit card open, you can always cancel over the phone, we had to wait 2 weeks for a Westpac card. We ordered 2 cards and only one has showed up. It makes it very difficult to settle if we can't have access to your own money.

 

Hi,

 

we are on a temp visa and had the exact same situation with Westpac, we were tearing our hair out with them, it seemed crazy that they would give us a credit card (which we didn't get even though they said it was the only way), but we have been here 6 months now with regular wages going in every month and last month we randomly recieved some debit/mastercard cards, I think maybe they want to see money going into your account on a regular basis.... at least thats the only thing that makes sense to me..

 

Hope this helps, maybe you won't have to change bank accounts after all x

[Guest Emu]

Hi, thank you for that info. We now changed banks, we got help from Morag at Commonwealth, she was fantastic. After 2 months my husband still didn't have a Handycard, I got one but he didn't even though it was a joint account.

[Guest UzinOz]

Hi, just a quick note to let everyone know that Westpac now offer Debit Mastercards to Temp Residents!! You can order online, Telephone Banking or at the branch.

 

Jackie

[Runcorn2Adelaide]

Westpac have always offered temp residents a credit card.

We got our the day we arrived....

 

Handy card is just for FPOS (i.e same as switch in the UK)

 

Generally, you can't use FPOS to buy online or use in carparks and such....

 

Si

[Guest Emu]

Sorry to disagree, but with us they didnt offer a credit card, they said we had to wait until we settled and we didn't get a Mastercard or Visa current account card. Even though I did speak with quite a few people and rang the helpline. They said 475 can't get it!

Even if you were a millionaire ;o)

[Guest happy feet]

Hi, I am on a 457 visa and got the handy cardand visa card days after i arrived, i've had no problems...Sorry it doesn't help, but glad you got it sorted..

[Guest Martin and Val]

This has been brought up in the past and although it doesn't help those who are having difficulties we opened our accounts with Westpac a year before we migrated while on a recci. We received Matercard debit cards without any issue or questions and when we arrived we then went in and signed up for credit cards, again without any issue.

I can't recall them once asking what type of visa we were on so it seems to be down to whoever you talk to at the time.

Westpac have been very helpful to us and one night even stayed back late after hours as we wanted to talk to them about another matter and couldn't get there until after closing.

Not much help I know just our experience.

Martin

[Runcorn2Adelaide]

just re-checked their requirements.

Do you have a job offer/income stream ?

This is taken direct from the migrant section of their website:-

http://www.westpac.com.au/internet/publish.nsf/Content/PBITMB+migrant+credit+card+application#Step1

 

 

Step 1 – Ensure you meet requirements iYou are coming to Australia within 6-8 weeks of making the credit card application.iiYou must have an Australian address for our correspondence to be sent to you.

 

Note:You must have access to correspondence from us to your Australian address, so that you will receive prompt notification of the approval and collection of your credit card. This could be the temporary address where you are or will be residing, the address of a relative or friend, or address of your employer (provided they are aware of this).iiiiAfter you arrive in Australia you have an ongoing source of income from employment, and/or investments, and/or deposits, and/or rental or businesses, either in Australia or your country of origin.ivCheck to see whether you come under the following categories of visa:

• Australian citizen or permanent resident returning to Australia
  
• New Zealand citizen
  
• Employer sponsored visa (long stay or temporary)
  
• Skilled – Permanent, or Skilled Independent Regional (Provisional) visa
  
• If you are granted a Business Skills, Investor or Talent visa
  

[Guest UzinOz]

Westpac, until now, have not offered temp visa holders a debit mastercard (if you got one, then good on you) they were only offered to permanent visas or citizens. Temps visas can have a credit card, usually without any probs providing you earn $15k per year and handycards are bog standard cards that are given to everyone who opens a transaction account for use in eftpos and atm only.

 

Because of the feedback from migrants, Westpac have changed the rule on Debit Mastercards.

 

Jackie

[Guest sandar1]

I have just helped a Canadian girl here as a student to settle in, and she got a card from Westpac, strange that she was able to get one and you were not. Try the ANZ bank they seem a little bit more flexible. Basically what I do when settling people is take them to three different banks so that they can discuss all the options and then make up their mind which ones to go with. I have sat in on some of the initial offers just to see what they do offer, this is a question however that I will ask in future. Please advise how you get on, it will be handy for all on this site in the same situation.

 

All the best, and happy banking.

 

Sandra