Using your account

If you currently haven’t got a PIN, or you can’t remember one that was issued to you, or want to change your current PIN, you can request a PIN for your credit or debit card:

• Online any time, if you haven’t already done so, simply register for Internet, Mobile and Tablet Banking. You will need to provide a valid phone number for St.George Secure Code service. Once you’re logged in, click on the Change card PIN link in the Manage my accounts menu of internet banking or the Services menu of mobile banking to reset your PIN at any time. You don’t need to know your existing PIN, however, authorisation will be required via the Secure Code service. Or;
• Via eligible St.George ATM or by visiting your local St.George branch with your card and identification. Please note to change your PIN at a St.George ATM you will be required to know your current PIN. Or;
• To be mailed to you by calling us on the numbers below or visiting your local branch. If you choose to have your PIN mailed out to you, this will take 5-7 business day.

For customers overseas, please phone our Customer Service Team on +612 9155 7800 - 24 hours, 7 days.

The ePayments Code is a voluntary Code regulating electronic payment transactions, including ATM, EFTPOS and credit card transactions, online payments, internet and mobile banking, and BPAY. Detailed information about the Code can be found on the ASIC website.

Effective 20 March 2013, the Terms and Conditions for your deposit account were updated to reflect the standards of the ePayments Code.

To close your St.George everyday or savings account visit Closing your personal transaction or savings account.

You or any other authorised person can close your account by:

• Visiting a branch and providing sufficient identification to close your account. You can locate a branch address on our website; or
• Calling us on 13 33 30 or if you are overseas on (+61 3) 8536 7870 (please note that DIY Super Saver accounts with more than two trustees can only be closed in branch).

Before closing your account, you should ensure that any outstanding cheques are presented and all periodic payments, recurring payments and direct debits are cancelled.

When you close your account you must provide us with any:

• Card that operates the account (including any card issued to an additional cardholder)
• Unused cheques; and
• Passbooks.

If your account has a credit balance, you will need to provide details of where and how you would like the funds disbursed (if a bank cheque is required, a fee of $10 is payable).

If your account has a debit balance, the amount plus any accrued charges will need to be paid to us before the account can be closed.

Further details on closing your everyday, savings or DIY Super Saver account are contained in your terms and conditions.

A Code of Operation applies to payments such as income support and pensions paid by Centrelink or the Department of Veteran Affairs. The Code allows you to access this payment even if your account is overdrawn. A list of protected payments as defined by Services Australia is available here.

If you receive a protected payment while your account is in negative balance and do not already have an arranged repayment plan with the bank, the bank can’t take more than 10% of this payment to cover your outstanding balance. This means, you can ask to withdraw up to 90% of the fortnightly payment amount that you received.

For example, if your account is overdrawn by $200 and you receive a payment of $500 per fortnight, this reduces your available balance to $300. You can withdraw up to $450 (90% of $500) under the Code.

If you need help with accessing a protected payment while your account is overdrawn, please visit a bank branch.

A direct debit is a regular automatic payment that authorises a merchant or service provider to debit your account at set times, by using your BSB and account number. 

What is a recurring payment?​

Note that direct debits are different from recurring payments.  A recurring payment is a regular automatic payment that authorises a merchant or service provider to charge your debit or credit card. Recurring payments are set up from your debit or credit card using your 16-digit card number, expiry date and the CVC number on the back of your card. ​

Find out more about recurring payments.

If you need to modify your existing direct debit agreement with a particular merchant/company (for example, changing your repayment amount), contact the merchant/company to arrange this. ​

If you wish to cancel your direct debit payment, see our Cancelling a direct debit page.

If the joint account requires one account holder to sign or authorise, then one account holder can ask us to notify a company of your request to cancel the direct debit, or temporarily stop the company debiting funds from your St.George account. This can be done online, over the phone or in branch.

If the joint account requires all account holders to sign or authorise then all account holders are required to ask us to notify a company of your request to cancel the direct debit, or temporarily stop the company debiting funds from your St.George account. This can only be done in branch.

You can set up periodical payments between your bank accounts or to third party bank accounts in Internet Banking and Phone Banking, or by visiting one of our branches. Fees and charges may apply, please read the terms and conditions for your account for further detail.

Direct debit
A direct debit is a regular automatic payment that authorises a merchant or service provider to withdraw an agreed amount of money from your nominated account. Direct debits are set up from an eligible transaction account using your BSB and Account Number.

We can help you cancel a direct debit payment.

Recurring Payment
A recurring payment is a regular automatic payment that authorises a merchant or service provider to charge your debit or credit card. Recurring payments are set up from your debit or credit card by supplying the merchant or service provider with your 16-digit card number, expiry date and the CVC number on the back of your card.

If you’d like to cancel a recurring payment, you’ll need to contact the merchant directly.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have sufficient available funds in your chosen account when payments are due to be withdrawn. While the bank is under no obligation to do so on any particular occasion, we may permit you to overdraw your account by allowing a direct debit payment to occur even if there are insufficient funds in the account. An account overdrawn fee and debit interest may apply. If we do honour a payment, or do so more than once, it does not mean we have any obligation to do so in the future. If we decide not to allow it, the payment will be dishonoured.​

If the payment is dishonoured, you are required to contact the merchant to discuss alternate payment options.​

Refer to Overdrawing your account for more information on when your account can become overdrawn.

​Some merchants/companies will use a third party company to process their direct debit payments. You may find the transaction will appear on your statement in the name of the debiting company rather than the merchant on the agreement.​

If you contact the debiting company they can provide more information about who they are debiting on behalf of.​

If you still don’t recognise the direct debit please call us on 13 33 30, Mon-Sat 8am-8pm (EST).

St.George will send your direct debit cancellation request to the company on your behalf, noting this is a notification only and it is entirely up to the company to action your cancellation. The company may be entitled under the agreement with you to decline your cancellation request. If you would like to stop the direct debit regardless, you can ask us to place a block of all direct debits from this company on your account for a period of 3 years.

Read more: What is a 3-year block of direct debit?

In addition to sending the direct debit cancellation request to the company on your behalf, you can also ask us to block a company from debiting your nominated bank account altogether for a period of 3 years. Please proceed with caution if you have multiple arrangements with this company, for example, if you have your phone and internet services with the same company the block will prevent both phone and Internet payments from being processed. During this period, you will only be able to reinstate or start a new direct debit agreement with that company on the nominated account, by contacting us over the phone or visiting us in branch to lift the block. If you still owe the company an outstanding balance you will need to make alternative payment arrangements with them.

Please note that the temporary direct debit block does not cancel the direct debit arrangement you set up with the company, in the event that the company does not action your cancellation request, the direct debit arrangement will remain in place and the payments may recommence with funds being deducted from your account again after the 3-year period.