A large part of any job is to complete routine workplace tasks. This can be learnt in several different ways:

·         Workplace training

·         Watching others

·         Listening to other explain

·         Reading procedures

·         Using checklists

And most importantly; asking questions.

Australia has rapidly moved to a cashless society, driven by the convenience and security of digital payment methods. For businesses, understanding the most popular payment methods in Australia is essential for providing seamless and efficient customer and client experiences.  

In 2025 in Australia, the most widely used payment systems are credit cards and debit cards. These are the dominant methods for both in-store and online transactions. This is reflected in the widespread use of contactless tap and go payments which allows customers to pay for goods and services by simply holding their card or mobile device near an EFTPOS terminal

(Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale).

This is a faster and more convenient way to make purchases than inserting or swiping a card.  Visa and Mastercard continue to lead the market. Most busineses accept these cards both online and in-store, benefiting from the security measures like 

3-D Secure. 3 D Secure is a security protocol for online payments that adds an extra layer of protection, authenticating the cardholder during the payment process, reducing fraud. 

While cards remain dominant, digital wallets, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay, have seen significant growth, particularly for contactless payments. These wallets allow consumers to store their payment information securely on their mobile devices, providing speed and convenience at checkout. In 2021, monthly digital wallet transactions increased by 90%, illustrating their dominance.

While cash is still used, it is declining in popularity. Other payment methods like PayPal, BPAY, and buy now, pay later (BNPL) also have a significant presence, particularly for online transactions.  

BNPL services like Afterpay, Zip, and Klarna are rapidly gaining traction, especially among younger consumers. This flexible payment option allows customers to make purchases immediately and pay off the balance in instalments, without interest.

BPAY allows consumers to use their banking apps to pay bills. It is popular due to its simplicity, security, and integration with nearly all major financial institutions in Australia.

Cryptocurrency is gaining interest among Australians, particularly among tech-savvy users. Some businesses have begun accepting Bitcoin as payment options, although its mainstream use is still limited compared to traditional payment methods.

All work places now have some type of digital technology but all will differ depending on the type of business. When you begin employment at a workplace, it will be your job to learn the type of equipment used and how to use it effectively. 

Some common digital technology devices found in workplaces include:

• Computer devices / laptops – Used for word processing, spreadsheets, research, and running business software.
  
  

• Photocopier / printer – For making copies of documents or printing reports and forms.
  
  

• Tablet / iPad – Can be used for presentations, taking notes, or mobile point-of-sale.
  
  

• Smartphone – Used for email, communication apps, or business-related tasks on the go.
  
  

• Microsoft Office Suite – Software including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for documents, data, and presentations.
  
  

• Email programs – Tools like Outlook or Gmail used for workplace communication.
  
  

• Internet browser / network access – Accessing information, online tools, and cloud services.
  
  

• Cash register / Point of sale (POS) system – Used to process sales and manage transactions in retail.
  
  

• EFTPOS machine – Allows card payments at a workplace or business location.
  
  

• Social media platforms – Used for marketing, customer engagement, or company announcements.
  
  

• Scanner – Digitises paper documents for storage or email.
  
  

• Label printer – Prints barcodes, product labels, or shipping labels.
  
  

• Headset / VoIP phone – For making calls or attending virtual meetings. VoIP is a technology that lets you make phone calls over the internet instead of using a traditional phone line. Common examples in workplaces include Zoom calls, Microsoft Teams calls, or Skype calls, but also office phones that connect through the internet. The advantages: cheaper, flexible, can include video, and often integrates with computers and headsets.

Source *https://gr4vy.com/posts/popular-payment-methods-in-australia-a-complete-guide-for-2025/

In an entry level job, you will be initially directed what technology to use to complete a job. After a while you will be expected to know and understand which technology to use. 

A password might meet all the criteria above and still be a weak password. For example, Hello2U! meets all the criteria for a strong password listed above, but is still weak because it contains a complete word. 

H3ll0 2 U! is a stronger alternative because it replaces some of the letters in the complete word with numbers and also includes spaces.

Help yourself remember your strong password by following these tips:

• Create an acronym from an easy-to-remember piece of information. For example, pick a phrase that is meaningful to you, such as My son's birthday is 12 December, 2004. Using that phrase as your guide, you might use Msbi12/Dec,4 for your password.

• Substitute numbers, symbols, and misspellings for letters or words in an easy-to-remember phrase. For example, My son's birthday is 12 December, 2004 could become Mi$un's Brthd8iz 12124 (it's OK to use spaces in your password).

• Relate your password to a favorite hobby or sport. For example, I love to play badminton could become ILuv2PlayB@dm1nt()n.

Why are passphrases considered superior to passwords?

While passwords and passphrases are designed to achieve the same goal, there are differences between the two:

• Passphrases are generally easier to remember than passwords. People find it easier to remember four to 8 random words that are more than 30 characters compared to a password that is usually 8 to 16 characters. This is because the password if made up of upper and lower case letters, characters and symbols.

• Passphrases are more secure than passwords. Passphrases can be upwards of 100 characters including capital letters and punctuation and therefore can be more difficult to guess or crack than a password. 

• Passphrases can be created that are almost impossible to crack. Although cyber criminals have password cracking tools even the most advanced tools are not able to crack a passphrase that uses random words and is of significant strength. The same cannot be said for passwords that are much shorter. 

How to use a passphrase

The best way is to combine a group of words into a phrase that makes sense to the user and is easily remembered but makes no sense to anyone else. Therefore it should not use famous quotes or common phrases as these can be guessed or cracked more easily. Instead passphrases should include words and punctuation that only the user would understand.

Passphrase tips:

• Use an easy to remember but uncommon group of 4 to 8 words

• Add spaces within and between words

• Use capital letters in certain words

• Make some letters into numbers

• Use unusual or abbreviated spellings of words

Password example: T1g3rudhxn!vo*LSU - this password is complex and therefore harder to guess or crack but also much harder for the person (you) to remember.

Passphrase example: Aren't tigers awesome and number 1 in the nation? - this passphrase is long, complex and easier to remember than the previous example. *

Extract source * https://grok.lsu.edu/article.aspx?articleid=16865

Other policies and procedures companies might have include:

• Customer complaint handling procedure

• File naming procedure

• Work Place Health and Safety policy

• Protective equipment policy and procedure

• Privacy policy and procedure

• Using a fax machine procedure

Think-Pair-Share: What other policies and procedures can you think of that organisations might have? 

Example: Appropriate use of social media in the workplace.

Digital technology has transformed how people communicate, learn and work. It also means that we can save, send, copy, edit and move data around easily and simply without loss of quality. In your work placement you will have the opportunity to observe and identify the ways the organisation uses digital technology to communicate.