General information
What is a portal?
An online portal is like a digital front door to a specific set of information or services on the internet. In AFCA’s portal, this information may include the details of your complaint, such as the information or documentation shared by you and the financial firm and copies of letters AFCA has sent you.
The AFCA portal is linked to AFCA’s IT systems so you can share documents, make requests for information, and ask AFCA questions online in real-time, instead of using email or phone.
How do I access the portal?
You can access the portal from our website by clicking the ‘Manage my complaint’ button in the top right-hand corner of each webpage.
If you are making a new complaint, you will be taken to the portal to complete the online complaint form. You will need to create a portal account to complete the online form.
Why has AFCA created a portal?
The portal was created as part of AFCA’s IT transformation project. We completed this project to ensure our IT systems were modern, secure, and user-friendly.
The portal has been designed to improve your experience with us, making the complaints process more timely, efficient, and transparent.
Do I have to use the portal?
The AFCA portal is not mandatory. Anyone needing help, or who is unable to access the portal, can continue to lodge complaints and communicate with AFCA by email or phone.
Where an agent or authority is being paid to represent someone else, AFCA expects these representatives to use the portal to support the timely and efficient handling of complaints.
Where can I find out more about the portal and how to use it?
You can access a range of learning material such as how-to guides and short video tutorials here.
Do I need any special software to use the portal?
No special software is needed. You just need a modern web browser (such as Google Chrome, Safari, or Microsoft Edge) and an internet connection.
You can also access the portal on your mobile device.
I already have a complaint that AFCA is investigating
What can I see and do in the portal?
- If you have an additional or new complaint, you can make a complaint through the portal or save a draft complaint if you are not ready to submit your complaint to AFCA.
- Live notifications of activity on your complaint.
- Real-time details about the status of your complaint, such as what stage of the AFCA process it is in.
- Ability to upload and automatically share complaint documents with all parties.
- Quicker and more transparent communication channel, removing the need for emails between you, AFCA, and your financial firm.
- Ability to raise a request (like a question) for AFCA or your financial firm to review.
- Ability to see information AFCA requests from you and due dates for responses.
- Ability to provide AFCA with feedback about the service it provided.
- New case number format – find out more here.
I have an existing complaint; do I need to create an account?
Depending on the stage of your complaint, we may email you in July inviting you to create a portal account. You will need to use the email address you provided when you lodged your complaint for your account to show your existing case.
While the portal is not mandatory, we encourage you to use it to manage your complaint if you can. It will make the AFCA process more efficient, timely, and transparent.
If you cannot create an account or cannot access the portal, you can continue to communicate with AFCA via email and/or phone.
Will my case number change?
If you have an existing complaint with AFCA and an existing case number (this is the six-or-more digit case number provided to you when you made your complaint), your case number will look slightly different in the portal. It will also include a ‘12-00’ prefix.
For example, if your case number is ‘123456’, it will change to ‘12-00-123456’.
You can still refer to your original case number when asked to provide it by AFCA.
If I create an account, will my complaint and the documentation I’ve shared with AFCA appear in the portal?
This will depend on where your complaint is in the AFCA process. If you have a complaint awaiting allocation, or that has already been allocated to a Dispute Resolution Specialist, and you are in the Case Management or Decision stage of AFCA's process, the portal may not show all the details and documentation relating to your complaint. However, AFCA's internal systems will have a record of any information or documentation you have previously shared with us, so you do not need to share it again.
Creating an account
I want to make a new complaint; do I need to create an account?
You will need to create a portal account before completing the online complaint form.
Once you complete the online complaint form and create your account, you will be able to track the progress of your complaint, communicate with AFCA and share documents, from the portal.
You can also make a complaint by email, phone, or in writing/post.
Will AFCA automatically create a portal account for me?
No. If you have an existing complaint with AFCA, we may email you in July inviting you to create a portal account. AFCA’s portal resources explain how to create an account.
How do I create an account?
You can find a video tutorial explaining how to create an account here. If you have an existing complaint and choose to create an account, you will need to use the email address you provided when you lodged your complaint for your account to show your existing case.
I forgot my password, how do I reset it?
If you forget your password, you can update or reset it at any time. You can do this by clicking the ‘forgot your password?’ link on the sign in page. You can also find a video tutorial explaining how to reset your password here.
Using the portal to make a complaint
How do I make a complaint online?
To make a complaint online you will need to do this from the portal. To make a new complaint, you can click the “Start a complaint’ button on the AFCA website homepage and follow the instructions. There are steps you should take before making a complaint to AFCA – such as complaining to your financial firm first. These are outlined on our website.
If you already have a portal account, you can make a complaint from the portal homepage by clicking the ‘lodge a complaint’ button.
Can someone else make a complaint on my behalf using the portal?
Yes, someone else can make a complaint on your behalf from the portal. When completing the online complaint form from the portal, the person making the complaint on your behalf will be asked “Who are you lodging this complaint for?”. They should select “For someone else”. You can also choose to appoint a representative through the portal at any time during the AFCA process.
