Caution: Deception from Greek banks

Residents of Greece More and more often complain about Additional commissions for operations at ATMs. As it turned out, Banks They began to replace their ATMs installed outside the departments with devices belonging to the “private”* companies.

This leads to the fact that Clients now pay the commission even for withdrawing money from their account. Earlier, ATMs belonged to banks that installed them, but now these devices are transferred to private firms that take a fee for any transactions, including cash withdrawal.

The reaction of the authorities

To the question of cases of replacing ATMs by banking devices of private companies, which causes additional fees, a government representative Pavlos Marinakis During a briefing for journalists on Thursday, he defended the recently adopted law on banks. He said: “If we notice double tariffs, we will intervene”.

Citizens are recommended to be careful when using ATMs outside the banking departments, checking whether they belong to banks whose logos and colors they reflect (for example, yellow, orange or blue). If the ATM is managed by a private company, even with a similar design, customers should know that they are waiting for a commission similar to the one that is charged for operations in ATMs of other banks.

What provides for the law

According to the new legislation, banks are required to adapt their systems to established norms, which will annually save about 150 million euros for millions of citizens. Among the abolished or reduced commissions:

• Zero fees for paying bills and debts to the state, insurance funds, local authorities, decentralized administrations, companies providing electricity, gas, water, telecommunications and insurance services through Web-Banking And Mobile-Banking (previously 0.60 euros per operation). This applies to individuals and self -employed.
• The maximum fee of 0.50 euros for sending (outgoing transfer) and 0.50 euros for receiving (incoming transfer) of money up to 5000 euros between banks in Greece, including simple transfers and aims, has been installed Sepa. This reduces the commissions by 50–80% (previously 2.5–5 euros).
• Zero commissions for the removal of cash in municipalities, where there are only one bank ATMs (previously 0-3 euros).
• The zero fee for checking the balance in ATMs of other banks (previously 0.20 euros).
• Zero commission for replenishing prepaid cards up to 100 euros (previously about 1 euro).
• Reducing commissions by 50% for purchases from 10 to 20 euros through POS Within the framework of the “small retail”.

These changes entered into force from the beginning of the year in accordance with the law 2024/88which equalizes the cost of instant and ordinary translations.

*Why the word private In quotation marks. Greece banks are also private, even the so -called “National Bank of Greece” is also a private banking institution. However, these so -called Private companies are actually subsidiaries of banks, or are owned by the shareholders of this bank. Thus, the usual “divorce of customers” for money occurs.

Source link