Joining Unity is free. You can join by coming into a Unity branch. Find your closest branch here.

Or you can join online here.

When joining you will need to have at hand:

• A form of original identification (not photocopies) e.g. your driver licence or passport.
• Proof of your residential address e.g. bill or other bank account not less than 3 months old.

When you are a member of Unity, you have access to our member-only benefits such as:

• Great investment rates.
• Save money through competitive and fair loan rates.
• Member-only discounts on third-party services and prize draws.
• Real service - we listen to your needs.
• Plus lots more benefits.

Unity provides the same kind of products and services you'd find at a bank, however as a co-operatively owned credit union:

• We are not-for-profit, we serve you, our member-owners, not outside investors
• We are 100% NZ owned
• Our Board of Directors are elected by you, our members
• We educate members to help you achieve your financial goals
• We are not a registered bank

For any Credicare member enquiries please email ceo@unitymoney.co.nz or call us on 0800 229 943

• You can find our Home Loan calculator here.
• You can find our Personal Loan calculator here.

Please find an extensive list of our interest rates here.

Please find an extensive list of our fees here.

Every loan application is individually assessed with your personal and financial circumstances taken into account. Please speak to someone at your local branch or call 0800 229 943 for more information.

If you are currently experiencing difficulties paying your loan, please call 0800 287 688 to speak to a member of our collections team.

Our team is here to assist and to work with you to come up with a suitable payment arrangement. 

If you took out Loan Protection Insurance, you may be able to make a claim.

If you meet the criteria, we may be able to make changes to your payments to enable a payment that is within your financial means.

You may be able to make a Hardship Application, please click here to find out more.

Are there organisations that can assist me with my finances?

If you need assistance with your finances, you can contact Moneytalks, they provide a free and independent service.

https://www.moneytalks.co.nz/

Freephone: 0800 345 123

Email: help@moneytalks.co.nz

Unity encourages you to make contact as soon as possible, so we can work together in an attempt to resolve the payment issues.

For lost or stolen cards please call our Contact Centre on 0800 229 943 immediately. If after hours please call 0800 800 147, or when overseas call +64 6 826 2924.

For lost or stolen cards after hours please call 0800 800 147, or when overseas call +64 9 366 1028 (collect).

Yes, you can use any overseas ATM that displays the Cirrus^® and Maestro^® logo.

You can find our list of fees here.

Please phone toll free 0800 229 943

You can find details of all Unity branches here

You can find the locations of all Unity ATMs here

Reducing our carbon footprint and saving you money

All members receive their statements via email, unless you opt-out and choose paper statements instead which will incur a fee. 

When sending or receiving a payment from overseas, the SWIFT code identifies the receiving (recipient) bank or financial institution.

Unity's SWIFT code is: WPACNZ2W

What does this mean

New Zealand has committed to the OECD Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI).

International tax compliance regulations have been introduced to protect the integrity of tax systems around the world. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) enable the exchange of customers’ foreign tax residency information between countries and are intended to help combat global tax evasion.

Unity Credit Union, along with other financial institutions, are now required to identify, collect and report information about customers’ foreign tax residency to New Zealand Inland Revenue. Inland Revenue may then share this information with the relevant tax authority, if an agreement is held with that country.

To meet our obligations we now ask for foreign tax information when an account is first opened with us, or if you’re already a customer, we may also contact you if we think you could be a foreign tax resident.

What information do I need to provide

Unity’s obligations cover all our customers, including entities such as trusts, registered incorporated societies. Customers need to provide both the tax residency details and their ‘TIN’.

A TIN is a unique combination of letters and/or numbers assigned by a country to an individual or an entity and used to identify the individual or entity for the purposes of administering the tax laws of that country.

We will also ask you questions to ensure we have the correct personal details, such as your contact information.

Further details of TINS can be found on the OECD Website.

Who can provide this information

You'll need to provide your own overseas tax residency information to Unity, unless you're a child or have a Power of Attorney (POA). If you're a parent or guardian, you'll need to provide this information on behalf of your child. You'll also need to provide proof of your relationship to them, as well as your photo ID.

• For children 12 years and under this information must always be provided by a parent or guardian.
• For children 13 years and over this information must be provided by a parent or guardian if they open the account for them.
• If you have a Power of Attorney, your POA can provide this information on your behalf.

Update my tax residency

To update your tax residency information, please complete a Self-Certification Declaration.

What will Unity do with the information you provide

Unity will hold any information received on your customer record. This information will be securely held and only be used to enable us to meet our legal obligations.

What happens if I provide Unity with incorrect information

IRD are able to penalise anyone who provides false or misleading information, or who fail to provide information.

What is a tax resident

What’s defined as a tax resident varies from country to country. For information on New Zealand tax residency you can visit the IRD website: Tax residency status for individuals (ird.govt.nz). If you remain uncertain you should speak to a tax adviser.

Further information

For more information about the international tax compliance regulations you can search “FATCA’ or ‘CRS’ on the New Zealand Inland Revenue Website.

The funds in your account become classed as unclaimed funds under the Unclaimed Monies Act 1971 if you haven’t transacted on your account(s) with Unity for five years or more and you haven’t contacted us to make arrangements for the account(s) or we’ve been unable to contact you.

Unity will notify you by mail, email and/or text message (based on contact information we hold) about funds that may become unclaimed money and that the account will be closed, if you do not take steps to operate the account or contact us. Any unclaimed money greater than $100 (NZD) will be transferred to the IRD if we don’t hear from you. Once unclaimed money is transferred to the IRD, you will need to contact them to claim the funds.

It’s important you keep your personal details with us up to date so we can contact you, such as your email, phone number and address.