Using the portal to communicate with AFCA
Can I communicate with AFCA using the portal?
You can communicate with AFCA and financial firms in the portal by raising a request.
Raising a request is how all parties communicate via the portal. There are general requests or specific requests that you can raise. For example, when you need more time to respond or would like additional assistance.
The request function allows you to write explanatory notes or messages to AFCA about your request.
Can I upload documents to the portal?
Yes, the portal allows you to upload and share documents with AFCA and your financial firm. Once a document is uploaded it is automatically shared with other parties unless you select to share the information with AFCA only.
What if I upload a document by mistake? Can I delete it from the portal?
There is no self-serve feature to retract a document once it has been uploaded to the portal. However, you can make a request to AFCA, and AFCA will review the document before removing it if required. Once a document is uploaded and automatically shared with another party, it will be available to the other party until AFCA removes the document (if AFCA accepts the request to remove the document).
Can I limit the information and documents that a financial firm sees?
Yes, you can opt out of automatically sharing information and documents in limited circumstances.
What file types are accepted by the portal?
A wide range of file types are accepted, including .wav audio files, jpeg, email, videos and photos.
What is the document upload size limit?
The document size limit is around 475MB. If you encounter an issue uploading a file to the portal, you can raise a request for assistance in the portal or contact us by email or phone.
If I don’t use the portal, how can I communicate with AFCA?
You can still contact AFCA by emailing info@afca.org.au or calling 1800 931 678.
Will conciliations appear in the portal?
AFCA case workers will arrange conciliations through calls and messages. However, once confirmed, we will send an invitation that can go in your calendar.
Each complaint in the portal will also show upcoming appointments for that complaint, such as conciliation conferences.
Account management
How can I update my personal information?
You can update your personal information, such as your email address, postal address, or contact information, in the portal by clicking ‘profile preferences’ and following the prompts.
Can I deactivate my portal account after my complaint has been resolved?
Yes, you can deactivate your portal account on the ‘Profile’ page.
Notifications
How will I be notified about the status of my complaint, for example when I need to respond to AFCA or a financial firm?
When there is new activity on your complaint, such as a request from AFCA to respond to us, or provide additional information, you will generally receive an email or SMS from AFCA. If you’re in the portal, you can see a list of all the requests. There is also a notifications bell icon in the top right-hand corner of page. You can click the bell to see a list of all notifications.
How can I set up notification preferences?
You can set up and update your notification and communication preferences in the portal by clicking ‘profile preferences’ and changing your ‘portal notification preference’ to either email or SMS.
You can also raise a general request in the portal and ask us to update this for you.
If you would not like to receive any complaint notifications from the portal, you will need to contact us.
I’m not receiving email notifications, what should I do?
First, check your spam or junk email folder. If the emails are not there, verify that your email address is correct in your account settings and that email notifications are enabled. If you require further assistance, you can lodge a request through the ‘Enquiries and feedback’ section of the portal, or email info@afca.org.au.
Security and privacy
How secure is the portal?
The portal uses advanced security measures, including SSL encryption and multi-factor authentication, to ensure your data is protected.
How can I enable multi-factor authentication?
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is required to set up your account. You will not be able to login to the portal without MFA. When you attempt a login, a code will be sent to your email address. You will need to enter this code into the required field to access the portal.
What should I do if I suspect unauthorised access to my portal account?
If you suspect unauthorised access, immediately change your password. You should also contact us for further assistance by emailing info@afca.org.au.
How does AFCA protect my privacy?
Privacy matters to us and we know it matters to you. We take people’s privacy very seriously and it is essential to us that we look after and secure information that we collect. Our primary purpose in collecting any personal information, as defined in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and referred to in Sections 2.3 and 4 of the privacy policy, is to resolve financial complaints that are lodged with us.
Please review our Privacy Policy for detailed information on how we handle your personal information and data.
Troubleshooting
I’m experiencing issues with the portal, what should I do?
If you encounter any issues, please try clearing your browser cache and cookies, or try accessing the portal from a different browser or device. If the problem persists, contact us by emailing info@afca.org.au or calling 1800 931 678.
The portal is not loading properly, what can I do?
Ensure that you have a stable internet connection and that your browser is up to date. If you continue to experience issues, contact us by emailing info@afca.org.au or calling 1800 931 678.
What should I do if the portal is down for maintenance?
During scheduled maintenance, some features of the portal itself may be temporarily unavailable. If this is the case, the portal page will explain the outage, how long we anticipate the outage to be for, and provide an explanation of what to do. In most cases, if the portal is unavailable, you can continue to call or email AFCA.
What should I do if I encounter a bug or error on the portal?
If you encounter any bugs or errors, please report them through the "Enquiries and feedback" function, or email info@afca.org.au.
Feedback and support
How can I provide feedback about the portal?
You can provide feedback by clicking ‘Enquiries and feedback’ from the portal homepage. Or you can email info@afca.org.au or call 1800 931 678.
