Complete Guide to Great Southern Bank's BSB Code 814-282
TL;DR Summary: The BSB number for Credit Union Australia (CUA), now trading as Great Southern Bank, is 814-282. This is the single centralised BSB used across all accounts regardless of the branch or state where the account was opened, making CUA an exception to the branch-specific BSB model used by most major Australian banks. CUA's BSB is required for domestic Australian bank transfers and is used alongside the applicable SWIFT code for incoming international wire transfers. The institution has only three BSB numbers allocated in total, with 814-282 serving as the primary identifier for the head office at 300 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland.
Introduction: CUA and the Great Southern Bank Rebrand
Credit Union Australia Limited, widely known as CUA, is Australia's largest customer-owned banking institution by total assets, deposits, and membership. Headquartered at Level 27, 300 George Street, Brisbane QLD 4000, the institution serves more than 400,000 members across Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, and Western Australia. In 2021, CUA rebranded as Great Southern Bank, reflecting a strategic repositioning to broaden its market appeal while retaining its member-owned cooperative structure. Despite the name change, the institution's legal entity remains Credit Union Australia Ltd (ABN 44 087 650 959), and its BSB number has not changed as a result of the rebrand.
The institution offers a comprehensive range of financial products including everyday and savings accounts, term deposits, personal and car loans, home loans, low-rate credit cards, Visa debit cards, foreign currency exchange, telegraphic transfers, and travel insurance. Digital banking is available through internet banking, the mobile banking app, and contactless payment via Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
What Is a BSB Number in Australia
A BSB (Bank State Branch) number is a six-digit code used in Australia's domestic payment clearing systems to identify the bank and branch at which a specific account is held. It is required for all domestic electronic fund transfers, direct debits, payroll deposits, and BPAY payments directed to Australian bank accounts. The Australian Paper Clearing System (APCS) and the Bulk Electronic Clearing System (BECS) both use the BSB alongside the account number to route payments to the correct financial institution and branch.
BSB numbers are structured in three parts: the first two digits identify the financial institution, the third digit identifies the state where the branch is located using a numeric state code (1 represents NSW and ACT, 2 represents Victoria, 3 represents Queensland, 4 represents South Australia and Northern Territory, 5 represents Western Australia, and 6 represents Tasmania), and the final three digits identify the specific branch. For credit unions and mutual banks, the first two digits are typically in the 800 range rather than the 01 to 09 range used by the major commercial banks.
CUA's BSB Number: 814-282
The primary BSB number for CUA (Great Southern Bank) is 814-282. This is the institution's main BSB and the one most commonly required for domestic transfers, direct deposits, and international inbound payments. A key characteristic that distinguishes CUA from major commercial banks is that CUA does not assign different BSB numbers to individual branches. Instead, a single centralised BSB serves all accounts regardless of the state or branch in which the account was opened. CUA has only three BSB numbers allocated in total across its entire Australian operation, which contrasts sharply with Commonwealth Bank's 4,390 allocated codes and Westpac's similarly large branch-specific BSB inventory.
This centralised BSB model simplifies payment routing for both members and third parties initiating transfers to CUA accounts. A sender providing 814-282 and the recipient's account number can direct a payment to any CUA member account nationally without needing to know the specific branch at which the account was opened.
Decoding 814-282
The six digits of CUA's BSB number encode specific institutional and geographic information. The first two digits, 81, form the institution code for Credit Union Australia within the Australian financial institution numbering framework used by AusPayNet. The third digit, 4, is the state code for Queensland, reflecting the fact that CUA's head office is located in Brisbane, Queensland. The final three digits, 282, are the specific branch identifier referencing the head office at 300 George Street, Brisbane QLD 4000.
Because CUA uses a centralised BSB rather than branch-specific codes, the 282 suffix does not denote a member's individual branch of account opening in the way that it would for a major bank. Instead, all CUA accounts route through the head office BSB for clearing purposes, with internal account routing handled within CUA's own systems once the payment arrives at the institution.
When You Need the CUA BSB Number
The CUA BSB 814-282 is required whenever another party needs to send funds to a CUA account electronically within Australia. This includes bank-to-bank transfers from any Australian financial institution to a CUA member account, payroll direct deposits where the employee holds a CUA account, automatic direct debits set up by service providers for recurring billing, BPAY reference payments linked to a CUA account, and tax refunds or government payments directed to a CUA account through the Australian Taxation Office or Services Australia.
The BSB is also printed alongside the account number on CUA cheques in MICR format, enabling automated processing in the paper clearing system for members who use cheques for payments or receipts. For New Payments Platform (NPP) transfers where account-based routing is used rather than PayID, the BSB and account number are required in combination.
