The Banking Code Compliance Committee and the Customer Owned Banking Code Compliance Committee have published a joint report reviewing banks’ progress in ensuring that services delivered through Bank@Post continue to meet Code obligations.

Bank@Post is a service delivered by Australia Post that enables people to complete a limited number of
basic banking transactions, such as withdrawals, deposits and balance enquiries, at more than 3,500
participating post offices across Australia.

12 banks and 33 customer owned banks that offer Bank@Post services and were involved in the review.

Banks and customer owned banks must ensure that the customers who use Bank@Post for their banking services receive the protections set out in the Codes of Practice.

The review focused on Code compliance of Bank@Post services in relation to:

• Awareness of the Codes among Australia Post staff and promotion of the Codes to customers using
  Bank@Post services.
• Training for Australia Post staff on Code obligations, including cultural awareness and engagement with customers experiencing vulnerability.
• Mechanisms to connect customers experiencing vulnerability and financial difficulty with appropriate
  support from their bank.
• Processes to identify, record and respond to complaints about banking services delivered via
  Bank@Post.
• Processes to identify and record Code breaches relating to Bank@Post services.

The report concludes that more work is required to ensure training materials are available for Bank@Post staff support compliance with Code obligations and connecting customers experiencing vulnerability to the appropriate support within their bank.

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Author: David Jacobson
Principal, Bright Corporate Law
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About David Jacobson
The information contained in this article is not legal advice. It is not to be relied upon as a full statement of the law. You should seek professional advice for your specific needs and circumstances before acting or relying on any of the content.