Bushfire Appeal

Helping those in need. Your support can make a huge difference.

All Australians are aware of the unprecedented bushfire conditions across the country, with homes destroyed, communities devastated, and tragically, lives lost. The scale and ferocity of bushfires are also testing the resources of the firefighters, charities, and animal rescue groups.

Many have issued public pleas for financial help, warning of a worsening bushfire threat and a long road to recovery for affected communities. Most organisations are calling for monetary donations - rather than donated goods - to help them best meet the varying needs of victims. What can you do to help?

The Australian Mutuals Foundation (AMF) has activated its emergency/disaster relief donations portal to be able to accept donations from the members of Australian mutual organisations.

The AMF will re-direct 100% of donations received to the St Vincent De Paul Society to help those affected rebuild their lives with food, clothing, furniture, other essentials, and funds to pay bills.

Vinnies support will include:

• Providing food, clothing, essential items and grocery vouchers for people who have lost everything
• Paying unexpected bills as people work through the recovery process
• Making referrals to specialised organisations providing crisis accommodation
• Giving much-needed emotional support, as well as practical assistance to pick up the pieces after homes are lost

Donate now through the Australian Mutuals Foundation.

Banking App Update

Android 10 is officially released. It's chock-full of new features, has a renewed focus on privacy, and for the first time in Android history, doesn't have a tasty dessert name to accompany it, a significant shift from Android Pie. 

In response to this upgrade, we have released an updated version 4.1.1 of our Banking App to ensure we are compatibility to Android's latest operating system. The updated version of our Banking App is now available in the Google Play store. 

If you are experiencing any issues updating our Banking App, please give us a call at 1300 26 2000, and one of our Member Service Officer will be able to help you.

Unity Bank Interest Rate Changes Effective 1 November 2019

With the Reserve Bank of Australia making a third reduction of the cash rate by 0.25%, Unity Bank has undertaken another comprehensive review of rates on our variable rate loans and savings/deposit products. With this being the third consecutive rate reduction and home loan rates already at historic lows, our priority is to implement equitable rate changes that strike a fair balance between the competing needs of our borrowing and depositing Members.

While this extremely low rate environment is good news for variable home loan borrowers, we are very mindful that the vast of our Members do not have a home loan.

We have looked at various options with a view to passing on as much of a reduction to our home loan products, whilst limiting reductions on our savings accounts to minimise the impact on savers. Many members are still saving to fund a deposit for their first home, while others who are already in retirement or semi-retirement are earning reduced income due to the unprecedented falls in interest rates.  

To accommodate these competing needs, we are announcing that all new and existing Owner Occupied and Investment variable home loans to be reduced by 0.11% p.a. effective from 1 November 2019. Details of your reduced rates will be advised on your next statement.  

Although it has been necessary to lower the rates on some of our deposit products in order to cover the cost of the loan rate reductions, our popular Bonus Saver account remains attractive compared to similar products available from other banks. New savings rates are available from 1 November 2019 on our website.

It is important to note that after these changes are implemented, our interest margins will still be lower than in the past and our surplus for the year will be negatively impacted. If you require any further information about the impact of the above rate changes, please give us a call on 1300 36 2000.

Coles and Wesfarmers make software changes affecting Visa payWave debit card transactions

From 1 October 2019, Coles and Wesfarmers have started to roll out software changes to update transaction routing capabilities on their EFTPOS machines where contactless payments are accepted. This software change will affect our Visa payWave debit card transactions.

What is changing, and how does it affect you?

When you tap to pay with your Visa debit cards, the EFTPOS machine will automatically process the payments via the EFTPOS network instead of the Visa network. If you currently shop at popular merchants like Coles, Coles Express, Liquorland, Target, Kmart, Officeworks or others where you tap to pay with your Visa debit card frequently, you may potentially exceed your current fee-free transactions.

Therefore, to avoid getting charged with excess transaction fees, here are two simple alternative payment methods:

1. Slot your Visa debit card into the EFTPOS machine and select 'Credit'. By choosing 'Credit,' your payments will be processed via the Visa network and will not be counted as an EFTPOS transaction.
2. Use one of our Mobile Pay Apps – Google Pay, Apple Pay or Samsung Pay. Just like how you use your Visa payWave debit card, you can use your smartphone for instant everyday transactions. It's easy to set up. Just download the app from your mobile app store and link your Visa debit card. Paying with your smartphone is secure and convenient. To find out more about our Mobile Pay apps, click here.

Need help?

If you need to speak to someone further about the changes or if there is an issue with your transaction fees, please give us a call on 1300 36 2000, and one of our Member Service Officers will help you.