Regular payments and direct debits

Regular payments from a deposit account, such as your transaction account, are called direct debits. While regular payments from your debit card or credit card are called recurring payments.

Learn more about regular payments

Changes to rejected payment notifications

You'll no longer receive an email or letter advising you if your direct credit, direct debit or periodical payment hasn’t been paid. You'll need to monitor your payments through NAB Internet Banking, the NAB app, NAB Connect or by looking at your statements for any payment failures.

Setting up and changing regular payments

You can set up periodic payments from your account to go out daily, weekly, fortnightly or monthly. This can be done in NAB Internet Banking or the NAB app.

Learn how to manage payments and transfers online

Cancelling and changing direct debits

To change a direct debit from an account held with another financial institution (i.e. not NAB) to your NAB account, follow our handy guide.

Learn how to change a direct debit

To cancel direct debits withdrawn from your NAB accounts follow our simple direct debit guide.

Learn how to cancel a direct debit

How to avoid overdrawing your account

If you try to make a transaction that'll overdraw your account (or exceed your agreed overdraft limit), we may honour or decline the transaction.

We've abolished fees for overdrawn accounts, but if we let the transaction go through, you might be charged interest (at our default rate) on the overdrawn amount for the period of time your account remains overdrawn.

It’s important that you monitor your account to ensure it does not become overdrawn. You have seven days to return the overdrawn amount to your account before default interest is charged. Any sort of debit can overdraw your account, including any fees that we charge you.

Tips to avoid overdrawing your account

  • Check your account balance regularly. Remember that your balance can take a while to update after some transactions, like withdrawals on non-NAB ATMs.
  • Know when direct debits or periodic payments are due from your account. It can help to time them to go out just after your pay comes in.
  • If you write cheques, make sure you have the funds to cover every cheque you write, and watch your balance to see when it's presented.
  • If you receive cheques, wait for them to clear before you spend the funds. This can take a few days after you bank the cheque.

Account statements

If you want to see your latest transactions you can always check an up-to-date transaction history in NAB Internet Banking, the NAB app or NAB Telephone Banking.

If you use NAB Internet Banking you're already receiving NAB online statements. These are exact copies of your paper statements. You can choose to stop receiving paper statements.

Learn how to order, view and print online statements

How to change your statement cycle

Unless you’ve requested otherwise, for most accounts you'll receive a statement every six months.

If you want to receive statements more or less often, talk to us about changing your statement cycle. Visit any branch or call us on 13 22 65 from Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 7:00pm (AEST/AEDT), Saturday to Sunday, 9:00am to 6:00pm (AEST/AEDT).

Cheque books

NAB cheque books are no longer available for new personal banking accounts or for existing accounts that don't already have a cheque book.

You can write an unlimited number of cheques at no extra cost if you have existing NAB Classic Banking, NAB Cash Manager or a NAB Retirement Account cheque books. 

Remember to budget for every cheque you write. It can take a while for people to bank cheques, so leave enough available funds.

Replacing a cheque book

If you've finished your cheque book and need another one, you can order replacements in NAB Internet Banking: 

  1. Select the Accounts menu.
  2. Select ‘Services’.
  3. Select ‘Re-order book’.

Or you can call us on 13 22 65 from Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 7:00pm (AEST/AEDT), Saturday to Sunday, 9:00am to 6:00pm (AEST/AEDT).

How to close your account

The quickest and easiest way to close your account is through NAB Messaging via the NAB app or NAB Internet Banking.

Before you close your account

  1. Check your account balance is zero ($0.00).
  2. Cancel recurring payments and direct debits set up on the account.
  3. Make sure all recent transactions have been processed (they can take a few business days to change from ‘Pending’ to ‘Posted’). Tap on the detailed transaction description in the NAB app to check.
  4. Present any outstanding cheques.

After you’ve successfully closed your account

  1. You’ll receive a final statement confirming the balance is zero and the account is closed. 
  2. Destroy any linked cards by cutting through the chip, magnetic strip, and security code on the back.

NAB app

  1. Log in to the NAB app
  2. Click the Chat icon in the top right-hand corner of the Accounts screen. This will launch a secure chat.
  3. Type in Close account, and then click the bubble Chat with a specialist, to be connected to a NAB representative who can help you.

NAB Internet Banking

  1. Log in to NAB Internet Banking
  2. Click the Chat icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the page. This will launch a secure chat.
  3. Type Close account, and then click Chat to a specialist to be connected to a NAB representative who can help you.

If you need further support, please find your closest branch or give us a call on 13 22 65 or +61 3 8641 9083 if you’re overseas.

Get in touch

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Target Market Determinations for these products are available at nab.com.au/TMD.