If your account is no longer needed, you can close it and have the balance paid to you. If you would like to continue using the account, simply make a transaction on the account to keep it active or simply call us on 0800 229 943.

A Kids saver account can only be opened in your child's name and in branch.

A parent or guardian must open the account, which will be linked to your Unity member profile number. Proof of parent/guardian relationship is needed e.g. birth certificate or guardianship order.

A Kids saver is for a child between the ages of 1 month - 10 years. This means that a parent or guardian can be an authorised signatory on the account.

As an authorised signatory, this means:

• You do not own the money in the account.
• No EFTPOS cards are issued to the account.
• View only access via Internet or Mobile banking.

KiwiSaver is a great way to save for your first home or for retirement and offers a range of generous membership benefits to encourage you to save, including:

Government Contributions

• For every $1 you contribute, the Government will contribute 50 cents up to a maximum of $521 (equivalent to $10 per week) for each KiwiSaver year if you are aged between 18 and 65.^

Employer Contributions

• Your employer is required to contribute 3% of your salary or wage into your KiwiSaver account, making it easier for you to save. This means you don’t have to think about making regular payments or accidentally spending the money on something else!

Help to buy your first home

• After three years membership in KiwiSaver you may be able to withdraw nearly all of your savings (leaving a minimum $1,000 balance) plus you may be eligible for a First Home Grant of up to $10,000 (if you are building a new home, or $5,000 if you are purchasing an existing home) - both subject to conditions.

Financial Advice

• Unity has partnered with Booster to offer members the Booster KiwiSaver scheme. When you join Booster, you will gain access to financial advice and tools to help you make informed decisions with confidence.

Free Accidental Death

• As a member of the Booster KiwiSaver scheme, you will also get up to $50,000 free accidental cover. Booster is the only KiwiSaver scheme provider to offer this benefit.

^Or 5 years after you have joined KiwiSaver, whichever is later.

You can join KiwiSaver if you are:

• Over 18 years of age
• Living (or normally living) in New Zealand
• A New Zealand citizen or entitled to permanent residence

You can also join if you are self-employed or unemployed i.e. non-working parents, beneficiaries, students etc.

Employees can choose to contribute 3% (minimum), 4%, 8%, 6% or 10% of their gross (before tax) salary or wage.

Self-employed, not employed and under 18s (who aren’t working) can choose to put in as much or as little as they like, when they like, with no minimum payments required.

Anyone can make contributions into another person’s KiwiSaver account thereby helping family and friends to make the most of KiwiSaver.

First home buyers

To be eligible to withdraw from your KiwiSaver account to purchase your first home, you must:

• Have invested in KiwiSaver for at least 3 years
• Leave $1,000 in your KiwiSaver account as a minimum
• Be a first-home buyer or landowner
• Be purchasing within New Zealand
• Live at the property (as opposed to renting it out)
• Not have withdrawn from your KiwiSaver before

Retirement

You can access your KiwiSaver funds once you reach the age of eligibility for New Zealand Superannuation (currently 65).

There are limited exceptions – early withdrawals may be permitted for significant financial hardship, serious illness or permanent emigration other than to Australia (terms and conditions apply). On your death, your KiwiSaver balance will be paid to your estate.

Choosing the right KiwiSaver fund can seem complicated, but we're here to help. There are a number of options available to suit your individual needs and goals, including:

Conservative

• Returns on Conservative funds range from 1.0% - 4.0%

Balanced

• Returns on Balanced funds range from 5.0% - 5.1%

Growth

• Returns on Growth funds range from 6.0% - 6.9%

Ethical 

• Socially responsible funds allow you to invest in a way that reflects your personal values. These funds avoid investing with companies whose activities are considered to have negative social impacts.

There are multiple ways you can join the Booster KiwiSaver scheme:

1. Call us on 0800 229 943

2. Visit your local Unity branch

3. Apply online here

A power of attorney is a legal document that enables you, the “donor”, to give authority to someone else, the “attorney”, to act on your behalf. They must act in your best interests and always protect your welfare. The Power of Attorney document is usually prepared by a Solicitor.

If something happens to you and you are unable or unwilling to make decisions about yourself, someone will need to make decisions for you. If you do not have a power of attorney set up, your family will have to apply to the Family Court to be given the power to act on your behalf. This can take time and be costly.

There are two types of Power of Attorney – a Standard “Ordinary” Power of Attorney and, an Enduring Power of Attorney.

An “Ordinary” Power of Attorney (POA) can be general or specific and are best used for temporary purposes – for example, if you are going overseas. This type will usually be for a specific term or will immediately be revoked if you die or become mentally incapable of making decisions.

An Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA) is used for longer term protection and continues even when you become mentally incapacitated and unable to make decisions. You can structure an EPOA to take immediate effect or in the event you become incapable of making decisions. There are two different types of Enduring Power of Attorney – one is Personal Care and Welfare, the other is for Property (bank accounts etc.)

They can:

• Process deposits & withdrawals
• Set up and close Term Deposits
• Obtain account information
• Open new accounts for existing members
• Load or alter bill payments or automatic payments
• Close accounts
• Update account details (eg postal address)
• All products and services the account holder is eligible for

They can't:

• Apply or transact for loans or overdrafts on behalf
• Add any additional signatories to the account or ATO authorizing themselves or another person to access the donor's account(s)
• Open accounts for new members

In branch: 

• Contact us to make an appointment at your local branch for both you and your attorney
• Bring with you an original or certified copy of the Power of Attorney document along with any other supporting documents such as Certificate of Non-revocation and Suspension, letter from medical practitioner (if applicable), acceptable ID for your attorney (such as driver’s licence or passport) as well as proof of current address (dated within last 3 months)

For full details of acceptable ID visit here.

Please contact us to discuss other options if there is no local branch available.