Indeed - but it might help to get that fixed if you complain to the NSW government about it.
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The fact this is obviously a problem in the first place is damning on the government(s) (ir)responsible!
Complaining for ineptitude and amateurish ill conceived processes can only be remedied by a competent government that manages a competent public service. Even the best public service will fail under incompetent ministerial oversight. It was once the norm for government to make policy and the public service to inform government how to best implement it; today the governments seem to tell the public service how to do their jobs with a particular ideological or preferential bent while discounting anything they don’t want to hear. That disconnect seems to affect more and more in our routine lives.
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I tried to open an ANZ account, and they asked me to proof my identity, which included a driver’s licence or a passport.
I can no longer drive due to a medical condition and don’t have a Driver’s Licence, nor do I have a Passport. However, I do have a “Proof of Identity” card issued by Access Canberra (ACT Government). I am an Australian citizen.
Not having a driver’s licence or passport, I tried to use my Proof of Identity card. However, the ANZ bank does NOT accept this ID as a sufficient ID even though it is issued by the same Access Canberra as a driver’s licence, and requires the SAME documents to gain the card as it does to get a driver’s licence or passport [i.e. full birth certificate, a Proof of age card or Photo Card issued by an Australian state or territory, Medicare card, Credit card, and other papers to show my residency (rates notice, etc.)].
I’ve had the same issue with many other institutions, where they would not accept my Proof of Identity card. They seem to think that ALL adults have a driver’s licence.
My Proof of Identity card looks almost the exactly same as the example driver’s licence below - photo, address, DOB, signature. AND issued by the SAME Access Canberra, Road Transport Authority, ACT Government.
So, I must ask what is the relevance of a Proof of Identity card when it is exactly that - a PROOF OF IDENTITY?
I lodged a complaint with the ANZ bank but got nowhere!
Perhaps I should clarify that I was trying to open an “ANZ Plus” account, and to open that account this is what they require:
I haven’t had a driver’s licence for 38 years, and can never get one due to my medical condition.
Basically, the bank only wants to verify my ID but will still not accept a “Proof of Identity” card as suitable. I tried to open the account online and visited a branch a few days later but was still refused.
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I was just talking to a friend who needs a driver’s licence to open a joint bank account. Proof of age card nor passport were accepted. They went and got a leaner’s permit and that was accepted.
It doesn’t make sense that a proof of age card is not accepted!
PS don’t know which bank it was.
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Sounds like the teller didn’t know the bank’s own rules. ANZ’s Acceptable Identification Documents https://www.anz.com.au/content/dam/anzcomau/documents/pdf/cip-acceptable-id-docs.pdf says the ID can be an Australian state or territory issued proof of age/id card:
Primary Government Issued Photographic Identification documents
• Australian photographic driver’s licence or learner’s permit
• Australian Passport (current or one that has expired within the past two years)
• Foreign Passport*
• Australian State/Territory Government issued Proof of Age Card/Photo Identification card
• Foreign Government issued National Identification Card*
• Australian Firearms/Shooting Licence
• Australian Explosives Licence
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Was it done online or in a branch?
Online I could understand why, that the ACT proof of identity may not be linked to digital identity checks used by the banks.
ANZ indicate for online ID checks what documents are acceptable…
You’ll need to provide any two of the following:
- Australian driver licence
- Medicare card
- Australian passport
- Australian visa
Proof of identity document isn’t one if them.
You may need to go to a branch if you have been trying to setup an account online.
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That’s quite likely. IMHO, it also means that these state / territory non-drivers-licence IDs should be made visible to the digital ID checks and treated the same as driver’s licence for ID purposes.
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If you look at the rear of your Driver’s License it states very clearly that it is not to be used as proof of identity.
In SA this is what is on the back, “Use of this permit/certificate for identification purposes, other than policing road traffic laws, is not intended or authorised, and is solely at the risk of the user.”
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Of course. We were going to the Australia Card but that got knocked down so we have licenses instead but don’t declare it as such.
How odd. I am not sure what risk I take, it seems to me the authorities who ask to see it take the risk.
Strange they would put this on the licence, when the South Australian Government indicates that it is a proof of identity. This is one example from the SA Police website:
and what they tell Australian businesses:
And there are many other examples.
