Choice suggests Dutch switching model
Choice's Better Banking report suggests the Dutch model of bank switching could be introduced at low cost in Australia.The Dutch Interbank Switch Support Service or "Overstapservice" was introduced in 2004. Rather than allowing full account number portability, it operates as a redirect service, with all direct debits and credits re-routed for 13 months after a customer switches banks. Satisfaction with the service is reportedly extremely high.Choice says the cost of the system is as an initial €10-€20 million (A$13.6-A$27.2 million) and then €2-€3 million a year (A$2.7-A$4.1 million). The Dutch rejected full account number portability as being likely to cost up to €500 million, according to some reports.In 2008, four years after launch, nearly 100,000 people had used the Overstapservice, according to Choice. The Dutch population is about three-quarters the size of Australia's.