St.George Express Freedom Account

You do not have to choose the transaction account which has the most features just in case you want the option to use them all. Instead, there are a range of different transaction accounts for different types of everyday banking needs and if you currently, or are interested in, managing your account and finances primarily online, then the St.George Express Freedom account may be the one which best suits you.

St.George Transaction Accounts

A snapshot of the Express Freedom account:

• A low $3 monthly fee
• A linked Visa Debit card
• Unlimited St.George, Westpac or bank SA ATM withdrawals
• Unlimited EFTPOS, direct debit, Bank@Post, internet and phone banking transactions
• Branch access and cheque facilities paid as you need and use them

How to Use an Online Transaction Account

Before you take advantage of the low monthly fees and the online inclusions of the St.George Express Freedom account, you need to decide whether you really can manage your finances primarily online. Ways to use an online transaction account include:

• Open a linked online savings account. If you are able to manage your savings online, you can more easily keep your transaction account based online too. This is because you are then able to make direct electronic transfers to and from your savings account and you don’t need to go into a branch with a cheque to contribute to your savings.
• Pay your bills online. Every major biller, phone company, energy provider, and even councils, landlords and delivery companies will accept electronic payments. Many of the people whose bills you now pay by cheque or cash would probably prefer to be paid electronically as they don’t have to make a trip to their bank, they don’t have to be charged a cheque deposit fee, and the money is in their account sooner. Even if your bills don’t have a BPAY or post office payment option there will generally be account details instead so you can choose a Pay Anyone option in internet banking to make the transfer
• Pay everyone online. If you have borrowed money from your sister or are pooling funds for a birthday present for a friend or a group holiday, you can make those payments online too. Your friends and family can easily give you their account details and BSB number so you can use that Pay Anyone feature again to make a transfer to their account. When you use a transaction account which is based primarily on online features like the St.George Express Freedom account, your online transactions are all included, no matter how many you make in a month.
• Access your funds with your card. If you need to take money out of your account, make a free (and fast) ATM transaction with your access card rather than going into a branch, filling out a withdrawal slip, waiting in line and making the withdrawal drawn out. Or if you’re not near an ATM, you can withdraw funds during an EFTPOS transaction at most retailers, and when you choose your cheque or savings account, the person processing the transaction will usually remind you about your cash out option too.
• Shop online using Visa Debit. Now that you are embracing an online transaction account you can also take advantage of all those great internet offers everyone else seems to be getting into. Online based stores are able to offer great prices on their products because they have lower overheads, and even business with real-world shop fronts will offer specials and discount on their products and services if you buy online because they can still make savings on these transactions too. with a Visa Debit card linked to your Express Freedom account you can feel secure using your money online because you are protected by the Visa and St.George online security features, plus a debit card uses only your own money so you don’t have to worry about credit card interest eating away at those great savings.

Features of the St.George Express Freedom Account

If you think you would be able to complete all of your banking transactions online, over the phone or by using your access or debit card, then you may want to consider the other features of the St.George Express Freedom account to see whether it is the electronic account for you:

• A low, fixed monthly fee of $3. No matter how many of the included electronic transactions you make in a month, you can be sure your monthly fee will remain the same. Plus there are no minimum balances or deposits required for you to qualify for this low monthly fee.
• Unlimited St.George ATM transactions. You can withdraw as much as you like as many times as you like from a St.George, Westpac or Bank SA ATM and not be charged any transaction fees.
• Unlimited EFTPOS transactions. This means you can make as many purchases in store as you like and not be charged any extra. Plus, while ATM withdrawals from St.George ATMs are free, if you can’t find one, you can make a free EFTPOS transaction and withdraw cash in that way instead.
• A linked Visa Debit card. if you don’t need any cash out or you want the security of signing for your purchases you can use your linked Visa Debit card. Your debit card uses the same money (your own money) that you would use in an EFTPOS transaction, but with the speed and ease of a credit card transaction. This means you can make purchases online or over the phone with your Visa Debit card too.
• Cheque book facilities are available. If you would like a cheque book linked to your Express Freedom account you can request one.
• Pay as you go in-person transactions. Cheque facilities and branch access are not included in your free transactions or in your monthly fee but are charged as you make them. In this way you’re not charged a higher fee just in case you need to make a branch or cheque transaction, but if you do need to, you are only charged for the transactions you make.
• You can apply online. Or over the phone. Or in branch. If you want to get your online transaction account use off to an electronic start, you can follow the secure Savings Account Finder™ links hereto complete an online application, you don’t even have to be an existing customer.