You Can Bank On It

I’m not really a technophile. Let me hasten to add that I am certainly no technophobe, and I am willing to embrace simple and easy changes, which can simplify life.

I think.

I still feel a bit naked without a laptop to read or send emails. I appreciate that the technophiles simply do everything on their phones nowadays. When it comes to banking, I relied on a cheque book and a credit card in South Africa. Only a short while before we left did I register for Internet banking – I appeared quick, easy and cheaper! Of course, South African banks have so many checks and balances that you are frequently bogged down by their red tape.

In New Zealand I have had excellent service from my bank, and I almost cannot even tell you the colour of the tape! It’s certainly not in the red/pink range at all…

Now I have no chequebook – simply Internet Banking, a debit card for online purchases, and an EFTPOS card for day-to-day shopping. (EFTPOS is an acronym Electronic Funds Transfer at Point Of Sale).

The one hassle is that any purchase above $500 needs to be authenticated (quite obviously to my benefit in case of fraud). Authentication can be done simply and easily via mobile phone, except that we have no cell reception at Chartwell (because of the mountains), so I have to use the landline and speak to a bank official. This is also not the end of the world, but they have supplied me (through the ordinary post, would you believe) a little doo-dah electronic token-thingy which automatically generates one-time-passwords for authorising my payments on a regular and “random” basis. At a cost of $1 per month, very good value.

RSA is the security division of FMC, if that helps.