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Avoid Spanish Bank Charges

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2021 6:02pm
23 replies1308 views8 members subscribed
Kevinmesnard

Posts: 17

10 helpful points

Location: La Zenia

Joined: 14 Nov 2018

I'm wanting to close my Bankia account as the robbing b$@#$%&ds are now charging me €14 per month, I was looking at Starling but now read that as they use a UK IBAN number and we're out of the EU an €18 charge will be levied on € to € transfers, plan B is now to open a transferwise account, can you setup DD's from there and is there anything I should lookout for? TIA

Barry14

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 1:17am

Posts: 98

21 helpful points

Location: Cabo Roig

Joined: 16 Jan 2021

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 1:17am

Hi... I have account with Bankia...I understand no charges unless account under 2000 e...I maybe wrong... I am non res

Since Sept 2019...I don't know my balance...despite sending TT...communication non existant..very poor service..

Thanks your info...regards

Kenbo

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 8:59am

Kenbo

Very helpful member

Posts: 999

799 helpful points

Location: La Florida

Joined: 6 Dec 2017

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 8:59am

Kevinmesnard wrote on Wed Jan 20, 2021 6:02pm:

I'm wanting to close my Bankia account as the robbing b$@#$%&ds are now charging me €14 per month, I was looking at Starling but now read that as they use a UK IBAN number and we're out of the EU an €18 charge will be levied on € to € transfers, plan B is now to open a transferwise ac...

...count, can you setup DD's from there and is there anything I should lookout for? TIA

Yes Kevin you can do this, I have.

I also bank at the La Zenia branch who happen to be the most unhelpful staff that I have ever come across at a bank, I can't close the account without a personal visit or Power of Attorney, the fact that we are in a pandemic is lost on them.

I have had a Transferwise account for almost 10 years, initially for transferring currency to my Bankia account but as time moved along they developed the borderless account, this allows you to send and receive money in many different currencies including the Euro. 

More recently they have allowed direct debits from the account, I have moved Iberdrola, Hydraqua and the Suma to here, all working fine at the moment, my community fees admin couldn't make the dd work but as this is only twice a year I just do a bank transfer directly to the communities bank account.

You can inform the utilities of any new IBAN number in your utilities accounts or in some cases by email or phone.

Transferwise's account is based in Belgium and therefore the IBAN prefix is BE and up to now there has been no charges against the direct debits and only very small charges for currency transactions, there are no monthly charges.

HTH, Ken.

tebo53

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 9:09am

tebo53

Legendary helpful member

Posts: 4776

4960 helpful points

Location: Benidorm

Joined: 29 May 2018

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 9:09am

Kenbo wrote on Thu Jan 21, 2021 8:59am:

Yes Kevin you can do this, I have.

I also bank at the La Zenia branch who happen to be the most unhelpful staff that I have ever come across at a bank, I can't close the account without a personal visit or Power of Attorney, the fact that we are in a pandemic is lost on them.

I have had a Transferwise account for almost 10 years, initially for transferring currency to my Bankia account but as time moved along they developed the borderless account, this allows you to send and receive money in many different currencies including the Euro. 

More recently they have allowed direct debits from the account, I have moved Iberdrola, Hydraqua and the Suma to here, all working fine at the moment, my community fees admin couldn't make the dd work but as this is only twice a year I just do a bank transfer directly to the communities bank account.

You can inform the utilities of any new IBAN number in your utilities accounts or in some cases by email or phone.

Transferwise's account is based in Belgium and therefore the IBAN prefix is BE and up to now there has been no charges against the direct debits and only very small charges for currency transactions, there are no monthly charges.

HTH, Ken.

Very informative post. I've been with Transferwise for years to transfer money between accounts and recently thinking of using the Borderless account. It seems like you are happy with the way its working. 

Steve 

Kenbo

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 9:14am

Kenbo

Very helpful member

Posts: 999

799 helpful points

Location: La Florida

Joined: 6 Dec 2017

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 9:14am

tebo53 wrote on Thu Jan 21, 2021 9:09am:

Very informative post. I've been with Transferwise for years to transfer money between accounts and recently thinking of using the Borderless account. It seems like you are happy with the way its working. 

Steve 

Yes Steve, happy so far.

It has worked fine during 2020 and my direct debits have gone out this month as normal.

As you are resident are you obliged to maintain a Spanish bank account or would this only be necessary during the initial residency applications? 

Ken

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Kevinmesnard

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 10:31am

Kevinmesnard

Original Poster

Posts: 17

10 helpful points

Location: La Zenia

Joined: 14 Nov 2018

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 10:31am

Kenbo wrote on Thu Jan 21, 2021 8:59am:

Yes Kevin you can do this, I have.

