Macquarie Authenticator for your clients

We want to ensure you’re equipped with the knowledge and benefits of the Macquarie Authenticator app (Macquarie Authenticator), so you can talk to your clients about downloading and using it for their banking.

Macquarie Authenticator is our most secure verification method. It’s a standalone mobile app that sends you or your client a push notification to verify certain transactions and account changes. Macquarie Authenticator sits alongside Adviser Online, Macquarie Online Banking and the Macquarie Mobile Banking app.

Simply, Macquarie Authenticator is easy to use. You or your clients only need to tap a button to approve an action on the account rather than typing numbers from a security code SMS. It gives you and your clients real-time control to approve or deny online transactions and account changes quickly and easily. 
 
There are also multiple ways you can authorise actions, depending on you or your client’s circumstances in the moment. For example, Macquarie Authenticator can be used when you don’t have access to the internet. It works by providing a randomly generated code that can be accessed via the app at any time. This is called a “code”. 
 
A Macquarie Authenticator code is available 24/7 via the app and doesn’t need a mobile or data network. You can approve and deny changes whether you’re overseas, or in an area with no access to internet. The code also provides extra security, no matter where you are.

Macquarie Authenticator includes a high level of security using two-factor authentication. SMS has become less secure as scammers have found ways to port client SIM cards. 
 
It also uses a different approach that sends information to your physical mobile device. There is no current way for someone to fake your physical device and redirect your security information. 
 
For now, SMS is the primary multi-factor authentication method of Adviser Initiated Payments (AIP) given the vast majority of clients can reliably receive an SMS. Over time, we’d love to see more clients install Macquarie Authenticator for their security.

Please refer your clients to Macquarie Authenticator is not working in Personal Help Centre.

The Macquarie Authenticator app is available for Apple iOS and Android devices. Your client can download the app for free from the app store.

Once the registration process is complete, your client can start approving payments created in Adviser Online.  

You can see if your client has registered for the Macquarie Authenticator app and the Macquarie Mobile Banking app in Adviser Online. Simply follow the steps below:

1. Log into Adviser Online
2. Search for your client using the global search bar
3. Click on client
4. Scroll down to the client logins tile.

From the client logins tile you’ll be able to see the status and the last login time if your client has either app installed.

You can also see if your client has downloaded Macquarie Authenticator within Adviser Online while triggering certain actions for your client, such as making an Adviser Initiated Payment (AIP) or pension payments over $30,000.

You can see if your client is registered for Macquarie Authenticator by progressing through an AIP payment:

1. Navigate to your client’s cash account in Adviser Online
2. Click Make a payment
3. Enter the payment details, and click Next to progress to the Confirm details screen
4. If your payment requires client authorisation, you will see a list of authorisers for the account
5. Under the Authorisation method column, you will see ‘SMS’ or ‘Authenticator’ for each account authoriser.

Alternatively, your client can see if they have registered for Macquarie Authenticator within Macquarie Online.

Your client can find this information by following these steps:

1. Log into Macquarie Online
2. Click the Settings icon in the left corner of the screen, and click Security settings
3. If your client has registered for Macquarie Authenticator, they will see the words Installed in green, next to the Macquarie Authenticator heading, on the Macquarie apps tile.

There are no Power of Attorney (POA) restrictions for Adviser Initiated Payments on non-pension accounts.

However, if your client’s pension account is under POA, they won’t be able to use Macquarie Authenticator to approve adviser-initiated actions.

The POA will need to approve actions on the pension account using the print, sign and upload method.

Macquarie Authenticator is an enhanced verification system that's more secure than SMS. It’s a mobile app that sends your client actionable push notifications instead of SMS secure codes for payment approval. This means that your client stays in control of approving or denying payments on their account.

For Adviser Initiated Payments (AIP) you won’t need to contact your client to verbally receive the SMS secure code for payment approval. Please note, if your client hasn’t downloaded and set up the Macquarie Authenticator app, they’ll continue to receive SMS secure codes and you'll need to continue to contact them as usual for payment approval.

We encourage you to prompt your clients to register for Macquarie Authenticator app so they can benefit from this enhanced digital experience and security.