Westpac NZ has introduced new card control features to its Westpac One® app and online banking, to support customers who want to prevent their debit or credit cards from being used for gambling transactions as well as for general online and phone transactions.
Since the option to stop gambling transactions on debit or credit cards was introduced in mid-October, customers have interacted with the control more than 4,000 times.
Louisa Brock, Westpac NZ Senior Manager Financial Inclusion, says the in-app and online features are something customers have been asking for.
"We know customers want more tools to help them with problem gambling - gambling addiction is one of the top reasons for people reaching out to our dedicated care team. And gambling harm can often lead to financial stress and reduced resilience."
Last year, Westpac introduced a gambling account block to help customers struggling with online gambling. Customers could request the block by calling Westpac or visiting a branch. Since March 2024, this has resulted in Westpac loading more than 400 blocks for customers.
"Having to contact us can be a barrier for some people, so it's great that customers can now quickly and easily go into our app or online banking to turn off the ability for a credit or debit card to be used for gambling transactions," Ms Brock says.
Stopping gambling transactions for a debit or credit card will prevent it from being able to be used at casinos, lottery stations, and gambling or lottery websites and apps, including overseas gambling merchants. The gambling control doesn't apply to EFTPOS transactions where the customer selects cheque or savings.
If a customer wants to remove the gambling control, there's a two-day standdown period.
Over the past three months, Westpac customers have spent more than $273million on gambling-related transactions. Lotto and TAB transactions account for more than 60% of that total.
According to Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, around 186,000 people in New Zealand are personally affected by gambling harm, while approximately 61,000 people are gambling with moderate or more serious levels of harm.
The other new control Westpac has introduced is for online and over-the-phone transactions. The control supports customers who don't want their debit or credit card to be used for any online or over-the-phone purchases. Since it was introduced in mid-October, customers have interacted with the control more than 2,500 times.
"Customers already have the ability to stop any contactless transactions on their cards, so this new security feature will provide even more peace of mind for people," Ms Brock says.
"The online or phone spending control can also support people struggling with problem gambling, as it can help to prevent spending on prepayments or vouchers to use on gambling sites.
"Those customers who don't use digital banking can call our Cards Contact Centre to request that either or both controls be added to their cards."
The new controls are the latest customer support options Westpac has introduced to Westpac One digital banking.
Westpac recently partnered with local fintech Akahu to provide enriched transaction details to customers, helping people to more easily track their spending.
And earlier this year, the bank introduced a new dynamic security code feature to help customers shop more safely online.
