Avoid unnecessary bank fees

No one likes unnecessary fees. Take a look at our top tips for avoiding common fees and charges, so you can spend more of your money on the things you enjoy.

2 minute read

Sidestep account, card and ATM fees

Make your account fee-free

Some accounts require you to make a minimum deposit each month or stay above a minimum balance to avoid a monthly maintenance fee.

If meeting these requirements each month will be hard for you, it might be worth switching to an account where you're guaranteed no maintenance fees – like our Easy Transaction Account and our Retirement Advantage Account.

Set up Easy Alerts

Get push notifications to remind you when your credit card payment is due, if your bank account balance drops below a nominated amount, and more with Easy Alerts.

Log in to the Bankwest App and go to 'More' > 'Notifications' > 'Settings' and toggle on Easy Alerts to get started.

Avoid non-bank ATM operator

Save on ATM fees when you use any major bank ATM across the country. Keep in mind fees may apply when withdrawing from non-bank ATMs.

Other fees to avoid

Line of credit fee

If we honour a transaction that leaves your account overdrawn by $1,000 or more, or for 10 days or more, we’ll charge a line of credit fee. The same fee applies for authorised overdrafts. The fee will vary – you can find more info in your account’s Product Disclosure Statement.

Credit card over limit fee

If debits to your credit card take you over your credit limit, we may charge a fee for select accounts for each statement period where this is the case. Refer to your credit card contract to see if this fee applies to you.

Credit card late payment fee

Make sure you pay at least the minimum payment by the due date on your credit card statement. If your statement refers to an ‘Amount Due Immediately’ you must also pay that amount by the due date, in order to avoid the fee. You can refer to your credit card contract for more info about this fee.

Cash advance fees

When you withdraw cash from your credit card at an ATM or a branch, it's called a cash advance. You'll need to pay a cash advance fee for those transactions.

Fees we won't charge you

Bankwest doesn't charge foreign ATM fees or foreign currency fees, so you can make overseas purchases without having to worry about additional charges. Keep in mind though that overseas ATM operators may charge fees.

We've also removed honour and dishonour fees, which means you won't be charged if there aren’t enough funds in your account to withdraw a direct debit.

About this article

We take care of all the BS (bank stuff) so you can access the knowledge you need to make informed decisions. When we write a guide or article, we take steps to make sure the information is relevant, accurate and most of all, helpful.

Keep reading

Learn more about the ways you can conveniently do your everyday banking.

Your complete guide to Bankwest ATM fees, deposit limits and withdrawal limits.

The information contained in this article is of a general nature and is not intended to be nor should it be considered as professional advice. You should not act on the basis of anything contained in this article without first obtaining specific professional advice. Also to the extent permitted by law, Bankwest, a division of Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 123 123 124 AFSL / Australian credit licence 234945, its related bodies corporate, employees and contractors accept no liability or responsibility to any persons for any loss which may be incurred or suffered as a result of acting on or refraining from acting as a result of anything contained in this article.