Privacy policy

Protecting your privacy is crucial to the way we do business. That’s why, we’ve simplified our Privacy Policy to better explain how we do our utmost to protect your personal information.

Please take the time to read this document (also available here for download - Privacy Policy (PDF 233kB). It describes how we carefully manage and safeguard your personal information (including sensitive information), particularly information we collect to provide a product or service to you.

Why this Privacy Policy is important

ANZ is bound by the Privacy Act and the 13 Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). This legislation regulates how we manage and protect our customers’ personal information. It’s our job to keep you up-to-date about how we’re doing just that.

So we can provide you with a product or service, we need to collect some of your personal information. And on some occasions, the law requires us to collect it. "Personal information" is information or an opinion about you, or information that can be used to identify who you are.

The majority of your personal information is collected from you directly. Depending on the type of product or service, we collect information such as your name and:

• Address 
• Annual income and other financial details
• Credit history
• Date of birth
• Email address
• Place of work
• Tax file number (TFN)
• Telephone number
• Transaction history

Just so you know

As your financial services provider, we also have access to information about your account and transactions. This means we can see how and where you use your ANZ account(s). Sometimes we use this information to form a view on other products and services that may benefit you.

In some instances, we may collect information about you that’s publicly available, such as data from telephone directories or other websites.

There may be occasions when we gather personal information about you from a third party, including:

• Credit reporting bodies – if we request a report about your credit history. 
• Organisations we have an arrangement with – to jointly offer products.
• Organisations we exchange information with – so we can either promote or provide products and services.
• Other ANZ entities – to help provide you with products and services.
• Marketing companies – who may provide us with contact information to help us promote our products and services.
• Brokers and other parties – who may have introduced you to ANZ.
  

Data from ANZ.com, other sites and our apps

To help us better tailor our service to you, we may also collect information about how you use anz.com, other websites and our apps. For example, when you click on a link from an ANZ website or visit a website that displays an ANZ ad.

Usually, the information we collect in this way does not identify you – it’s data about the number of visitors to a site, or statistics about how a site is browsed.

If we do identify you with this information (for example, if you’ve logged on to an online ANZ service like Internet Banking), any use or disclosure of that information will be in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Collecting sensitive information

On rare occasions, we may need to collect information of a more sensitive nature. The following is considered "sensitive information":

• Racial or ethnic origin
• Political opinion
• Political association membership 
• Religious beliefs or affiliations
• Philosophical beliefs
• Professional or trade association membership 
• Trade union membership
• Sexual orientation or practices
• Criminal records
• Genetic information 
• Health information

Rest assured, we won’t collect, use or disclose your sensitive data unless we need this information for one of our functions or activities – and we have your consent, or we’re required to by law. For example, when you’re applying for relief from making repayments on a loan for health reasons.

Sometimes we’re legally required to collect your information

This occurs when we’re required by an Australian law or court or tribunal order, such as:

• The Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act – to prove your identity when you open an account or take out a loan.
• State and Territory laws – to verify your identity when you take out a mortgage.
• Tax legislation – to confirm your tax residency status under taxation information sharing agreements our government has in place with other countries and under Australian tax legislation.

We need to use (and at times disclose) your information in order to provide you with a product or service. Other reasons we need to do so include: 

• Working with other organisations (such as loyalty partners) – regarding the promotion or provision of a product or service.
• Performing administrative and operational tasks – including account management, risk management, systems development and testing, credit scoring and staff training, collecting debts and market or customer satisfaction research.
• Marketing product and services: 
  - We may use your data to let you know about new or existing products or services; or
  - We may disclose your information to our business partners so they can tell you about a product or service.
• Considering any concerns or complaints you raise against ANZ – or managing any legal action between you and ANZ.
• Preventing or investigating any actual or suspected fraud, unlawful activity or misconduct.
• Identifying you or establishing your tax status - as required by any law or tax treaty with a tax authority; or
• As required by laws, regulations, codes of practice and external payment systems.

Just so you know

If you’d prefer to opt out of receiving ANZ marketing, call 13 13 14 or email yourfeedback@anz.com

Sometimes we need to share your information with overseas organisations. The most common reason is because some of our ANZ companies are located overseas and are contracted to support our technology, operational and customer service teams.