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When I went to Vicroads a few years ago to get my marine licence, THEY would not accept my Victorian driver’s licence as identification.
Why? Because ever since I got my driver’s licence years ago, it used a shortened version of my first name, rather than the full first name on my birth certificate and passport. The names have to match, exactly.
That’s how picky these proof of identity things can be. Every organization seems to have their own rules.
My Vic Driver Licence at the back says:
“Conditions.
Carry licence when driving.
VicRoads must be notified of your change of address.
Affix change of address label here.
At Law possession of a current driver licence is wholly the responsibility of the driver.”
And I can’t count the times my licence has been asked as proof of identity…
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I know you know this, but everyone is not within a few hundreds of kms of a bank branch these days. A leisurely ride for one sans driver license and car, and maybe not even public transport. 
I tried to deal with this concept with my local (Victorian) state MP and got nowhere. Since the Proof of Age card is proof, sometimes under some conditions, and since I personally had no problem it became a black hole.
This is an increasingly serious problem.
Also
Firstly, online. Then at a branch. BUT I’ve added some more details at the foot of my post.
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Birth certificate no good? That has always been a key identifier, along with some photo ID.
How strange. The ANZ Plus Account is only available online (not at branches) and it has only three ID formats accepted; Australian passport, Australian drivers licence or international passport. It looks like you are out of luck with that specific account.
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Please note the new topic “Proof of Identity Problems” has been merged with a previous topic discussing similar difficulties with using government issued photo ID’s to non drivers.
Note the older topic title has been revised to cover the broader discussion and category updated.
Our only relatively recent experience was with the Suncorp bank. The bank in QLD accepted our MiL photo ID card issued by Services NSW to open an account as a new customer. Although she did need to be present in person.
The saga unfolding for @Gaz suggests the problem is of ANZ’s making.
Our experiences with ANZ vary. Curiosity is that once one has established any account or service with ANZ, opening a new service being an existing customer has not required required a new proof of ID. Noted the ANZ list the Govt issued photo ID card as adequate proof to establish other account types.
There are alternatives including looking to a different bank for a similar product or taking time to formally complain - timely resolution uncertain.
Noted
I would be asking if a standard everyday account can be opened using usual ID documents including ACT proof of identity… and then if the ANZ Plus account can be created based on having an existing account (thus separate ID documents for the ANZ Plus account isn’t needed). This might be a workaround if it is possible.
Try calling…
The best way to reach us is by contacting a Coach via the ANZ Plus App or, if you don’t have access to the ANZ Plus App, by calling 13 42 69 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, Melbourne Time, excluding national public holidays).
to ask.
Edit: If not, it looks like you will be unable to open an ANZ Plus account in ANZ’s new digital bank without the documents required by ANZ. Complaining to AFCA won’t be successful as the banks can provide restrictions on accounts, including their establishment. A good example is kids or pensioner accounts which one needs to demonstrate or prove they are a kid/pensioner to have such accounts. If opening an ANZ Plus account isn’t possible, I would look at offering from other banks which may be willing to accept your limited proof of identity/custom.
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Opening an every day account with the following ID (proof of age card in @Gaz case) and then opening anz plus, might be a way around it, as @phb mentioned?
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What we are missing is a proper response from the ANZ on why they include a “Proof of age or a Photo Card issued by an Australian state or territory” in the acceptable forms of ID for their banking services but not for an ANZ Plus Account.
In the following example such cards are acceptable as the only equal alternative to a physical drivers licence. Interestingly Gen-Z and others face anothet digital challenge if they move on to a digital drivers license.
The extract is taken from the Australian Government personal identification requirements to apply for an Australian Passport.
The Australian Govt regulates the Australian banks and sets the standards for customer identification. It’s evident that the Proof of age or Photo Cards hold equal weight to a drivers licence.
It’s up to the ANZ to confirm and justify why they do not accept the alternative to a drivers licence. If so it’s also up to the ANZ to justify why it excludes potential customers from the product because they do not have a passport or driver’s licence. It’s also up to government and consumers to decide on what actions should be taken. This could include lobbying yet again for improved banking regulation. The aim to prevent the ANZ from excluding consumers who hold an equivalent form of government accepted photo ID.
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