Media releases
Westpac first in Australia to introduce a ‘smarter’ cheque solution
8 October, 2018
Cheques are often considered a thing of the past, but now a new feature from Westpac is taking cheques forward into the digital age.
In an Australian banking first, eligible customers can now scan and deposit cheques from their smartphone using Westpac Mobile Cheque Deposit.
The feature enables customers to upload a picture of the front and back of their cheque to the Westpac app. The cheque will usually clear and be in the chosen transaction account within three business days.
Westpac research shows that almost half (41 per cent) of Australians still use cheques to make or receive payments.
George Frazis, Chief Executive, Westpac Consumer Bank said: “While cheques have a reputation for being old-fashioned, we still receive more than 30,000 cheques from customers every day.
“We’ve introduced our Mobile Cheque Deposit feature to offer customers even more choice and convenience in how they do their banking.
“Now, more customers will have the capability to deposit their cheque via smartphone, as well as the option of heading into a branch or visiting one of our smart ATMs.
“It is part of our continued strategy to be a leader in providing our customers with the latest banking solutions to meet their changing needs,” Mr Frazis said.
The new Mobile Cheque Deposit feature is now available for more than 1.65 million eligible Westpac customers, with more being added each week.
Eligible customers can deposit up to $1,000 within a seven day timeframe using Mobile Cheque Deposit. The feature is also underpinned by the Westpac Live secure online banking platform.
Mobile Cheque Deposit is available for both iPhone and Android users via the latest version of the Westpac mobile banking app.
Recently, Westpac was also the first bank in Australia to enable consumer payments using Siri voice control.
Media enquiries
Mary-Louise Dare
Mary-Louise.Dare@westpac.com.au
0434 699 605
About the Westpac research
A survey of 1,000 Australian smartphone users (aged 18+) was undertaken in September 2018 to understand current payment and cash management behaviours and attitudes. A cross-section of the Australian population was surveyed which is statistically representative of the national census.
About Westpac Mobile Cheque Deposit
Westpac Mobile Cheque Deposit is available for eligible customers and accounts. We recommend customers talk to us to find out if their account is eligible for mobile cheque deposits. Westpac Mobile Banking applications are only available for use by Westpac Australia customers. Conditions, transaction limits, and fees and charges apply.