These entities are located in the following countries:

• China
• Fiji
• India
• New Zealand
• The Philippines

We may also need to share your information with other overseas service providers. This can be a result of the following:

• If you apply for a product or get help from our branch staff or Contact Centre - we may send you an automated follow up request for your feedback on your experience(s). Our external service providers are based in the USA, Canada and the UK – they help us send any automated requests and analyse responses. 
  
• If you take out a home loan - if your loan includes Lenders’ Mortgage Insurance (LMI), we may disclose your information to an administrator with data storage facilities in the United States.
• We verify your ID electronically - we use an external service provider with operations in Canada, India and the Philippines to manage the process of matching your identity with external data sources.

On occasion, we may also need to share your information with our overseas branches and related companies. For example, if you open an account with ANZ Singapore, ANZ in Australia may need to provide information it holds about you to our Singapore office.

When you request some services, we may need to send your information offshore. For example, if you transfer funds to an overseas account using a telegraphic transfer, we have to share your data with one or more international banks to complete the payment.

ANZ participates in credit reporting. This means if you apply for credit from ANZ, we may request a credit report about you from a credit reporting body. Credit reports contain information that can help us assess your application, including your credit history with other providers. 

What’s a credit reporting body?

These are companies that hold credit information about individuals and provide it to credit providers in certain circumstances, including when:

• A customer applies for credit (e.g. a home loan or credit card).
• The credit provider is trying to help a customer avoid defaulting.

Sharing your information with credit reporting bodies

When we request a credit report, we need to give the credit reporting body:

• Information about you (such as your name and address) to make sure we receive the correct credit report.
• Information about your application – such as the type and amount of credit you’re applying for.

When you receive credit from ANZ, we need to share more information with a credit reporting body, on an ongoing basis. This ensures it can be included in your credit report and shared with other credit providers, upon request. It’s information we’ve collected through your use of your ANZ product and includes:

• The type of credit you hold
• The amount of credit you received
• The terms and conditions
• When your account is opened and closed
• How you repay your credit

Also, we need to report information to a credit reporting body when you:

• Miss repayments on your credit
• Default on your obligations; or
• Commit a serious infringement (e.g. fraudulent behaviour or deliberately seeking to evade your repayment obligations)

But we also let them know when you:

• Make repayments on time; or 
• Correct a default

Who are the credit reporting bodies? 

Equifax
Call: 13 83 32 
Mail: Equifax Australia Information Services and Solutions Pty Limited
PO Box 964
North Sydney
NSW 2059
Email: customerserviceAU@equifax.com
Web: mycreditfile.com.au

illion
Call: 1300 734 806 
Mail: illion Australia Pty Ltd
PO Box 7405 St. Kilda Rd
Melbourne
VIC 3004
Email: pac.austral@illion.com.au
Web: checkyourcredit.com.au

Experian
Call: 1300 784 134 
Mail: Experian Australia Credit Services Pty Ltd
PO Box 1969
North Sydney
NSW 2060
Email: creditreport@au.experian.com
Web: experian.com.au

Just so you know

If you’d like to know how these credit reporting bodies manage your personal information, you can contact them directly and request a copy of their Privacy Policy.

Using information we’ve received from credit reporting bodies

We can use this information to:

• Assess your application for credit.
• Help you avoid defaulting on your credit obligations.
• Assess your suitability to act as a guarantor.
• Manage accounts and carry out general administration and operational tasks for ANZ Group - for example, risk management, market and customer satisfaction research, staff training, credit scoring and collecting debts.
• Meet requirements of any laws, regulations, codes of practice and payment systems.

Often, we’ll combine the information obtained from a credit reporting body with the data we already hold about you, like:

• How much you hold on deposit
• How you have repaid existing ANZ credit
• Information from your application form

We can then use the combined information to create a ‘credit score’ or rating, which we use to decide whether you can afford the credit you’re applying for.

