More about Internet Banking*

FAQs – Internet Banking*

Internet banking now one of the easiest ways to manage your finances – and it doesn’t have to be confusing. You’ll find the answers to your questions right here.

But if you still can’t find the answer you’re looking for, just drop us a line. Go to our Contact Us page, or call us on 0800 657 935 to talk to a friendly member of our team.

  • Who can sign up for Internet Banking?

    If you’re a Southern Cross account holder, it’s likely that you can sign up for Internet Banking. As long as you:

    • are a New Zealand Resident or Citizen
    • are over 16 years of age
    • have a Current Account Saver with Southern Cross
    • have the ability to operate this account as an individual i.e. all other signatories on the account are optional.

    If you’re still unsure about whether you’re eligible for Internet Banking, call us on 0800 657 935.

  • How do I sign up for Internet Banking?

    To use Internet Banking, you'll need a Southern Cross Customer ID and an Internet Banking password. You can get your password, Customer ID and complete the Internet Banking Registration form in person at one of our branches.

  • What do I need to use Internet Banking?

    • A Southern Cross Current Account Saver account (requiring only one person to operate)
    • A Southern Cross Customer number and an Internet Banking password, which you can get at any Southern Cross branch.
    • A computer with internet access (most computers and internet connections are suitable for Internet Banking).

  • I have accounts for more than one person to operate - can I still access these accounts through Internet Banking?

    Unfortunately, no. To be able to transact on an account in Internet Banking, you must have an account that requires only one person to operate it. If you need joint or multiple people to operate or sign cheques on your account, you will not be able to access the account via Internet Banking.

  • Can I update my personal details like my address online?

    Sorry, at this stage you’re unable to update your personal or address details through Internet Banking – instead you can write to us or visit one of our branches.

Security

  • How do I know that your Internet Banking is safe and secure?

    The data travelling across the internet between your computer and our Internet Banking system is encrypted. This protects your data from other people as it travels across the internet, and is completely secure.

  • How often should I change my password?

    It’s not compulsory to change your password, but we recommend that you do change it at least every three months. Your password is your "key" to Internet Banking, so it’s very important that you take precautions to keep it safe – especially if using public access computers.

  • How do I choose a password for Internet Banking?

    • Your Internet Banking password must be a minimum of 6 characters and should include at least one letter and one number. The password is case sensitive, which means that "A" is different to "a". It may also include punctuation characters.
    • The password you choose for Internet Banking should be different to any other passwords you use e.g. it should not be the same as your email password, auction site passwords and so on.
    • You also should not use a password that relates to any easily obtained personal information about you e.g. family, street or pet names, your birthday. Nor should you use any obvious or sequential numbers such as 54321,or repeating numbers such as 22222.

  • What should I do if I think that someone knows my password?

    • If for any reason you believe someone knows your Internet Banking password, you should change it immediately. You can do this online.
    • You should also advise us by calling 0800 657 935, or contacting your local branch.
    • We recommend that you also check your balances and transactions to ensure everything is in order.

  • How do I change my Internet Banking password?

    It's easy to change your Internet Banking password at any time online. Simply log in and choose the ‘Change Password’ option from the menu bar.

  • I've entered my password wrong too many times and now can't log in – what do I do?

    • When logging into Internet Banking, if you enter your password incorrectly three times in a row you’ll be locked out of the system. This is a precaution we've put in place for security reasons to prevent unauthorised access attempts.
    • If you’re locked out, simply call us on 0800 657 935 (8:30am to 5pm Monday to Friday). We’ll need to ask you a few questions to confirm your identity before resetting your password over the phone.
    • Note: Any re-set Internet Banking passwords are only valid for 24 hours – if you don’t log in to Internet Banking within this time, the password will expire.

  • I've forgotten my Customer ID/Internet Banking password, what do I do?

    • If you forget your password or your Customer ID, please call us on 0800 657 935 (8:30am to 5pm Monday to Friday). We'll need to ask you a few questions to confirm your identity before telling you your Customer ID or resetting your password over the phone.
    • Note: Any re-set Internet Banking passwords are only valid for 24 hours – if you don’t log in to Internet Banking within this time, the password will expire.

  • What happens if I forget to log off?

    As well as protecting your password, you need to protect your Internet Banking session. That’s why we have a time out in place in case you forget to log off – after 1 minute of inactivity you’ll be automatically logged off.

    However this does not reduce or remove your liability for ensuring that appropriate personal security procedures are followed. You should always log off from your Internet Banking session when you’ve finished. This is especially important if you are sharing a computer with other people.

  • What should I do if Internet Banking crashes while I am doing my banking?

    We expect that this would be a very rare event. Transactions are processed as they are entered, so your last entered transaction should have gone through. You should double check your account balances and transaction lists to confirm.

  • Does Southern Cross use a digital certificate?

    Yes. We have a digital certificate verifying that our Internet Banking site is encrypted and secure.

Internet Banking* Transactions

Please note: in all cases the term 'working day' refers to normal business days except Saturday, Sunday and national public holidays.

If you have any other questions please contact us on 0800 657 935 (8:30am to 5pm Monday to Friday) or submit a contact us request.

*Heartland Building Society is not a registered bank. Obtaining bank registration is subject to the satisfaction of Reserve Bank of New Zealand requirements.