St.George Bank Incentive Saver Review, Rates & Information

Product details

An account for serious savers, the St.George Bank Incentive Saver rewards you for keeping your savings your savings, and not your spendings. Get the bonus variable interest rate when you make at least one deposit and no withdrawals each month: 1.75% p.a.

Product Name: St.George Incentive Saver

Maximum Variable Rate: 1.75% p.a.

Standard Variable Rate: 0.01% p.a.

Bonus Variable Rate: 1.74% p.a.

Introductory / Bonus Offer Conditions: To earn bonus variable interest, every month you should make at least one deposit and no withdrawals

Monthly Fee: $0

Minimum Opening Deposit: $1

Minimum monthly deposit for bonus interest rate: $1

Introductory Interest Period: 4 month(s)

Internet Banking: Yes

Internet Transaction Fee: $0

Phone Banking: Yes

Phone Transaction Fee: $0

Covered by Government Guarantee?: Yes (Up to $250,000 per person, per institution)

What are the features of the St.George Bank Incentive Saver?

Base rate. The base rate of interest is the minimum amount of interest you earn if you fail to meet the bonus interest conditions. The base rate of interest is 0.01% p.a.
Bonus rate. The bonus rate of interest is 1.74% p.a. You’re rewarded with the bonus rate when you make no withdrawals and at least one deposit every month. This gives you the potential to earn up to 1.75% p.a. on your total deposit.
No minimum deposit. There is no minimum deposit to get the bonus rate of interest. You can deposit as little as $1 to meet the monthly deposit requirements.
No fees. The St.George Bank Incentive Saver costs nothing to open and there are no monthly fees. You can make one free withdrawal a month, subsequent withdrawals will incur a fee.
Making withdrawals. This account does include a debit card. You can make one free withdrawal from the Incentive Saver each month. Withdrawing funds will void the bonus interest defeating the purpose of the account.
Making deposits. Grow your savings balance automatically by setting up a direct deposit to the Incentive Saver. As long as you don’t make any withdrawals, this ensures you get the maximum amount of interest each month. You can deposit funds to the Incentive Saver the same ways you can deposit funds in any bank account: by visiting a St.George branch and making a cash deposit, online transfers using the ‘Pay Anyone’ feature or BPAY. If you’re transferring funds from another St.George bank account, the funds will clear in the St.George Incentive Saver immediately.
SMS and email alerts. Get SMS or email notifications when there’s a deposit or withdrawal to your Incentive Saver account.
Personal customers. This account is available to personal customers only. You can’t apply for this account in the name of a business or fund such as a self managed super fund.
Joint application. You can apply for the Incentive Saver as an individual and you can also lodge a joint application.
Internet banking. If you’re a new customer to St.George, register for St.George Internet Banking when you apply for the Incentive Saver. Internet banking lets you view and manage your money online. View electronic statements and make payments from your computer, tablet or mobile internet connected device.
Electronic statements. Get your account history and activity delivered right to your inbox when you opt to receive electronic statements. The document is password protected and electronic Statements reduce paper consumption.

Pros

$0 Monthly service fees
No minimum monthly balance
Great for people saving towards a goal

Cons

Conditions to receive bonus interest

How do I apply for the St.George Bank Incentive Saver?

You can visit St.George website to open a St.George Incentive Saver in under 10 minutes. Before you proceed to the application, check your eligibility for the Incentive Saver.

Eligibility. To apply for this account you must be over the age of 14 and you must be a permanent Australian resident. This account is open to personal individual applications and personal joint applications, applications in the name of a fund or business are not permitted.

If you’re a new customer, you need to verify your identity with St.George. The online application also includes registration for Internet banking. To verify your identity, you need to provide one of the following forms of identification.

Identification. You’re required to provide one form of photographic identification or two forms of non-photo ID to complete the online identity verification process. Primary photographic identification includes: Australian or foreign passport, Australian or foreign driver’s licence, a foreign national identity card or Australian 18+ Proof of Age Card.
Tax File Number (TFN). St.George ask you to provide your TFN so they can calculate the correct tax rate to apply to your interest earnings. If you don’t provide your TFN to St.George, any money you earn from this account will be taxed at the marginal tax rate.

Once you submit the application, you will be contacted on your email letting you know about the next steps. You may be required to visit a St.George branch to provide further identification, if not, you can start making deposits to your St.George Incentive Saver right away.