# Bank charges



## morro (Jul 2, 2008)

I have been checking my account with CGD online and I have found MAN DO - what does this mean?

Also I need to renew my car insurance the day after I return to portugal. I have a DD set up but do not yet know if I am going to scrap my car or keep it. If I renew my insurance and then scrap the car- do I get a refund? Or should I not renew and wait?


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Probably Account maintenance fee, varies between banks and also on your balance, my bank charges zero fees if account in credit by 3000€.

Refund maybe, depends on your terms & conditions, if your unsure then cancel DD and either renew when you get here or renew for a shorter period. Of course no insurance no cover if anything happens to it.


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## Foradarede (Aug 25, 2013)

*extortion*

Hello

Yet another 16 euros has been taken from my account simply for having a little bit of cash in the bank.

I find these charges extortionate - a case of robbing the poor.

I could transfer 4000 or more euros to my account to stop these charges, but I wanted to first ask what the implications are for not having a bank account in Portugal at all, after I have finished buying a home here (coz I won't have much left after that).

Thank you.


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

How would you pay bills or direct debits whether your a resident or Non Resident? or how would you transfer funds and where would you transfer funds to, expensive just to use a ATM to use a UK card change banks is the simplest, Activo are basically online banking but no charges


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## Foradarede (Aug 25, 2013)

Activo - just looked at their website - they have branches but not where I am. Do they work like the Cooperative in the UK, where they use the Post Office (or equivalent here) for deposits and a card for withdrawal from any ATM? Do you know?

Thank you.


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## Foradarede (Aug 25, 2013)

Well, I've applied for an account (with no chance anywhere to add that I am too deaf to hear on the telephone, as is usually the case with this deaf-unaware world), so I will see what happens.

Thank you very much, Canoeman, for this - I was not aware of this bank before you told me. I much appreciate your help.


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## JohnBoy (Oct 25, 2009)

Foradarede said:


> Activo - just looked at their website - they have branches but not where I am. Do they work like the Cooperative in the UK, where they use the Post Office (or equivalent here) for deposits and a card for withdrawal from any ATM? Do you know?
> 
> Thank you.


Activo is a subsidiary of Millennium. Whilst you are expected to conduct all your day to day banking online or over the phone, in an emergency you can pop into any Millennium branch for help.

They will give you (free) a card to withdraw cash from ATMs and if you want you can also have a free credit card. There is also a prepaid debit card to use for online purchases, again it is free. It's a very useful card as it means no charges if you ever have to book flights with the likes of Ryanair. I always leave the balance of my card at zero and simply transfer sufficient funds to it whenever I need to make a purchase. Leaving the balance at zero protects you in the unlikely event that your account details are ever stolen. Balance nil = nothing to steal.


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## Foradarede (Aug 25, 2013)

Hi JohnBoy,

The debit card sounds right up my street - the sort of thing I used in the UK.

Thanks very much for this info - I feel reassured that applying for an Activo account was the right thing to do for me. I noticed after my last post that they are part of Millennium, so it is nice to know I can use a branch if I have any trouble.

I think this forum is great. I don't know what I would do without it!

Many thanks again, and have a great day.


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## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

Is there a minimum credit balance required for the the Activo account?


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## JohnBoy (Oct 25, 2009)

siobhanwf said:


> Is there a minimum credit balance required for the the Activo account?


Not at all Siobhan. You have to deposit €200 to open the account and at the time will be given your debit card and any other card that you need. You can then go to the ATM and immediately withdraw some or all of the €200. 

Being part of Millennium you would have access to the free transfer facility between UK banks snd your account here but I appreciate that probably does not apply to you personally.

The only time they will make a charge is if you go overdrawn and there is also a charge to transfer funds from Activo to an overseas bank.

Other than that enjoy free, friendly banking.


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## Foradarede (Aug 25, 2013)

I received a welcome e-mail from Activo bank today, telling me to go to one of their branches (my nearest one is about a two-hour drive away), with certain documents, plus a minimum cash deposit of 250 euros.

The documents requested are originals of:

Cartão do Cidadão (ou Bilhete Identidade e Cartão de Contribuinte)
Comprovativo de morada (com data de emissão inferior a 6 meses) ou Carta de Condução
Comprovativo de Entidade Empregadora / Recibo de Vencimento (com data de emissão inferior a 3 meses) ou Declaração de Início de Atividade.

Relembramos que o depósito inicial é no montante de 250€ a ser realizado no momento de abertura de conta.

I don't have a citizens card, so I have e-mailed them back to ask if my certificado de registo de cidadão da união europeia, my temporary ID (documento provisório de identificação) should do, along with my passport, and the 250 euros. I've also asked to make sure I do have to travel to Aveiro in order to open the account, or whether I can do it through Milennium bank in Viseu.

