Signed up, Kiwibank card's in the mail

By PAULA OLIVER

It was a case of second time lucky for the Herald when a reporter yesterday became an account holder at the country's newest bank - Kiwibank.

The bank opened its first branch amid much backslapping in Palmerston North last week, but when the Herald visited to try to open an account on the first day it was told it would have to wait.

After making an appointment as requested, the Herald yesterday revisited the Church St branch to make another attempt.

A friendly and efficient Kiwibank staffer successfully took the minimum opening deposit of $50 and opened a single working account for our reporter.

The only unusual moment came when it was time to choose a personal identification number for the account's automatic teller Machine card.

Instead of entering the confidential number into a keypad as is the practice at many trading banks, our reporter was asked to write it on a specially designed form.

The technology then required our reporter to seal the form by licking two rather unpleasant-tasting seals along its edges. The form was left with the Kiwibank staff member.

A "very nice", Kiwibank-green Eftpos card would arrive in about three days, our reporter was told.

The staff member explained the bank's phone services, and let her new customer make a first call from the office phone.

Statements would be e-mailed each month, although it was possible that a more frequent statement service would be available in coming weeks. Our reporter left to a parting smile.

nzherald.co.nz/kiwibank