ANZ Refusing To Authenticate Adding Credit Card To Phone Wallet

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Forums › Finance and wealth management › ANZ Refusing To Authenticate Adding Credit Card To Phone Wallet

Eva888

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#320127 9-Jul-2025 10:07

I had set up a Skype account for an old couple who are non tech so they could call relatives overseas who had no internet. Skype ended and so because she had Viber on her tablet I applied for Viber Out on her Samsung device but couldn’t make a payment from her credit card because it required payment via a wallet on the device and that was through Google which I couldn’t get it to accept. (I now know why).

Told her we would try via the Apple phone so they brought that over to my place and I downloaded Viber on the phone and proceeded to add her card to the phone wallet. It didn’t accept and showed it required authentication and to call ANZ.

I call ANZ and explain the situation and that I am trying to help an elderly person who has no tech knowledge and broken English. They wanted to authenticate her so handed her the phone, they asked for her card number, and what she had last spent on the card…that happened to be credit I had just added to her phone and was correct. They asked how much she had in her account she answered that.

Then I took the phone back and he told me he would not authenticate the card because she does not have internet banking. I asked him how they expected her to have this if she had no tech ability and English was her second language. He insisted again he would not authenticate the card for the wallet unless she had internet banking.

Am at an impasse and frustrated with the banks attitude in such cases and there must be many. The wallet with a passcode is safer than her having the physical card.

Was thinking to set them up with a Wise card online and add that to her phone for such payments but that will be a mission requiring photos etc. Any suggestions welcome.

jamesrt

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#3392302 9-Jul-2025 10:32

It is stated in ANZ's Terms & Conditions for Apple Pay:

You can add an ANZ Card to Apple Pay on your Apple Device and any Additional Cardholder can add an ANZ Card to the Additional Cardholder's Apple Device, provided that:

You’re registered for ANZ Internet Banking or goMoney;

https://www.anz.co.nz/comms/apple-pay-terms-and-conditions/

xpd

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#3392304 9-Jul-2025 10:38

Prezzy card ? Would Viber accept those ?

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geek3001

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#3392306 9-Jul-2025 10:49

While my comments may not help in this specific case, you may wish to consider the following.

I am assuming that you do not have Enduring Power of Attorney for your friend's affairs, and also that you are not an authorised Account Operator for their bank account.

If that is the case, it is interesting that the bank would even talk to you, even if you or the account holder explained to the customer service person on the phone what and why you were doing what you were doing.

I would urge caution, as the bank has a fiduciary responsibility to protect the account holders funds. They could freeze the account holder's account, on the basis that someone (you) is acting without proper authorisation.

I have witnessed on more than one occasion, the aftermath of similar activity when in a bank, where a helpful friend and a flustered elderly account holder were trying to sort out a frozen account. It was not pretty.

ANZ are very picky about other's access to bank accounts. While operating with EPoA for my father six years ago, and fully within my legal rights, I had an account access issue that required escalation high up the management tree to get access sorted so I could manage his affairs.

Eva888

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#3392316 9-Jul-2025 11:29

geek3001:

While my comments may not help in this specific case, you may wish to consider the following.

I am assuming that you do not have Enduring Power of Attorney for your friend's affairs, and also that you are not an authorised Account Operator for their bank account.

If that is the case, it is interesting that the bank would even talk to you, even if you or the account holder explained to the customer service person on the phone what and why you were doing what you were doing.

I would urge caution, as the bank has a fiduciary responsibility to protect the account holders funds. They could freeze the account holder's account, on the basis that someone (you) is acting without proper authorisation.

I have witnessed on more than one occasion, the aftermath of similar activity when in a bank, where a helpful friend and a flustered elderly account holder were trying to sort out a frozen account. It was not pretty.

ANZ are very picky about other's access to bank accounts. While operating with EPoA for my father six years ago, and fully within my legal rights, I had an account access issue that required escalation high up the management tree to get access sorted so I could manage his affairs.

Yes I was aware of this and slightly nervous of how they would view it. I really don’t want to get into being a person helping with the bank account. Since she knew all the right answers I had hoped it would work since it was putting the card she already had on a phone. Fingers crossed when she tries to use the card that they haven’t done some sort of freeze on it. I won’t mention it to her yet and scare the bejeebas out of her.

Unsure if a prezzy card can be put on to a phone. Has anyone done this and if so is it easy to use without needing other inputs that she won’t manage? Frankly the Wise path once accepted seems easiest for the future.

