Bank Accounts & Savings Accounts For Kids

Youth banking glossary of terms

Please note that these are a general explanation of the meaning of terms used in relation to junior and youth banking accounts. Your bank or financial institution may use different terms, and you should read your product disclosure statement (PDS) carefully to understand your account.

Account-keeping fees: An ongoing fee some providers charge to cover costs of creating and maintaining the account.

Bonus savings account: Accounts that give you bonus interest if you meet specific criteria, for example if you deposit a certain amount of money into the account each month and you meet the conditions, e.g. not making any withdrawals in that month.

Compound interest: Compound interest is when interest is calculated on the entire balance of your account, not just the initial amount you deposited when you opened the account. This means that every year, if you don’t withdraw your balance, you will be earning more interest because the balance of the account is gaining interest and getting bigger.

Debit card: A card that is linked to a transaction account and allows the cardholder to make purchases at stores and online, and make cash withdrawals from an ATM.

Direct debit: When a transaction is automatically removed from an account and received into a different person’s account. For example, you might have a direct debit set up to top-up a prepaid mobile phone or pay a mobile phone plan bill every month.

EFTPOS (Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale): A payment system where you use your debit card to make payment for goods or services, or to withdraw cash. EFTPOS machines are used to process these payments at shops.

Introductory rate: A promotional rate offered by many savings accounts to grow your savings at a higher interest rate for a set period of time. At the end of the introductory bonus period, the interest rate will return to a revert rate or the account’s normal base rate.

Pay anyone: A payment system where you can transfer money to any individual or organisation using online or phone banking, as long as you have their account name and number, and their BSB number.

Promotional rate: A higher interest rate which is only offered during a specified time period. When the promotional period ends, the interest rate will generally return to the normal base rate.

Savings account: Bank accounts that typically pay interest to the account holder on their savings, and are not designed for making purchases or payments. They can be linked to transaction accounts so that you can transfer money from your savings to your transaction account when you have to make a big purchase.

Transaction account: A deposit account that gives you easy access to your money for  purchases or payments. Some accounts come with a debit card (bank card) enabling the account holder to make EFTPOS transactions at the shops and online, withdraw cash at ATMs, supermarket check-outs, or a bank branch.