When I completed the on-line application form I chose unemployed under profession, so I am guessing I won't need to present proof of that.

Will let you know what they say.


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## JohnBoy (Oct 25, 2009)

Foradarede , You should be able to take your documents into Millennium and I'm sure that is what Activo will tell you. Your problem may possibly come once you go to Millennium as there is a target driven rivalry between the two to sign up new customers. It is possible that they will say that they cannot help you but you should persist. Assuming that Activo replies as I suggested they will, then when you go in to Millennium I would take a print of the email that you receive from Activo telling you to do so.

Millennium then have two options:

1. They can photocopy your documents, put their branch stamp and sign the copies to verify them and you then have to post them to Activo.

or

2. They can enter details from the documents onto their system which is accessible to staff at Activo.

Best of luck and do let us know how you get in.


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## Foradarede (Aug 25, 2013)

I was hoping this might be the case, thank you. Yes, definitely a case of printing off e-mail reply from Activo to ensure Milennium can't tell me no.

Yes, I will, I will let you know what happens.

Many thanks!


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## azoreseuropa (Nov 10, 2013)

Foradarede said:


> Well, I've applied for an account (with no chance anywhere to add that I am too deaf to hear on the telephone, as is usually the case with this deaf-unaware world), so I will see what happens.
> 
> Thank you very much, Canoeman, for this - I was not aware of this bank before you told me. I much appreciate your help.


You are deaf too ? I am curious about your bank. Do they charge you if you put a small amount or do you use social security check for disability so they do not charge you ? I am curious because I am deaf and Portuguese.


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## azoreseuropa (Nov 10, 2013)

Oh no.. There is no editable.. Well. I am going to be adding it now:



JohnBoy said:


> Not at all Siobhan. You have to deposit €200 to open the account and at the time will be given your debit card and any other card that you need. You can then go to the ATM and immediately withdraw some or all of the €200.
> 
> Being part of Millennium you would have access to the free transfer facility between UK banks snd your account here but I appreciate that probably does not apply to you personally.
> 
> ...


Deposit 200 or more to open an account ? Really ?


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## Foradarede (Aug 25, 2013)

Hi Bearmon2010

Nice to meet you!

I have sensorineural hearing loss, which means I hear sounds but they are distorted. So I am not profoundly Deaf but I cannot understand speech and have to lip-read, so I am effectively deaf.

I am not officially recognised as disabled in the UK (because otherwise the government might have to help me!), although I do consider myself to be disabled because I cannot do what people with normal hearing can (with their ears anyway!).

So I am not receiving any benefits, and the bank treats me like everyone else.

Sorry I couldn't answer your question.

How are you getting on? You're from America but living in Portugal, or you are Portuguese but brought up in America? Are you profoundly Deaf? Is sign language your first language?


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## Foradarede (Aug 25, 2013)

Yes, Activo want 250 euros deposit when you open your account with them, but according to JohnBoy you can withdraw all or some of it straight-away.

I wrote to Activo to find out if they will accept my application even though I don't have the documents they ask for. They wrote back and effectively said no. I have written again to clarify because I see no reason to be rejected. That was Friday evening and I haven't heard back yet. If they don't respond by the end of tomorrow, I will chase them up.


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

As an Internet Bank then all or most is designed for internet set up, what papers don't you have that they want? it's your Passport & NIF number as an alternative to Citizen Card which you can't have as non Portugeuse, retired better than unemployed as Johnboy said they can be copied and forwarded via any Millennium branch

Bearman very few Portuguese banks reguire a larger initial deposit


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## JohnBoy (Oct 25, 2009)

Foradarede said:


> Yes, Activo want 250 euros deposit when you open your account with them, but according to JohnBoy you can withdraw all or some of it straight-away.
> 
> I wrote to Activo to find out if they will accept my application even though I don't have the documents they ask for. They wrote back and effectively said no. I have written again to clarify because I see no reason to be rejected. That was Friday evening and I haven't heard back yet. If they don't respond by the end of tomorrow, I will chase them up.


It seems that Activo have increased their initial deposit from €200 to €250 as reported by a couple of members. That must have happened within the last few months since I last opened an account. But whatever the amount you can then go straight to the ATM and withdraw it again. If you apply in a branch the cards (debit and credit) are made up there and then and handed to you with the PIN numbers. Obviously applying by post you would have to wait for these to be sent to you.

Foradarede can you remind us what documents you believe you have missing.


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## azoreseuropa (Nov 10, 2013)

canoeman said:


> Bearman very few Portuguese banks reguire a larger initial deposit


Correct: LOL. You are confused a little bit. Some people thought its Bearman. I can't blame you for that, smile. It's Bearmon.. its Japanese animated called Digimon. A bear with rapper backward hat on him. Here:










Yes, I am aware of that. I am curious about Foradarede's situation, thats why.  

