Bank Charges - Banking and finances in Mojacar - Mojacar forum - Costa de Almería forum in the Almeria province of Spain
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Bank Charges

Posted: Fri Feb 8, 2019 1:51pm
14 replies392 views8 members subscribed
Qman

Posts: 79

27 helpful points

Location: Vera Playa

Joined: 18 Jan 2018

My bank is Unicaja and I am hoping to find out if it is normal to have to pay charges in Spain. The charge used to be 3 Euro a month but it has recently raised to 4.5 Euro  a month.  I am happy with all other aspects but I would consider changing banks if I could eliminate or considerably reduce my charges.

Thanks to anyone taking the time to reply.

BobL

Posted: Fri Feb 8, 2019 3:20pm

BobL

Super helpful member

Posts: 2170

1225 helpful points

Location: Mojacar

Joined: 18 Aug 2016

Posted: Fri Feb 8, 2019 3:20pm

Hi,

La Caixa is 12€' per qtr & lamentable service. 37€ pa for Card. Would never recommend but Services, etc out here require a Spanish bank account.

Think some banks do offer free but tied to monthly deposits.

Saludos,

Bob and Sandra

Mojacar Playa and Puerto Lumbreras

chrisso50

Posted: Fri Feb 8, 2019 7:32pm

chrisso50

Super helpful member

Posts: 1106

1334 helpful points

Location: Roquetas de Mar

Joined: 23 Jul 2018

Posted: Fri Feb 8, 2019 7:32pm

We have a resident Sabadell Expansion Current Account. No charges. Very happy.

BobL

Posted: Fri Feb 8, 2019 7:36pm

BobL

Super helpful member

Posts: 2170

1225 helpful points

Location: Mojacar

Joined: 18 Aug 2016

Posted: Fri Feb 8, 2019 7:36pm

Any conditions re deposits? Cost of card?

Bob

DarioMartin

Posted: Fri Feb 8, 2019 8:17pm

DarioMartin

Legendary helpful member

Posts: 5342

6309 helpful points

Location: Vera

Joined: 16 Aug 2017

Posted: Fri Feb 8, 2019 8:17pm

Like Chrisso I have the fee free Expansion account. No fees, period.  No quarterly cost, card cost, deposit cost, transfer cost - nada.

You need only have an income of 700,00 € per month into the account.  It doesn’t have to be in one hit - just deposits totaling 700,00 € (which includes withdrawing money and immediately depositing it again - I jest not)

Un saludo, Darío

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ajg

Posted: Sat Feb 9, 2019 9:12am

ajg

Posts: 75

22 helpful points

Location: Mojacar

Joined: 2 Nov 2017

Posted: Sat Feb 9, 2019 9:12am

we have an account with Bankia and because most of our pensions are paid in we have no charges at all.

Qman

Posted: Sat Feb 9, 2019 10:29am

Qman

Original Poster

Posts: 79

27 helpful points

Location: Vera Playa

Joined: 18 Jan 2018

Posted: Sat Feb 9, 2019 10:29am

DarioMartin wrote on Fri Feb 8, 2019 8:17pm:

Like Chrisso I have the fee free Expansion account. No fees, period.  No quarterly cost, card cost, deposit cost, transfer cost - nada.

You need only have an income of 700,00 € per month into the account.  It doesn’t have to be in one hit - just deposits totaling 700,00 € (which includes withdrawing money and immediately depositing it again - I jest not)...

...

Un saludo, Darío

Do you know if you have to have residence for this account. The information on deposit of 700E is helpful, as we are not here full time yet I would need to find somewhere to transfer it to, looks like I might have to keep paying but I will go into my bank to see if there is any way that I can reduce the charges. I know it’s not a great sum of money just not used to paying any charges.

DarioMartin

Posted: Sat Feb 9, 2019 10:34am

DarioMartin

Legendary helpful member

Posts: 5342

6309 helpful points

Location: Vera

Joined: 16 Aug 2017

Posted: Sat Feb 9, 2019 10:34am

No - Residencia is not necessary.  I opened my Expansión account in 2014, by passport and from overseas, before I obtained Residencia.

The only difference Residencia has made is identifying my account via NIE instead of Passport number and allowing a Spanish address of residence.  (Also allows access to some more savings products that are only available to Spanish residents)

chrisso50

Posted: Sat Feb 9, 2019 11:38am

chrisso50

Super helpful member

Posts: 1106

1334 helpful points

Location: Roquetas de Mar

Joined: 23 Jul 2018

Posted: Sat Feb 9, 2019 11:38am

My experience differs from that of Dario. I signed up for a Sabadell account in March, before we were resident. As we were not yet paying in a regular sum we were signed up for the basic account, which had a quarterly fee. By August, once we obtained residency, the situation had changed substantially so we switched to the fee-free Expansion account.

Gapyears

Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2019 9:32am

Posts: 55

38 helpful points

Location: Vera Playa

Joined: 23 Jun 2018

Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2019 9:32am

We were with Cajamar when they decided to change our account and start charging us fees (over and above the 15€ pa card fee) . We don't meet the 700€ per month criteria nor do we have any pension being paid in therefore we did some research for a Spanish bank account that has no charges.

The one we found is with Openbank (part of Santander) and is an online banking account only (BBVA & Sabadell do as well but compare and read the small print). 

You open up the account online and you even sign the contract online. All you need is your NIE document and passport which we scanned and uploaded to them.The whole point is that Santander do not want you to use bank tellers / staff and do everything online. They send you a debit card free of charge through the post.

Once your account is open you download an app onto your smart phone or tablet etc, from where you manage your account. The app has multiple functions in order to manage investments, loans etc. What we find as very useful is that with every card purchase you can categorise and sub-categorise in order to know where you spent your money and on what.

You can also get discounts at certain retailers / restaurants as well enter competitions.

I would cheekily ask that if you do want to open an Openbank account then first private message because if I introduce you, I get a reward. ;)

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