Comparison

Beem vs Macquarie Authenticator

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Beem

Manage your money, split bills, and earn rewards all in one secure digital wallet. Pay, request, and transfer funds easily with contacts, and store loyalty and gift cards. Offers cashback and integrated BPAY for bill payments.

Highlights
  • Send and request money
  • Split bills with contacts
  • Earn cashback rewards
  • Store loyalty cards
  • Integrated BPAY for bills
  • Send digital gift cards
Features
Read full description

A digital wallet that does more than store. With Beem you can pay, request, transfer and split money – plus earn rewards and keep your loyalty and gift cards – all in one place. It’s easy, secure and free to download. ---------------- One wallet. Many possibilities. Say goodbye to the bulky, chuck in your bag retro wallet, and say hello to a shiny, new, all-in-one app that does more than store cards. Pay people. Not accounts. We facilitate payments, but we’re not a bank. Beem syncs up to your contacts, so you flick it over, divvy it up or call it in with anyone in your network. No bank details needed. Split the bill. Not friendships. Track and split expenses between mates without any chasing or awkward convos. You can even create multiple groups for friends, family or workmates. Just enter the amount, we calculate who-owes-what, and everyone settles up. Quick, easy, and all in the app. Get cashback. When you spend. Unlock more value with online and in-store offers via Beem Rewards. Shop in-person with your linked cards or online via the app and watch your savings grow. BPAY® on Beem. Easy as. Master your bills in moments. With BPAY built-in, you know where your money is going and when it’s going to land. Maximise loyalty. Store in one place. Time to declutter all the plastic, punch cards and apps. Beem digitalises all your loyalty cards together in one place. Less risk. More reward. Do you know what present everyone really loves? Choice. Buy and send a personalised gift card from your wallet to theirs. ---------------- The fine print Digital Wallet Pty Ltd ABN 93 624 272 475 (Digital Wallet) AFSL 515270 is the issuer and provider of the Beem facility. Before downloading the app, please consider the Product Disclosure Statement and Terms and Conditions, available at beem.com.au. References to 'Beem' or 'Beem It' are used interchangeably. Any financial product advice, incidental or expressly, provided by Digital Wallet is general advice only. This advice has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs, you should, before acting on it, consider if Beem is appropriate for your circumstances. To make or receive a payment through Beem, a valid Visa or Mastercard debit card attached to an Australian bank account is required. T&Cs apply. Beem Rewards and Beembucks have no monetary value. Any value assigned and any redemption is at the sole discretion of Digital Wallet. You have no entitlement to Beem Rewards and Beembucks until Digital Wallet has notified you that Beem Rewards have a value, you have accumulated more than AUD$10 in Beembucks notified value and you have requested redemption. Please read the PDS and T&Cs, Privacy Policy and Beem Rewards T&Cs.

About

Macquarie Authenticator

Enhance your account security with this app, offering push notifications for transaction approval or denial and generating one-time passcodes for authentication. It provides a faster, more secure alternative to SMS, especially when traveling internationally.

Highlights
  • Push notifications for transaction approval/denial
  • Generate one-time rolling codes
  • Offline authentication with rolling codes
  • Manage pending tasks
  • PIN, fingerprint, and facial recognition unlock
Features
Read full description

Protect your Macquarie account with Macquarie Authenticator. Our two-factor authentication app is designed to maximise your security, while also providing a beautiful banking experience.​ Separate security, seamless experience Macquarie Authenticator works seamlessly with the Macquarie Mobile Banking app. Approve or deny requests in an instant, directly through your notifications, for stronger security that feels like a single, seamless flow. More secure than SMS  Unlike with SMS, you can see exactly what you’re approving. We send detailed alerts directly to your secure app, not your phone number. You’re in control Verify important transaction details upfront, such as the amount, recipient and location, so you can approve or deny transactions with confidence.

Screenshots

Beem4 screens
Macquarie Authenticator3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Beem at 58% against Macquarie Authenticator's 15%. Beem also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (152 vs 2). Macquarie Authenticator's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Beem holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Beem has 152 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Beem's written reviews are positive against 15% of Macquarie Authenticator's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Beem ships an update every 2 months, Macquarie Authenticator every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Beem versus Macquarie Authenticator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBeemMacquarie Authenticator
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (152 ratings) — better3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews57.6% of reviews — better14.8% of reviews
Number of ratings152 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size98 MB220 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBeem ItMacquarie Bank Limited

Customer experience

Beem

All ratings152 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral2.0%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews158 reviews
Positive57.6%
Neutral9.5%
Negative32.9%

Macquarie Authenticator

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews108 reviews
Positive14.8%
Neutral4.6%
Negative80.6%

Bugs and requests

Beem

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App not loading or freezing after updates
  • Payments not showing up or getting lost
  • Inability to remove or change linked cards
  • Account verification issues and lockouts
  • Loyalty card feature not functioning properly

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add search function to find past transactions
  • Allow admins to close payment groups
  • Integrate receipt/bill upload for expenses
  • Provide option to change payment split ratios
  • Add support for international users and cards

Macquarie Authenticator

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Beem

No in-app purchases

None

Macquarie Authenticator

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Beem free?
Beem is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Macquarie Authenticator free?
Macquarie Authenticator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Beem or Macquarie Authenticator?
Beem is rated higher. Beem averages 4.7 out of 5 from 152 ratings, while Macquarie Authenticator averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Beem or Macquarie Authenticator have ads?
Neither Beem nor Macquarie Authenticator shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Beem or Macquarie Authenticator?
Beem ships an update every 2 months, and Macquarie Authenticator every 3 weeks. Most recently, Beem was updated on October 17, 2026 and Macquarie Authenticator on October 17, 2026.

Other comparisons