Westpac ATMs across New Zealand now offer Tongan as a language option.
The move is part of a broader effort by Westpac to make banking more inclusive for New Zealand’s growing Pacific communities.
Tongan is now available on all 373 Westpac ATMs, alongside English, te reo Māori, Mandarin, Hindi, and Samoan. Customers can use the language option to withdraw cash, check balances, pay bills and more.
Andrew Twidle, acting managing director of consumer banking and wealth, said the change reflects New Zealand’s diversity.
“New Zealand is a multicultural society, so we want to make sure we’re reflecting that in the services we provide,” he said.
The 2023 Census shows New Zealand’s Tongan population is over 82,000, making it one of the largest Pacific communities in the country.
Twidle added, “We want to make sure everyone feels confident about using our ATMs for their banking needs.”
The new language feature follows the 2023 launch of Westpac’s ‘Language Loop’ interpretation service, which includes Tongan among 190 supported languages. It has already been used over 350 times.
“It sounds like a simple change, but it’s something we know will make a meaningful difference,” Twidle said.
