A bank account is a deposit product that holds your money. Banks, credit unions, building societies or other financial institutions offer them. Your employer can deposit your salary or wages directly into your bank account, which you can access whenever you want through ATM cash withdrawals, EFTPOS purchases with the linked debit card or bills payment.
Bank accounts are also often referred to as everyday accounts or transaction accounts.
When starting your bank account comparison, consider the following features to make sure you choose the right bank account for you.
Look for an account that charges no or low monthly account keeping fees. Or, if there is an account-keeping fee, you can often get the fee waived by depositing a certain amount of money into the account each month.
If the account requires you to meet a monthly deposit requirement (this can be anywhere from $200 to $2,000 a month), make sure it's an amount that you can easily meet each month.
Will you be charged an ATM withdrawal fee to access your cash? Don't forget to check the overseas ATM withdrawal fee too as this can be quite high with some bank accounts.
If you travel a lot or regularly shop online from overseas retailers, check the international transaction fee when comparing bank accounts. Some bank accounts don't charge an international transaction fee at all, and others will waive this fee if you meet certain deposit conditions.
If you want to link a savings account to your bank account with the same bank, check the interest rate you can earn with the savings account. If you're trying to save money, more interest you can earn on your savings account means better.
If you want to make contactless purchases with your phone, check that the bank account supports Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay. If you want to make instant bank-to-bank transfers, looking for an account that offers instant payments with PayID and Osko.
If you're looking for a bank account that you can share with another person (such as your partner), make sure you check if the account can be opened as a joint bank account.
Some bank accounts offer cash bonus offers or cash back deals when you open an account. Others will offer an ongoing cashback offer when you make purchases. Just make sure the fees charged on the account don't outweigh any benefit offered with these cash promotions.
Every year Finder's data analysts and banking experts assess 100+ bank accounts in our database to look for the most competitive products in the market as part of the annual Finder Awards. To determine the best transaction accounts we look at all the accounts in our database and filter for those with no account keeping fees, no local ATM fees and no international transaction fees. From here, we assess the extra benefits and features these accounts offer and determine which account offers the most value overall - usually in the form of a cash back offer, interest or rebated ATM fees.
As well as our annual awards program our Finder authors have researched and published 100+ banking guides and product reviews, and regularly appear in the media, for example on Sunrise, 7News and SBS News.
No fee transaction accounts are bank accounts with no (or limited) fees. Bank accounts have a large list of fees for various things, and it's unlikely you'll find one with no fees at all. However, the main fees that people like to avoid are monthly account keeping fees (for accounts that do charge this fee it's usually around $5 per month). Luckily, these fees are easy to avoid as there are plently of bank accounts today that don't charge this fee. See the list below for a few examples.
Determine what fees are most important for you to avoid, and look for a transaction account that doesn't charge these. For example, if you travel a lot and regulalrly shop online from international sites you'll probably want a transaction account with no international transaction fees. Or perhaps you regulalry use ATMs to withdraw cash, in which case you'd probably want a transaction account with no ATM fees.
A bank account (also called a transaction account) and a savings account are 2 different types of accounts that serve different purposes. A bank account is a transaction product designed for daily use to buy things in stores, withdraw from ATMs, pay bills, transfer money to friends and receive your salary or wages. A bank account comes with a debit card but typically doesn't pay interest on your money (although there are some rare examples of bank accounts that do pay interest, such as the Macquarie Transaction Account).
A savings account is another account that you can link to your bank account. A savings account pays interest on the money in the account as it's designed to help you save. It doesn't come with a debit card as it's not meant to be used as a transaction account for purchases and day-to-day spending.
You don't have to pick just one of these. In fact, having both a bank account and savings account linked together is a great way to manage your spending and saving side-by-side.
Here's how to open a new bank account online in 5 steps:
Need a bit more help choosing a bank account? The right bank account for you will depend on how you plan to use the account and what you're looking for.
If you travel a lot or often purchase things online from overseas merchants, these bank accounts charge low or no foreign transaction fees or international ATM fees.
If you're a business owner, compare business bank accounts to keep your business banking separate from your personal banking.
If you're in Australia to study or for work, there's a number of bank accounts that you can compare.
Compare bank accounts that waive the monthly account keeping fees while you're a student.
A joint bank account gives more than 1 person access to the account. These are convenient for couples with shared finances.
Compare bank accounts with no monthly account keeping fees and no ATM withdrawal fees to save you cash.
Virgin Money Go bank account: Pay no monthly account fees, earn points as you spend and earn bonus interest on a linked Virgin Money savings account.
