Banking Blues

25 July, 2026

Recently St George Bank contacted me to say that it would no longer send the secure codes I need for online banking to my landline number and I would need to provide them with a mobile phone number instead. 

I explained that I do not use a mobile phone. Explained that St George was preventing me – and other landline users – from accessing vital banking services that other customers enjoy. In other words, it was discriminating against customers based on the technology they choose to use.

There are many perfectly good reasons why people choose not to use mobile phones, including:

  • health problems
  • visual impairment
  • cognitive impairments such as memory loss
  • problems with manual dexterity
  • technology characteristics such as small font, poor sound, authentication processes
  • concerns about online privacy
  • preference for personal connections
  • financial constraints and
  • lack of internet access.1

Another, of course, is that we all have a right to choose the technology we want to use and should not be penalised for it.

After many (landline) phone calls, emails and visits to the bank, I received a call today advising that the bank has arrived at a temporary solution and is working on something more permanent.

At last! 

Neither banks nor other agencies should be discriminating against individuals on the basis of the technology they use. And perhaps that's something we need to remind them about.

If you are experiencing discrimination from your bank on the basis of the technology you use, you can contact:

  1. Khan S, Webster S, Puxty J, Robertson M. Key Challenges and Barriers to Digital Literacy for Older Adults: Scoping Review. JMIR Aging. 2026 Mar 16;9:e80647. doi: 10.2196/80647. PMID: 41838931; PMCID: PMC12991319, https://aging.jmir.org/2026/1/e80647
  2. https://www.stgeorge.com.au/content/dam/stg/downloads/accessibility/stg-access-inclusion-plan-2025-2028.pdf?searchsource=search-results&kw=inclusive%20and%20accessible&cat=documents-%26-forms&rank=1&result-type=natural

 

 

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