Some accounts have no monthly fee, and others waive it when you meet certain conditions. The points to compare are the fee amount, the conditions for a waiver, and the requirements for opening an account. The comparison uses what each bank's official page says as of October 19, 2026.
The quickest way is to first check whether your age, student status, and monthly deposit amount match the waiver conditions. After that, confirm the address and ID you need to open the account.
Account differences by monthly fee
Some accounts cost AUD 0, while others become AUD 0 only once you meet certain conditions. This article covers CommBank Smart Access, NAB Classic Banking, ANZ Access Advantage, ING Orange Everyday, and the Macquarie transaction account. ANZ Plus is not in the table because its fee amount could not be confirmed.
Even an account with no monthly fee can carry other costs, such as for a card (see the table in "Costs and limits other than fees" below). The monthly fees stated on each bank's official page are as follows.
| Account | Official page description |
|---|---|
| CommBank Smart Access | AUD 4 or AUD 0 |
| NAB Classic Banking | Account fee is AUD 0 |
| ANZ Access Advantage | AUD 5 per month |
| ING Orange Everyday | No monthly account fee |
| Macquarie transaction account | No fees |
Reading the waiver conditions
The waiver conditions stated on the CommBank and ANZ official pages are in the table. The CommBank rows are the monthly fee conditions for CommBank Smart Access. For ANZ's AUD 2,000, the page states that the money does not need to stay in the account for the whole month.
Both sets of conditions are listed as alternatives ("or"). If you meet the CommBank condition of being under 30, or the ANZ condition of being a full-time student or similar, the fee is waived even if you do not meet the deposit amount condition.
| Account | Waiver condition |
|---|---|
| CommBank Smart Access | Deposit AUD 2,000 or more in the month (excluding transactions made by the bank) |
| CommBank Smart Access | Under 30 |
| CommBank Smart Access | Meet the CommBank Yello Plus, Gold, or Diamond eligibility in that month |
| ANZ Access Advantage | Automatically waived if you deposit AUD 2,000 or more in the month |
| ANZ Access Advantage | Conditions such as being a full-time student |
| ANZ Access Advantage | Combined deposit balance of AUD 50,000 across eligible ANZ accounts (you can apply for a waiver) |
Checking the opening requirements
The ANZ official page advises people under 15, and people looking for a credit card, to consider other ANZ products instead of ANZ Plus.
The ING official page lists a Medicare card, a driver's licence, and a passport as examples of ID documents. For CommBank, the page states that the account may be closed automatically if you do not complete identity verification within 20 days of opening it. The opening requirements for each bank are as follows.
- CommBank Smart Access: 14 or older, and a residential address is required
- ANZ Access Advantage: 12 or older
- ING Orange Everyday: 18 or older and a tax resident
- ING: at least 2 types of ID documents
Opening an account before arrival and receiving the card
The CommBank page for international students states that you can open an account from 14 days before you arrive. The Moving to Australia page says an Australian address is not needed when you open the account, and that you show your ID at a branch after you arrive. The Smart Access page, however, lists an Australian residential address as an opening requirement, so check both pages when you apply.
Mailing of the debit card
The CommBank page for international students states that the Debit Mastercard is mailed to the Australian address you give as the delivery address. The page for people moving to Australia, however, also has a statement advising you to collect the Debit Mastercard at an Australian branch.
Because the two pages describe different ways of receiving the card, read both and check when you apply.
PayID and mobile payments
The CommBank Smart Access page explains that with PayID you can send money to friends in real time. The Debit Mastercard can be added to Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
Costs and limits other than fees
The main costs and limits stated on the official pages are in the table below.
ATM fees also differ. The Smart Access page states that withdrawing cash at a CommBank ATM has no fee, and that independent ATM operators may charge a withdrawal fee.
| Account | Official page description |
|---|---|
| NAB Platinum Visa Debit added to NAB Classic Banking | Monthly card fee is AUD 10 |
| CommBank Smart Access | AUD 15 may be charged on a day when a payment goes through that exceeds your balance or overdraft limit |
| ANZ Plus | Does not support internet banking or overdrafts |
Interest and TFN
Interest is described separately for each account. CommBank's Smart Access is an account that earns no interest. NAB's Classic Banking and ANZ's Access Advantage also pay no interest.
According to the CommBank official page, providing a TFN and similar details is optional. However, if the account earns interest, the law requires tax to be withheld from interest above a certain amount.
Macquarie states that there are no deposit requirements to receive benefits or earn interest on its transaction and savings accounts. You can register a TFN or a TFN exemption in Macquarie Online Banking, and it usually takes 2 to 3 business days to be reflected in the account.
Compare Sydney bank accounts
On BLOOM ABROAD's Sydney bank accounts page, you can compare banks by monthly cost, opening bonus, transfer costs, and Japanese-language support. Overall living costs are summarized on the Australia costs page.
Sources
Official information from each company
- CommBank 公式ページ Smart Access の手数料と開設条件（2026年10月19日確認）
- NAB 公式ページ Classic Banking の手数料（2026年10月19日確認）
- ANZ 公式ページ ANZ Plus の対応範囲（2026年10月19日確認）
- ANZ 公式ページ Access Advantage の手数料と免除条件（2026年10月19日確認）
- ING 公式ページ Orange Everyday の開設条件（2026年10月19日確認）
- Macquarie 公式ページ 取引口座の手数料と TFN（2026年10月19日確認）
- CommBank 留学生向け口座の公式ページ（2026年10月20日確認）
- CommBank Moving to Australia の公式ページ（2026年10月20日確認）
