The End of Cheques

Over the last year a major change has occurred in New Zealand’s banking system – the end of cheques. This has been significant for charities such as Hospice that have traditionally relied heavily on donations coming in the form of cheques. It’s also been quite impactful on the cohort of people who have provided those generous donations, many of whom had never previously used online banking and are finding the transition quite challenging.

We include here some resources for those struggling to adapt to the end of cheques. A good place to start is to talk to the team at your bank, as most banks are working with their customers – especially those over the age of 70 – to teach them how to perform common transactions, and most of these phone systems route people not yet using online banking for special assistance:
NBS 0800 101 700
ANZ 0800 269 296
ASB 0800 272 119 (dedicated to older customers)
BNZ 0800 275 269
Kiwibank 0800 487 888 (dedicated to older customers)
TSB 0800 872 226
Westpac 0800 400 600

For more assistance with mastering online banking and digital communications in general:
• Age Concern Nelson Tasman’s Tech Connect class: A five-week course of one-hour sessions (iPad provided if you don’t have your own). To find out when the next course is contact Miriam: 03 544 7624 ext 6 or email support@ageconcernnt.org.nz.
• Senior Net Nelson’s Confidence with Online Banking class: A one-off two-hour session. To find out when the next class is call: 03 548 9401 or email contact@seniornetnelson.org.nz.
• Senior Net Nelson also offers their members 1 on 1 tuition on demand at a cost of $10 per hour, depending on the availability of Tutors. If you’re a member, email: Peter Thompson at petergrantthompson@gmail.com or call 03 547 4405.