Sharing your credit information

Special rules apply to how we share information we get from a credit reporting body. Generally we can only share this information with: 

• Our related entities – they use and disclose the information as we do
• Agents and contractors or service providers – such as debt collection agencies
• Other credit providers – to assess credit or investigate suspected fraud
• Mortgage insurers
• Your guarantors
• Regulatory bodies, government agencies and law enforcement bodies or courts – when we’re required or authorised by law

Fraud

If you think you’ve been, or are likely to be, a victim of fraud – for example, because you suspect someone else is applying for credit in your name – you’ve got a right to request credit reporting bodies don’t use or disclose credit reports held about you.

To do this, contact the credit reporting body directly. After making such a request, the credit reporting body won’t share your credit report information for 21 days. (Please note you can request an extension to this period.)

Managing your credit information

You can access your credit information, seek a correction and make a complaint about how we manage this information.

If we disclose information we’ve collected through the credit reporting bodies to our operation hubs overseas, this will be managed as outlined in this Credit Reporting section.

Protecting your personal information

We have measures in place to protect your personal information from:

• Misuse and loss
• Unauthorised access
• Unauthorised modification
• Unauthorised disclosure

And here’s how we safeguard your data:

• Implementing physical security – such as locks and security systems over our paper and electronic data stores and premises.
• Maintaining computer and network security – including firewalls, identification codes and passwords to control access.
• Maintaining and monitoring our online security systems – around the clock, all year round by our security operations team.

Accessing your personal information

If you want to access your personal data, contact our Contact Centre on 13 13 14 or email yourfeedback@anz.com

The team can usually deal with such a request within 14 to 30 days. If for any reason we can’t provide you with access, we’ll tell you why and attempt to find other ways to help you get access to this information.

Requesting correction of your information

If you believe your personal information is inaccurate, incomplete or out-of-date, call 13 13 14 or email yourfeedback@anz.com, and we’ll update it promptly.

If you’d like us to correct information we’ve received or disclosed through the credit reporting system, we’ll consult with the relevant organisations directly.

If we don’t agree that your information needs to be corrected, we’ll tell you why – and what you can do if you’re unsatisfied with our response.

Resolving any concerns

If you believe your privacy has been compromised or we’ve breached the Privacy Act or a code of conduct, you’re entitled to complain. All you need to do is:

• Contact the person, ANZ company department or branch you’ve been dealing with 
• Lodge a complaint at anz.com or contact our Customer Response Centre:
  • Call: 1800 805 154 (8am – 7pm AEST weekdays)
  • Mail: ANZ Customer Response Centre, Locked Bag 4050, South Melbourne VIC 3205
  • Email: yourfeedback@anz.com

If you’re not satisfied with the resolution of your complaint, contact the ANZ Customer Advocate. It offers an independent and impartial approach to customer complaints:

• Call +61 3 8654 1000
• Mail: ANZ Customer Advocate, Level 7A, 833 Collins Street, Docklands, VIC 3008
• Email: CustomerAdvocate@anz.com

Here's how we respond to complaints

We’ll do our utmost to:

• Respond within 48 hours - we’ll let you know who is responsible for managing your complaint.
• Resolve your complaint within 10 working days - if this isn’t possible, we’ll contact you within that time to let you know how long it’ll take.
• Investigate your complaint - where necessary, we’ll consult with other credit providers or credit reporting bodies about your complaint.
• Make a decision about your complaint - we’ll write to you to explain our decision.

If your complaint isn’t satisfactorily resolved, you may access an external dispute resolution service or apply to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). We’ll explain this all clearly to you in writing, if applicable.

This policy applies to Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited and each of its wholly-owned Australian subsidiaries (ANZ). The document covers the activities of the Australian bank and any other Australian-based businesses (except Looking Together (trading as ‘RealAs’), which is governed by its own policy).

The information about credit reporting also applies to the following offshore related entities that conduct operational, technology and customer service functions on behalf of Australian-based ANZ businesses, including:

- ANZ Support Services India Private Limited (India)
- ANZ Operations and Technology Private Limited (India)
- ANZ Global Services and Operations (Manila), Inc. (The Philippines)
- ANZ Pacific Operations Limited (Fiji)
- ANZ Global Services and Operations (Chengdu) Company Limited (China)

Also, as we’re participants in credit reporting, we’re also bound by the rules in the Privacy Act that applies to that activity.