Universal banking service
5 January 2022 - 5 min Reading time
The Universal Banking Service (UBD) will start on 1 January 2022. The UBD allows manual transfers to be carried out at a reasonable rate so that less digitally-skilled consumers can also fully participate in economic life.
- The UBD is a package that consists of at least a number of services, including at least 60 manual transactions per year. The UBD has a fixed cost that differs from bank to bank and amounts to a maximum of EUR 60 per year, possibly supplemented by a monthly cost for sending account statements. The UBD is the result of an agreement between the banking sector and Ministers Van Peteghem and Dermagne and State Secretary De Bleeker.
13 banks offer UBD
In today's society, a lot is happening digitally. Payment and arranging money matters are also part of this and that is not obvious to everyone. The banking sector recognizes and understands this.
Last summer, the banking sector reached an agreement with federal ministers Van Peteghem and Dermagne and State Secretary De Bleeker about offering a universal banking service. The timing and content were laid down in a Charter.
With the universal banking service, the current packages that banks already offer today, including manual transactions at a reasonable fee, are further extended to almost all retail banks. This makes them even more accessible and transparent.
The intention is to service to the group of customers who make little or no use of digital channels for arranging money matters.
On 1 January 2022, 13 banks will offer the universal banking service: Argenta, Axa, Belfius, Beobank, BNPParibas Fortis, Bpost bank, CBC, CPH, Crelan, ING, KBC, KBC Brussels and VDK.
What does the universal banking service consist of?
Thanks to the universal banking service, it is possible to make manual transfers at a reasonable rate. The package consists of at least the following services:
- At least 60 manual operations per year; (for example: paper transfers, to be handed in at the bank branch and, if the infrastructure of the branch allows it, cash withdrawals at the counter)
- A debit card;
- At least 24 cash withdrawals at the ATM of your own bank;
- Printing of account statements at the bank's own ATMs in the branch, monthly withdrawals at the counter (if the bank offers this) or monthly dispatch at the request of the customer at a reasonable cost.
Banks can individually decide to add extra services.
Not more than EUR 60 per year
The rate of the UBD differs from bank to bank, depending on the number and nature of the services included in the package.
The maximum fixed cost of the UBD is EUR 60 per year, possibly supplemented by a cost for sending the account statements. The cost applies for the term of the Charter (until June 30, 2024) and can increase by a maximum of EUR 6 per year during that period. A possible price increase can never lead to a rate that exceeds EUR 60 per year.
If the number of manual transactions exceeds a predetermined number (minimum 60), the price per additional transaction is a maximum of EUR 1.
If the bank offers machines in its own branches for printing account statements, the customer can use these free of charge.
If the bank does not have any machines to provide paper statements, the customer can opt for sending them by post. Banks may, in addition to the postage costs, charge a reasonable fee for the monthly sending of the statements. That reasonable cost is determined as follows:
- A monthly subscription fee of a maximum of EUR 2.50 (including postage costs);
- A maximum cost of EUR 1 per envelope + postage;
- A limited fixed cost per year of a maximum of EUR 5 + postage.
Occasional costs – for example re-offering a direct debit in case of insufficient provision on the current account or requesting a new debit card – are not included in the price of the UBD.