How to Find Your CUA BSB Number
Because CUA uses a single centralised BSB (814-282) for all accounts, members can confirm this number through straightforward channels. The BSB appears on all CUA account statements, both printed and digital, typically displayed near the top of the statement alongside the account number and account name. Within CUA's online banking portal and mobile banking app, account details accessible through the account summary view include the BSB and account number. The number is also displayed in the footer of CUA's official website, cua.com.au, providing immediate verification for any member or third party who needs it.
Members who prefer to confirm by phone can contact CUA's customer service line on 133 282 during business hours (Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM and Saturday to Sunday 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM) or reach the international customer service number on +61 7 3552 4713. The BSB is also accessible through AusPayNet's official BSB lookup tool at bsb.auspaynet.com.au, which is the authoritative source for verified BSB data in Australia.
Using the CUA BSB for International Transfers
When a CUA member is expecting a wire transfer from a bank outside Australia, the domestic BSB number alone is not sufficient to route the payment. International senders require a SWIFT code to direct the payment to Australia at the institutional level. CUA processes international inbound SWIFT transfers through a correspondent banking arrangement. Members expecting international wire transfers should contact CUA directly at 133 282 or via secure message in online banking to obtain the current SWIFT routing instructions for inbound international wires, as correspondent banking arrangements can change and the correct instructions must be confirmed at the time of the transfer.
Once the payment arrives at CUA's correspondent bank in Australia, the BSB and account number are used to credit the funds to the specific member account. The total cost of an international wire transfer arriving at a CUA account includes any margin applied by the sending bank on the AUD conversion, the correspondent bank's deduction, and any CUA processing fees, all of which reduce the net amount credited to the member's account relative to the original transfer amount at the mid-market exchange rate.
BSB vs SWIFT Code for Australian Transfers
For domestic transfers within Australia, only the BSB and account number are needed. The SWIFT code plays no role in Australian domestic payment processing. For international transfers arriving in Australia from abroad, the SWIFT code routes the payment to the destination Australian institution at the international network level, and the BSB and account number then identify the specific account within that institution's system. Both are needed in combination for successful international inbound wire transfers to any Australian bank or credit union account.
New Payment Platform (NPP) transfers, representing Australia's real-time payment infrastructure enabling instant bank-to-bank settlements via PayID or BSB and account number, use the BSB for account-based transfers and have substantially reduced the delivery time for domestic Australian payments compared to the legacy BECS direct entry system, which processed transfers overnight in batch cycles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BSB number for CUA (Great Southern Bank)?
The BSB number for CUA, now trading as Great Southern Bank, is 814-282. This is the institution's primary and centralised BSB, used for all accounts regardless of the branch or state where the account was opened. CUA uses a single BSB for all members rather than branch-specific codes, which simplifies payment routing compared to major commercial banks that assign unique BSBs to each branch.
Did the CUA BSB number change when it became Great Southern Bank?
No. When Credit Union Australia rebranded as Great Southern Bank in 2021, the BSB number 814-282 did not change. The legal entity, ABN, and banking identifiers including the BSB all remained the same. Members' accounts, BSB numbers, and account numbers were entirely unaffected by the rebranding. The same BSB 814-282 continues to be used for all transfers to CUA or Great Southern Bank accounts.
Do different CUA branches have different BSB numbers?
No. Unlike major commercial banks such as Commonwealth Bank or Westpac, CUA does not assign different BSB numbers to individual branches. A single centralised BSB (814-282) is used for all CUA member accounts across all states and branches. Whether a member opened their account in Brisbane, Sydney, or Melbourne, the same BSB applies for all domestic payment purposes, making CUA's BSB structure simpler than that of the major banks.
How do I receive an international wire transfer into my CUA account?
To receive an international wire transfer into a CUA account, contact CUA directly on 133 282 or via secure online banking message to obtain current international wire transfer instructions, including the applicable SWIFT code and correspondent bank details. Provide the sender with your full name, CUA BSB 814-282, your account number, and the SWIFT routing information confirmed by CUA. The sender's bank will use the SWIFT code to direct the payment to Australia, with the BSB and account number routing it to your specific CUA account on arrival.
Where can I verify the CUA BSB number?
The CUA BSB 814-282 can be verified through several authoritative sources: the footer of CUA's official website at cua.com.au, the AusPayNet official BSB lookup tool at bsb.auspaynet.com.au, CUA's online banking and mobile app under account details, and CUA customer service at 133 282 (domestically) or +61 7 3552 4713 (internationally). AusPayNet is the industry body responsible for maintaining the authoritative Australian BSB registry and represents the definitive public verification source.
