ZA Bank that doesn't make smartphone mandatory

[stap_already]

Hi all,
As per the title: I want to be able to bank without needing a smartphone, using a web browser and not having to confirm payments etc with smartphone.
I'm on capitec and one can't even log in on their web portal without authorising it with their app, back in the day they had those neat hardware token generators, something like that is just fine.
Motivation being that I'm not comfortable relying on staying in google and apple's good graces to spend my own money, or be **** out of luck if I lose or break or have my smartphone stolen.
Thanks in advance.

 

[saor]

Pretty sure that ship has sailed.

 

[Zellephant]

As far as I know, none of the major banks Android apps require google play services for their apps to work. You can sideload the apps on a degoogled Android device, and it should still work.

Biometric authentication using a smartphone camera via the banks official (secured) app, remains by far the safest method for authentication.

I don’t think any software today still uses hardware token generators or “licensing” USBs anymore. All of that is way more hack able than facial/retinal/fingerprint identification.

If you lose or break your phone, you should still have a physical bank card you can go to a store with and get a replacement phone (or I’m sure like most people, your have a backup previous gen phone sitting in your desk drawer) so that solves that problem in the short term.

If your robbed/mugged, your probablly gonna be out of a wallet and therefore cards as well, which does suck. That’s why I keep a separate card in the sunvisor of my car - that I also use for paying tollgates and putting in fuel. I also always have a couple hundred rand in the cubbyhole in a pouch, and also in my desk drawer at home and office, just for “in case of emergency” situations, which include the networks being and the card machines not working.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

does the couch or sofa not have enough room?

seriously though, with all the banks operating in SA, including those meant for seniors like postbank
sure its possible to bank without using a phone,

 

[dontcryforme]

VBS Mutual Bank

 

[stap_already]

Thanks I didn't know the major bank apps didn't require google play services, I may have tried capitec on grapheneos or never got round to it after being put off by safety-net/attestation potentially being a stumbling block but I've just had a look and see std bank apparently works - then I suppose the issue is finding a reliable source for the apk, if any exists for a banking app!
I concede biometrics etc is a more secure auth mechanism than hardware token generators, I was just curious if there were banks that would give one more freedom to determine one's risk/convenience/security trade-offs but that was pie in the sky sunday night thinking - average joes get scammed/hacked everyday with all the fancy auth banking apps have, they surely wouldn't loosen up.
Thanks for the advice, I suppose I just miss the old days when I wasn't tethered to the system

 

[Zellephant]

Thanks for the advice, I suppose I just miss the old days when I wasn't tethered to the system

You and me both!

 

[neoprema]

You're going to struggle, because if anything, we're becoming more connected and relying more on technology to prevent fraud. Unfortunately as we know, criminals can also stay head of the pack. For the most part though, i think South African banks are doing a good job and if there was a major failure in how they are protecting you they are required to guarantee your funds are safe.

I came from a security background at Banks and my view for the future is that we need a lot more control, monitoring and reliance on technology - not less. But it has to be done in a way that still guarantees a level of privacy, while ensuring we monitor enough to detect and react (or in a perfect world pre-empt) risks. I am very interested in the research field of how AI when given large large datasets of our every day lives and actions and activities can profile us enough to know when we're at risk, or when our actions will lead us to be at risk.. Exciting times ahead!

 

[Mariner]

I'm with Standard Bank. My banking is on my laptop at home. It's protected by an encrypted browser. I have a card for purchases, and ATMs and I do not use my smartphone for banking. I have told my bank why I won't use it for banking. They are satisfied. The only banking information that comes via my smartphone are notifications of purchases.

 

[Smiggles]

if I lose or break or have my smartphone stolen.

Then I just use my tablet.
@BBSA

 

[koffiejunkie]

I'm on capitec and one can't even log in on their web portal without authorising it with their app, back in the day they had those neat hardware token generators, something like that is just fine.

Capitec will do a hardware token in lieu of the phone app. I don't know what their conditions are for issuing it - I have one because I live abroad and the phone app activation process relies on being able to send (or receive?) an SMS, which doesn't work for me. The downside is you don't have access to the app, but that's not a big deal.

 

[SauRoNZA]

I feel like TymeBank covers this but now I’m not 100% sure as I haven’t used the browser based internet banking in a while.

Seems to recall it just needed SMS OTP.

 

[Smiggles]

I feel like TymeBank covers this but now I’m not 100% sure as I haven’t used the browser based internet banking in a while.

Seems to recall it just needed SMS OTP.

Think they’re deprecating the web portal.