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What does account access mean?

By sharing access to your account, you authorise another person to use it. As the account holder, you can give someone such as your spouse or a trusted family member permission to pay shared bills or take care of urgent payments when you are unavailable, for example. The person you authorise becomes an authorised user of the account.

Sharing access to your account can be helpful when travelling, during illness or in other situations where you need assistance managing your finances.

However, it is important to remember that you remain fully responsible for all activity on your account. Only give access to someone you trust completely, and only for accounts where such access is genuinely needed. The authorised user must be a Nordea customer.

Account access in practice

An authorised user of an account can manage daily banking matters on behalf of the account holder through their Nordea Mobile or Netbank. For example, an authorised user can:

  • pay bills from the account holder’s account
  • make credit transfers
  • check the account balance and view account transactions
  • withdraw or transfer funds from the account.

However, having access to the account does not make the authorised user an account holder.

Read what authorised users are not allowed to do

Important

Account holder vs authorised user

  • The account holder owns the funds in the account and is responsible for how the account is used, as well as for any fees and account details. They can carry out all account-related activities, including withdrawals, credit transfers and deposits. The account holder also decides on any restrictions applying to the account and can close the account.
  • An authorised user can use the account within the access rights granted by the account holder, for example to pay bills, make credit transfers and view transactions. However, they cannot close the account, enter into agreements relating to the account or transfer their account access to another person.

How to manage access to your account

You can manage access to your account yourself in Nordea Mobile and Netbank: 

  • Open Nordea Mobile or Netbank and go to your account settings. Select “Authorised users”.
  • If you want to give another person access to your account, select “Add authorised user” and enter the person’s name and personal identity number.
  • If you want to revoke another person’s access to your account, select “Remove authorised user” and enter the person’s name and personal identity number.
  • Confirm the change with your Nordea ID app or device.

Account access becomes active immediately once both the account holder and the authorised user have signed an updated account agreement. Please note that the authorised user must be a Nordea customer. 

The quickest way to share account access is through Nordea Mobile or Netbank, where the service is free of charge. During the autumn, a fee will be introduced for requests made through our Customer Service.

When is it appropriate to share access to your account?

You should only give access to your account to people you trust and for a good reason. With that being said, there are many situations in life where sharing access can be a practical solution. For example, sharing account access with a trusted person can provide peace of mind for older people. It can also make everyday life easier for families, allowing both spouses to pay shared bills and household expenses from one account.

Ageing or illness
Shared household finances
Child turns 18
Access to a minor’s account

Sharing account access to manage household expenses

If you would like to manage grocery shopping and other everyday household expenses from a single account, sharing account access can be a simple solution. 

You can grant your spouse, partner or another family member access to your account, making it easier to pay bills and manage day-to-day spending.

That said, a joint account may be a better option in many situations, as both account holders can have their own payment cards linked to the account. A joint account can also provide a clearer arrangement should any disagreements arise.

Whether you use a joint current account or share access to an account, we do not recommend keeping large sums of money in it. For longer-term savings, consider a PerkAccount or another savings account.

Read more about opening a joint account

Sharing account access with a parent once a child reaches adulthood

When a child turns 18, their guardians automatically lose their access and visibility to the child’s accounts. From that point onwards, the child has full control over their own accounts. At the same time, the child will be automatically given full access to their accounts where they only had a viewing authorisation.

However, an 18-year-old can choose to grant their parents access to their account if there is a need to do so. For example, family members living in the same household may find it easier to manage shared expenses and bills with shared account access.

Read more about how banking services change when you turn 18

Parents’ rights to access a minor’s accounts

When opening an account for a child under 18, the consent of both guardians is required. As a result, it is standard practice for both guardians to be granted access to the child’s accounts.

The child and the guardians can be assigned the right to only view the child’s account or to make payments from it.

  • A viewing authorisation means you can only check the account balance and transactions.
  • A payment authorisation means you can view the account balance and transactions and make payments from the account.

These authorisations can be changed by contacting us. Any changes always require the consent of both guardians. A single parent with sole custody is the only person who can open an account and make changes to it independently. You can check the level of access for an account in the account settings in the Nordea Mobile app. 

It is important to remember that parents must always use their access to a child’s accounts in the child’s best interests. A child’s assets are intended for their own benefit and to help secure their future. They must not be used to cover the child’s maintenance costs, such as food or clothing, and parents must not borrow money from the child’s account for their own purposes.

Read more about using a child’s account

Frequently asked questions about access to accounts

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