@Foradarede,

We can talk about it in PM to avoid the conflicting somewhat. Cheers.


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## Foradarede (Aug 25, 2013)

Hello again,

In my last e-mail to Activo I told them that UK citizens don't have ID cards, only passports, and that although I was unemployed I had loads of money in a bank in Spain, and that I have had an account with Caixa Geral de Depositos since 2011.

They responded only to say this:

A documentação solicitada é aquela que é pedida ao cliente conforme Aviso 11/2005 do Banco de Portugal.

O único documento que poderá ser excluído é o comprovativo de entidade empregadora, uma vez que se encontra em situação de desemprego.

I don't really know what the first paragraph is saying, but the second seems to say that the only document that might be excluded is the work thingy, since I am unemployed.


I think I will just try and complete the opening of the account at Milennium in Viseu, and take printouts of the e-mail communications.

I am supposed to take

Passport
Cartão de identidade emitido pelo Serviço de Estrangeiro e Fronteiras (SEF)
Comprovativo de Morada
(instead of these I will show my certificate of residency thingy)
250 euros

I will also take along my temporary ID which seems to have the equivalent of the número contribuinte, as they accepted this number on their on-line application form.

Hope this makes sense - reassurances always appreciated.


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

The first sentence refers to the rules and documentation laid down for opening and account by the Bank of Portugal
the second is as your unemployed you can't/needn't produce a document of employment, but by stating your unemployed it's a reason to have an application denied as I said better to say retired.

Comprovativo de Morada is proof of address = utilty bills, Escritura, rental contract, Astestado from Junta that type of thing or a combination

Apart from Passport *don't forget* your *NIF * either the card or the paper you got from Financas you cannot open an account in Portugal without one or providing proof of it. If you don't have it you can get a copy from Financas or online if you have access to your NIF

Really don't know what you mean by "temporary ID" no such thing here, you either have the Certificate of Residence or a Buff Permanent Residence Card which is what they are asking for
= Cartão de identidade emitido pelo Serviço de Estrangeiro e Fronteiras (SEF)


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## Foradarede (Aug 25, 2013)

Hello Canoeman,

Thanks for your help.

I think I can persuade them that I am retired, although won't they then ask for proof that I am getting a pension?

I don't really have proof of my address apart from the certificate of residency. I don't pay bills, have a contract or anything. The truth is that I am just using a friend's address for post and anything official, such as the residency certificate, but I don't really live there. I stay with another friend but who I got to know later and didn't bother changing addresses as I don't pay bills etc. there either.

Sorry for the confusion. The temporary ID is what the name of the document translates to (according to Google Translate), but it is the NIF number, which I take with me everywhere.

I will have a go at going to Milennium and see what happens with what I've got and what I can say to them.

I will let you know what happens.

Thanks very much again.


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Being retired doesn't necessarily mean your of Pension age, we retired at 55 and just stated it.

Your address might be an issue where's your Caixi General account registered too? might surffice


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## Foradarede (Aug 25, 2013)

Hi again Canoeman,

I was hoping to have got to a Milennium bank by now, but hasn't happened.

Will let you know what comes out of a visit when I get the chance.

For now, thank you again.

Kind regards.


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## Foradarede (Aug 25, 2013)

*Update*

Better late than never!

As promised - back to tell how it went with opening an account with Activo bank with only my NIF number, my certificate of residency and my passport.

Sometime after my last post here I had a Portuguese friend phone Activo bank to check that I these docs would be sufficient, and that I would be able to open an account via Millenium bank (rather than driving almost two hours to the nearest Activo branch), and to check how I could prove my address - as the only proof I had was the certificate of residency. 

The person at the other end said that I could present anything that had been posted to me within the last three months. I therefore got my sister to write to me.

After I got my sister's letter, I visited Millenium Bank in Viseu with my documents to see if it would work. The employee there didn't take my sister's letter, saying it was unnecessary to do so.

She didn't ask for the 250 euros and I didn't offer it.

She phoned the Activo branch in Aveiro to check something, and then told me that she would send photocopies of my documents to Aveiro and e-mail me in about a week when my account would have been opened and my new account documents had arrived to her. 

She did this - it took more like two weeks for some reason. Towards the latter part of this period I received an e-mail from Activo bank telling me the account was opened and my documents were ready for collection from Millenium bank in Viseu, and that I would need to deposit 250 euros into the account when I collected the account docs.

I have recently done all of this, and all seems to be well. I now have a debit card - yay! And today I used Millenium bank again to deposit the cash I withdrew from my other account, which I have closed, telling them it was because of their high maintenance fees.

So thank you so very much for telling me about Activo Bank! Your advice will save me money!!! Yay again!!!
:roll:


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