Frequently Asked Questions – Streamline Basic account and Debit Mastercard

Why did we make this change?

We worked collaboratively with the Federal Government and the Australian Banking Association (ABA) to ensure customers could continue to access their money without visiting a branch. As part of this, the banking industry agreed that individual banks would offer a debit card to their customers who didn’t currently have one. Offering you a Debit Mastercard ensures you have access to funds if you can’t get to a branch. It also means you can avoid cash, which many retailers are no longer accepting, and you can use your Debit Mastercard to pay for purchases online and over the phone.

A debit card is a physical card linked to your everyday transaction account, so whenever you pay for something, the money is deducted from the ‘available funds’ in that account. When you pay using your debit card (tap or insert on point of sale terminal, then enter a PIN if required), the merchant will let CommBank know how much you ‘owe’ them. The payment won’t go through if you don’t have enough money in your account, so it’s important you have enough funds in your linked account to pay. Some transactions may also appear as ‘pending’ when you check your account balance, until the payment is fully processed.

You can find out more about debit cards.

You won’t be charged any monthly account fees, withdrawal fees, or dishonour fees. Access fees may apply when using non-Commonwealth Bank ATMs. Access fees also apply on all ATM and Debit Mastercard transactions overseas (or purchases involving currency conversion), transfer group payments to third parties, International Money Transfers and separate services such as bank cheques, periodic payments and transfers/deposits to other banks.

We’ll protect you from losses due to unauthorised transactions on personal and business accounts when you take the necessary steps to stay safe online.

We recommend that you keep your new Debit Mastercard during this time of uncertainty, even if you don’t end up using it. However, you can close your account by contacting us on 13 2221, 6am to 10pm, or by visiting your nearest branch. If you don’t wish to keep your new card, there’s no need to let us know. You can simply destroy (cut into pieces) the card without activating it. There will be no impact to your existing accounts or products.

You can request a new card or PIN by contacting us on 13 2221, 6am to 10pm, or by visiting your nearest branch. You can also request a new card or PIN online in NetBank or in the CommBank app.

You can find out more about reporting your card lost, stolen or damaged or requesting a PIN. Alternatively, you can watch how to do it in NetBank (opens video in YouTube) or the CommBank app (opens video in YouTube)

In line with the Government’s social distancing guidance, we have introduced measures in our branches such as social distancing markers and protective screens to help ensure the safety and wellbeing of our staff and our customers.

Banking is an essential service, so while some branches are temporarily closed and weekend trading (Saturday and Sunday) is currently unavailable, the majority of our branches remain open. Due to coronavirus restrictions, trading hours may vary in each state. You can find the trading hours of your nearest branch by using the Locate Us tool on our website.

You can now use your Debit Mastercard to withdraw cash from our ATMs, and when making purchases in-store, online or over the phone. You can also conduct your banking online, through NetBank or the CommBank app. These channels are available 24 hours a day. You can instantly check your balance, download statements, pay a bill and more.

If you’re new to online banking, you can check our how-to guides to help you comfortably manage your day-to-day banking needs online – without visiting a branch.