Digital convenience meets local impact: Bendigo Bank's Community Link surpasses expectations

Bendigo Bank is celebrating an encouraging milestone for its newly launched in-app feature, Community Link, which has successfully bridged the Bank's digital onboarding experience with its longstanding community focus.

Since its launch in April, 1,113 new-to-bank customers have utilised the Community Link feature to join the bank digitally in minutes while proudly nominating a local physical branch as their home branch.

Highlighting the appeal of Bendigo Bank's unique community bank model, 70 per cent of these new customers have chosen a Community Bank as their home branch, ensuring that their banking supports community strengthening initiatives with more than 9,000 projects funded in financial year 2025.

General Manager of Retail Banking at Bendigo Bank, Dennis Teale, said the rapid uptake of Community Link demonstrates a strong customer appetite for modern, purpose-driven banking.

"Reaching over 1,000 Community Link registrations so quickly shows that even when customers want the convenience of a rapid digital sign-up, they still deeply value their local communities," Mr Teale said.

"The fact that 70 per cent of these new customers have actively chosen to support a Community Bank proves our unique model continues to resonate strongly. By allowing customers to choose their local branch, we are making our societal impact tangible from their very first interaction."

"Community Link was designed to give new customers the best of both worlds, a modern, trusted, and seamless digital onboarding journey, combined with the immediate sense of belonging to a local branch, and it’s been encouraging to see how popular it has been," Mr Teale concluded.

Community Bank Upwey and District is currently leading the way for Community Link sign-ups with senior Branch Manager Cheryl Gaston highlighting how the new customers who selected Upwey as their home branch are already driving real change locally.

"It's fantastic to see our digital onboarding process connect new customers with our local physical branch," Ms Gaston said.

"Every new customer helps strengthen our ability to support the local community, allowing us to continue investing in local initiatives such as our recent $100,000 contribution to the Foothills Community Care kitchen project, funding a new canoe trailer for the Selby Scout Group, our $10,000 contribution to the Upwey Tecoma Junior Football Club's goal-netting project, and our ongoing partnership with clubs such as South Belgrave Football Netball Club.

"It's exciting to see how the digital onboarding process can strengthen these connections by introducing new customers to their local Community Bank branch and be part of the important role we play in supporting our community," Ms Gaston concluded.

To sign up as a new customer today in minutes via the app and nominate your home branch, visit: www.bendigobank.com.au/ways-to-bank/bendigo-bank-app/