Having a local bank account makes an international student's life easier and even saves them money.
Greater Bank Retirement Plus Account offers a competitive interest rate and lets you access your money in different ways.
If you’re over 55 and receive a pension from the government, the Australian Military Bank Pension Access Account requires your attention.
Stay on budget with an account that is designed exclusively for your expenses.
The BankSA Society Cheque Account gives non-profit organisations easy access and provides different types of fee-free transactions.
The Bank Australia Pension Access savings account gives you on-call access to your money, a rewarding tiered interest rate and no monthly or transaction fees.
Use your SMSF pension money wisely through an account that gives you unlimited free transactions to spend it along with interest to help keep it growing.
Make the most of your spending money with an account that gives you a range of ways to access it without charging you transaction fees.
Simplify your banking with an account that has been designed specifically to help Australian concession card holders.
Three people representing a large group of retired people are looking to open a special account to collect money for a specific purpose. The group is not an incorporated association.
Is it possible to open an account on-line with the three members living in different areas in Australia?
Hi Paul,
Thanks for your comment and I hope you are doing well.
We have a page that shows a list of savings accounts for charities, a bank account for a group that collects money for a specific purpose. According to our review, these accounts are designed for Australians who want to passively make their own contributions for the greater good.
On the page, you will find a table that compares the features and benefits and fees. This way it will be easier for you to see which provider fits you best. If you need further help, a quick guide on how to compare community accounts is also stated on the page. You can also click the compare box beside each savings account option and compare up to 4 options side by side for faster comparison. As a friendly reminder, review the eligibility criteria, fees, interest rates, and terms & conditions of the chosen account before applying. You may also contact the bank should you have any questions about their product.
Best,
Nikki
Which banks do not charge unpaid payment fee?
I am using CommBank now and I am really unhappy they charge me unpaid payment fee so I want to change my card.
Hi Shuo,
Thank you for getting in touch with Finder.
Sorry to hear your experience. Please note that the unpaid payment fee/dishonor fee occurs when you set a payment schedule and your account has insufficient amount for that, and even if you change banks you may still experience being charged with the said fee if you forget to put some money on your scheduled payment. It is important that you check your account’s balance from time to time and if there’s a scheduled payment, it is a good idea to get in touch with your bank on how you may prevent this type of charge.
I hope this helps.
Thank you and have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Jeni
hi
i am 16 years old and i have a casual job that pays about 13$ an hour and i work for about 8-10 hrs a week sometimes more.
Can you please tell me the best bank i should go with, eg interest rate, credit/bonus interest or superannuation, im not sure what exactly they mean but i was hoping you can tell me which bank account i should go with eg ANZ, Commbank, Westpac, NAB or anything else
can you also tell me the difference between debit, mastercard, visa or credit card and which i can get, (i am 16 years old)
thanks
Hi Magid,
Thanks for reaching out.
You can read our guide on savings account for some basic information you need to know.
A debit card is a card that is tied directly to your checking account and you can use the card to a store and make a purchase. That would mean purchases would be drawn directly out of your own funds/checking account.
A credit card is a card issued by a bank that allows you to borrow money in such a way that the bank finances the purchases you make at a store. A credit card will charge you interest if you do not make your payment on an agreed date with the bank.
Visa and Mastercard provide the technology and networks required for processing card payments.
Our comparison table with a list of savings accounts will help you choose which account suits you. When you are ready, you may then click on the “Go to site” button and you will be redirected to the bank’s website where you can proceed with the application or get in touch with their representatives for further inquiries you may have.
Before applying, please ensure that you meet all the eligibility criteria and read through the details of the needed requirements as well as the relevant Product Disclosure Statements/Terms and Conditions when comparing your options before making a decision on whether it is right for you. You can also contact the provider if you have specific questions.
Hope that helps,
Joanne
How do I delete an account I accidentally made ?
Hello Jess,
Thank you for your inquiry. Just would like to confirm if you mean a “bank account”?
If you are, you may contact the bank or the financial institution concerned so that they can initiate the closure.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Jonathan
You mention that some banks have a feature to round up the spare change from debit card purchases and automatically sweep that change into a savings account. When I click on the link, there is no filter for this feature. Which banks offer this facility?
Thanks
Hi Encea,
Thank you for your inquiry.
I believe you’re referring to automated savings. If this is the case, you will love reading our guide, “Round up savings accounts and apps.” On the same page, you’ll be able to compare bank accounts with special savings features.
I hope this information has helped.
Cheers,
Harold