I also bank at the La Zenia branch who happen to be the most unhelpful staff that I have ever come across at a bank, I can't close the account without a personal visit or Power of Attorney, the fact that we are in a pandemic is lost on them.

I have had a Transferwise account for almost 10 years, initially for transferring currency to my Bankia account but as time moved along they developed the borderless account, this allows you to send and receive money in many different currencies including the Euro. 

More recently they have allowed direct debits from the account, I have moved Iberdrola, Hydraqua and the Suma to here, all working fine at the moment, my community fees admin couldn't make the dd work but as this is only twice a year I just do a bank transfer directly to the communities bank account.

You can inform the utilities of any new IBAN number in your utilities accounts or in some cases by email or phone.

Transferwise's account is based in Belgium and therefore the IBAN prefix is BE and up to now there has been no charges against the direct debits and only very small charges for currency transactions, there are no monthly charges.

HTH, Ken.

Hi Ken 

Thanks for taking the time to reply, looks like I'll go down the Transferwise route.

Regards

Kevin

tebo53

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 5:31pm

tebo53

Legendary helpful member

Posts: 4776

4960 helpful points

Location: Benidorm

Joined: 29 May 2018

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 5:31pm

Kenbo wrote on Thu Jan 21, 2021 9:14am:

Yes Steve, happy so far.

It has worked fine during 2020 and my direct debits have gone out this month as normal.

As you are resident are you obliged to maintain a Spanish bank account or would this only be necessary during the initial residency applications? 

Ken

I intend keeping my Spanish bank account with Sabadell and use Transferwise instead of keeping my Barclays account in the UK. It's not necessary to keep a Spanish bank account once you have achieved full residency. I've  been living here in Benidorm for 7 years now and its difficult maintaining a uk address to keep Barclays satisfied otherwise they will close my account. 

Steve 

Kenbo

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 5:45pm

Kenbo

Very helpful member

Posts: 999

799 helpful points

Location: La Florida

Joined: 6 Dec 2017

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 5:45pm

tebo53 wrote on Thu Jan 21, 2021 5:31pm:

I intend keeping my Spanish bank account with Sabadell and use Transferwise instead of keeping my Barclays account in the UK. It's not necessary to keep a Spanish bank account once you have achieved full residency. I've  been living here in Benidorm for 7 years now and its difficult maintain...

...ing a uk address to keep Barclays satisfied otherwise they will close my account. 

Steve 

Ok Steve I see where you are coming from, you are more interested from a Sterling account point of view ?

Transferwise also have good English speaking customer support based in London.

James1212

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 8:06pm

James1212

Helpful member

Posts: 215

300 helpful points

Location: La Zenia

Joined: 27 Apr 2018

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 8:06pm

Barry14 wrote on Thu Jan 21, 2021 1:17am:

Hi... I have account with Bankia...I understand no charges unless account under 2000 e...I maybe wrong... I am non res

Since Sept 2019...I don't know my balance...despite sending TT...communication non existant..very poor service..

Thanks your info...regards

Hi Barry, 

The standard Bankia non resident account now costs €14 per month. This started last year - mine was free or had minimal fees until then. If you want a ‘free’ account you have to have a regular monthly deposit (€700 I think) plus buy one or two other products like insurance (I don’t remember exactly). Another option for free banking was to lodge €40k for 5 years at 0%. I only use it for direct debits, so it makes sense for me to switch to another account but I haven’t done it yet. 

Someone mentioned that the La Zenia branch was unhelpful- that was also my experience on the one occasion I went in there, although the Cabo Roig branch has always been fine. 

Kenbo

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 8:19pm

Kenbo

Very helpful member

Posts: 999

799 helpful points

Location: La Florida

Joined: 6 Dec 2017

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 8:19pm

James1212 wrote on Thu Jan 21, 2021 8:06pm:

Hi Barry, 

The standard Bankia non resident account now costs €14 per month. This started last year - mine was free or had minimal fees until then. If you want a ‘free’ account you have to have a regular monthly deposit (€700 I think) plus buy one or two other products like insurance (I don’t reme...

...mber exactly). Another option for free banking was to lodge €40k for 5 years at 0%. I only use it for direct debits, so it makes sense for me to switch to another account but I haven’t done it yet. 

Someone mentioned that the La Zenia branch was unhelpful- that was also my experience on the one occasion I went in there, although the Cabo Roig branch has always been fine. 

It was me that mentioned how unhelpful the staff of La Zenia branch are.

For your future reference one of our forum members closed his Bankia account whilst still in the UK with the help of Cabo Roig branch, I wrote to La Zenia branch to point this out, result, usual straight bat.

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