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Punctuation and symbols are used to structure or clarify the meaning of text.

Ampersands [&]

Replaces the word ‘and’ – often used in headings and navigation menus. Don’t use in body copy unless it’s a noun or otherwise appropriate.

For example:

Terms & Conditions

Travel & International

Note: Use of ampersands is subject to brand, legal and compliance reviews.

Apostrophes [']

Used to indicate either possession or the omission of letters, as in an abbreviation or contraction.

For example:

The industry’s grown 3% in the past 12 months.

It’s, here’s, you’ll, etc.

Look n’ feel, mix n’ match, etc.


It's vs. Its

‘It’s’ is a contraction of 'it is'.

‘Its’ is a possessive pronoun meaning 'belonging to it'.

For example:

It's our lowest fixed rate in 30 years.

We’ve reduced its interest rate…


When plural nouns end in 's', add the apostrophe after the ‘s’ to indicate possession.

For example:

Both accounts’ eligibility requirements are the same.


Names ending in ‘s’ should have an apostrophe and an ‘s’ at the end to indicate possession.

For example:

Alexis's savings doubled in 12 months.


Don’t use an apostrophe for plurals.

For example:

ATMs

1990s

PDFs

Note: Use an apostrophe and an ‘s’ for plural nouns that don’t end in ‘s’ e.g. children’s account.

Colons [:]

Used to indicate that something follows, such as a list or examples.

For example:

Enjoy the benefits of eStatements:

  • More secure
  • Environmentally friendly
  • Clutter free
  • Convenient

Capitalise the first letter of each bullet point.

For example:

How to apply for a loan at Westpac:

  • Online
  • Branch
  • Phone

Note: Only use a full stop at the end of the last bullet point if it’s a sentence. If there’s more than one sentence per bullet point, add a full stop at the end of each bullet.


A colon is used where space is limited and where separating a field name from data without a colon may confuse a customer.

For example:

Account balance: $503.49

Commas [,]

Used to indicate a reading pause in a sentence, improving the flow of the message.

For example:

With your Westpac Digital Card, you’ll never be without your card again.

Note: Read the sentence aloud to check if your commas are reflecting your pauses.


Oxford commas are added before the word 'and' to help avoid confusion.

For example:

Credit criteria, terms and conditions, and eligibility apply.


Use a comma before the word ‘but’ if joining two sentences. No comma if it’s one sentence.

For example:

You won’t be able to access your Online Banking or Westpac App during this time, but you can still get in touch with us via phone or by dropping into branch.

The Banking Executive Accountability Regime will strengthen confidence in the financial sector but needs to be thought through to avoid unintended consequences.


Use commas to separate names from titles.

For example:

Peter King, Westpac Group CEO, was appointed in April 2020.

Exclamation marks [!]

Lifts the tempo of a word or phrase. Use sparingly and only when appropriate.

For example:

Do: Congratulations!

Don't: Get in touch with us!

Full stops [.]

No full stops on the end of headings or sub-headings.

Use full stops for sub-copy and body copy.

For example:

Tap into simpler banking

Introducing the new Westpac App. Enjoy simpler, smarter and smoother banking with the new Westpac App for iPhone.

Note: You can use a full stop to break up a headline, but no full stop on the end.

For example:

For example:

LIFE IS EVENTFUL. THAT’S WHY WE HELP


No full stops on the end for:

  • CTA buttons or standalone text links
  • URLs
  • Email addresses

Don’t use full stops on the end of bullet points unless each is relatively lengthy.

For example:

How to apply for a loan:

  • Online
  • Branch
  • Phone

Hyphens and em - dashes

Hyphens are used to join words to indicate that they have a combined meaning (such as compound adjectives), or that they’re linked in the grammar of a sentence.

For example:

Up-to-date

Interest-free

Long-term

Note: No space on either side of the hyphen.

For example:

Connect to a third party using a third-party connection

Note: ‘third party’ is a noun so it has no hyphen, while ‘third-party’ is a compound adjective so it has a hyphen.


Use em dashes to add extra information or use instead of commas.

For example:

Updating your contact details in Online Banking and the Westpac App is quick and easy – no need to wait in line or call us.

It’s good to know you have money set aside to help cope with what life – or business conditions – might throw at you.

Note: Don’t use colons and ensure there are spaces on both sides of the em dash.


No hyphen on ‘e’ (electronic) words.

For example:

eStatements, ecommerce, email

Per cent [%]

Use the symbol instead of the word.

For example:

1.99% p.a. fixed rate

Question mark [?]

Engages customers and can help shorten headlines

For example:

WANT $3K CASHBACK?

Switch your home loan to Westpac.

Quotation marks ["]

Double quotation marks are used to mark speech. Single quotation marks (inverted commas) are used for descriptions.

For example:

Westpac Group CEO, Peter King, said “I’m proud to launch our latest Access and Inclusion Plan today.”

For more information, download our ‘First Home Buyers Guide’.

Search ‘Westpac Choice’

Semi colons [;]

Used to separate two sentences that are closely related but could also stand on their own.

For example:

Choose Business One Low if you mainly bank online; and pay no monthly fee for the first year.

Note: Often used to break up complex sentences that have multiple messages – typically used in legal-led comms.

Slashes [/]

Don't use spaces on the sides of a forward slash.

For example:

Do: and/or

Don't: and / or

It is also used to replace the word ‘per’.

Do: $100,000/year

Don't: $100,000/yearly