I see that Apple have gift cards, can they be used in the way she needs, ie adding it to her phone so there is credit available?

wellygary

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#3392319 9-Jul-2025 11:36

Eva888:

Unsure if a prezzy card can be put on to a phone. Has anyone done this and if so is it easy to use without needing other inputs that she won’t manage? Frankly the Wise path once accepted seems easiest for the future.

I see that Apple have gift cards, can they be used in the way she needs, ie adding it to her phone so there is credit available?

Prezzy cards just scan into you apple/google wallet,

As for Apple giftcards they simply put credit on the apple ID account, to fund things like Apple TV/music/itunes etc,
The funds cannot be used for external transactions

JoshWright

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#3392320 9-Jul-2025 11:42

How quickly do you think they'll burn through the credit?

The Apple Gift Card's a good idea, but if that's not an option how about just topping their account up with your own card (even a 'disposable' virtual Wise card) and have them reimburse you in cash?

The situation with the bank is frustrating, but understandable given the vulnerability of older folks and banking matters.

gehenna

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#3392336 9-Jul-2025 12:45

Does this need a technology solution in the first place? It's really cheap to call other countries these days.... has a cost comparison been done for keeping the app in credit vs the number of estimated minutes a month they'll be on calls?

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Eva888

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#3392339 9-Jul-2025 13:00

gehenna:

Does this need a technology solution in the first place? It's really cheap to call other countries these days.... has a cost comparison been done for keeping the app in credit vs the number of estimated minutes a month they'll be on calls?

They hardly use the mobile and are on an $8 plan finally after I convinced them that putting credit on the phone without an plan and spending at $1.50 per minute for a local mobile call was crazy. Took a year to convince them. Calls via Viber are cheap compared.

They used a card that you need to type in a string of numbers each time in the past and often lost credit, until they accepted Skype.

I used to sometimes gift them Skype Credit from mine. Unsure if I can do that with Viber but I want to find a solution where I am not always involved as happens when we go overseas.

Asteros

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#3392341 9-Jul-2025 13:03

Sounds like they are on 2Degrees.

They have cheap international add-ons to Prepay. This is as simple as it gets for non techy individuals.

https://www.2degrees.nz/mobile-plans/add-ons

Eva888

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#3392342 9-Jul-2025 13:05

wellygary:

Eva888:

Unsure if a prezzy card can be put on to a phone. Has anyone done this and if so is it easy to use without needing other inputs that she won’t manage? Frankly the Wise path once accepted seems easiest for the future.

I see that Apple have gift cards, can they be used in the way she needs, ie adding it to her phone so there is credit available?

Prezzy cards just scan into you apple/google wallet,

As for Apple giftcards they simply put credit on the apple ID account, to fund things like Apple TV/music/itunes etc,
The funds cannot be used for external transactions

If I load a Prezzy card on the wallet do they expire? I would set it up to require a pin.

Asteros

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#3392343 9-Jul-2025 13:08

https://help.viber.com/hc/en-us/articles/9193558935709-How-to-buy-Viber-Out-credit-or-a-plan

You can try adding credit logging in via a browser.

Eva888

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#3392344 9-Jul-2025 13:09

Asteros:

Sounds like they are on 2Degrees.

They have cheap international add-ons to Prepay. This is as simple as it gets for non techy individuals.

https://www.2degrees.nz/mobile-plans/add-ons?srsltid=AfmBOoq6_Tj2yUpBiPZhGHunbDcU_d0BIDcJyQtTuZ7SZHg-RadbCLJq

It doesn't include their country.

Eva888

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#3392345 9-Jul-2025 13:13

Asteros:

https://help.viber.com/hc/en-us/articles/9193558935709-How-to-buy-Viber-Out-credit-or-a-plan

You can try adding credit logging in via a browser.

Brilliant! Thank you. Will go over later and give it a go and report back.

GZ rocks.

Eva888

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#3392492 9-Jul-2025 18:09

Thwarted. I should have checked it all the way through the website before I went over. When you go to open a browser you find that New Zealand is not on the list of countries you can use a browser to pay from. Australia yes.

Will try the prezzy card route next time unless I can convince them to apply for Wise which would be the best method to bypass the bank. I know that I can make a payment myself but I prefer to press them to accept a method they can learn to use themselves. Teach a man to fish etc.