My Experience With A Local Ba Bank Today

[Ceviche]

Well, I have being living here for years and never felt the need to open a bank account.

Despite living here for many years, I never had a health plan or a post paid celu service.

Now I have!

But for past few months I am getting irritated standing in longggg "rapid pago" queues or being rejected at rapid pago counter for various reasons.

So decided to check out "how to open a bank account"

Went to the two nearest banks near my house

aa) Banco Frances
bb) Satandar

aa) Bank Frances

Their was a longggggggggg queue ( about 30 people) for having a personal meeting with someone for whatever reason. The person who was managing the queue for the bank seemed extremely hostile both in actions and the exp<b></b>ression on his face. He admonished me like a policeman does when I tried to use my cellphone to exchange whatsapp message with a hot girl I met last night.

So I left - disgusted!

bb) Santander

Suprisingly right opposite Frances bank but empty! No waiting! I was ushered right in.

first question? whats the number of your DNI?
I dont know if I was foolish but I gave it to him. He seemed to enter it in his computer

question 2? So what do you want
Ans :- I said " i want to open a new account"

question 3 ? Do you want both debit and credit card?
Ans :- I said, "At least debit card"

question 4? What do you do for a living ?
Ans :- I said , " My head is full of knowledge and I help people by giving some of it to them from time to time when they come to me and they pay me for it"

question 5 ? How do they pay you?
Ans :- I said " In cash in pesos"

question 6 ? The only way we can open a ccount for you, if you can get a "Salary slip" from a employer or " show that you are a "mono tribusta"
Ans I said " what if I can not do either?

He replied in a very grim and harsh look at me " Then we can not open a account for you"

I left

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My questions

aa) I thought having a DNI was enough?

bb) Does anyone know any bank where they bank officers are amicable and open a account without such fuss

cc) If I were to open a bank account in say satander bank in microcentro, can I still walk up to satander bank in my barrio and take services?

dd) What the hell is he going to do with my dni number in his possession?

Thanks in advance

 

[ben]

I don't have specifics on opening an account without pay en blanco. However, I do know that Santander Río is not exactly famous for their service. Galicia is much much better.

Also, I'm surprised they only asked you for your DNI and not your CUIL as well.

So in order -

aa) As I said, I'd have thought they'd ask you for your CUIL in addition to your DNI.

bb) In my limited experience, Galicia is great, far better than most other banks.

cc) yes.

dd) most probably nothing. DNI's are tossed around over there like candy. They can immediately see the DNI - and a lot more info - of *any* account holder. It's a bank.

 

[ElCordobés]

Another vote for Galicia. I am always able to talk to my banker in short order. Their web portal is solid. Discounts are good on the occasion I need to buy something.

When I opened an account they needed 3 most recent payments to my monotributo. I do have an account with Credicoop as well. I was able to get a biz account and credit card with no payment to the Monotributo the same day that I set up the monotributo, but still had to present my inscription. This was 18 months ago. Not sure how strict now, but I'd still take Galicia even with the wait.

I happened to be at Galicia today and I have never seen it as busy for the caja (I was still able to talk to the banker right away). Monday is a feriado and bills are due by the 10th for most things....so if you were there in the last couple days...that might have something to do with it.

Never heard anything good about Santander here or abroad. The few times I have gone to Banco Frances as a non-client of the bank---the lines have been crazy.

There are supposedly free accounts with various banks for the "unbanked". Cuenta Gratuita Universal (CGU) Here's HSBC. http://www.hsbc.com.ar/ar/hsbcgrupo/CGU.asp Perhaps, that would work?

 

[Roxana]

Santander and frances are not well known for their good customer service skills.

You can chat online or call on the phone few banks. All of them will ask you your DNI number, and your CUIL or CUIT, plus your last form with the stamp of afip, on whichever cathegory you are.

Ask about the monthly charge for mainteinance for each item you are "buying". Caja de ahorro is much cheaper than Cuenta Corriente. Read all the small print before signing.

Several banks offer home insurance, life insurance and a service for emergencies, like locksmith, plumber, change of glass windows.

 

[Montauk_Project]

You need to have a cuil or cuit (tax ID number). You can also find this out by googling any name, so no worries giving it out. These are not private numbers like a Social Security number in the states, they are published with letters to the editor, etc.
By saying "I get paid in cash" you are saying "I get paid illegally". In Argentina, you need to issue a factura if you are a lone worker. It is like if you went to bank in the US and said "I never filed for income taxes, I just keep my money in cash"--also illegal. You can get paid in cash for amounts under 999 pesos. If it is over that, you must be paid by check or bank transfer. You always must give a factura.
I think going for a universal free account might be the way to go, but banks don´t like to open them because they make no money off of them and if you get over 10000 pesos they close them. But also once you do that you are telling the AFIP "I am making money" and they may demand to see that you are paying taxes on income earned.
Might just be easier to wait in line or even hirer someone to pay your monthly bills for your (cadete).

 

[Ceviche]

Montauk Project,

Excellent advice!

===

What is a universal account and who opens it and what docs required for it?

 

[ElCordobés]

There are supposedly free accounts with various banks for the "unbanked". Cuenta Gratuita Universal (CGU) Here's HSBC. http://www.hsbc.com....GU.asp��Perhaps, that would work?

I think this is what Montauk Project was referring too. That example stipulates the ARS$10k issue.

 

[Irelander]

Yes the 'cuenta gratuita unversal' (or something like that) is a government initiative to encourage people to get bank accounts. It's fee, obviously, and the banks are legally obliged to open one for you, with just your DNI. The condition is that you must have no other bank account (they appear to be able to check this instantly). If you have a bank account you have to close it before they'll give you the cuenta universal gratitua.
What you get is a 'caja de ahorros' savings account and a debit card. The won't send you any account statements, and as indicated here, you can't have more than 10,000 pesos in it. Still it's very handy if all you want to do is pay your bills using the bank's home banking service etc.
The only problem is, as already mentioned here, it'd damn difficult to get them to open it for you. My cleaning lady tried to open one and in each bank they will give what they think is the excuse most likely to go away. They don't make money from them, they've had it foisted on them by the government, so they just don't want to open them.
In the case of my domestic employee I had to call Banco Frances customer service, explain the situation and the value of my business with them, and eventually they gave me the name of a bank official who would open the account for her. You really have to insist.

 

[nkotb]

Montauk, you would never be asked about your taxes when opening a checking account in the US.

 

[Montauk_Project]

@Nkotb it is much easier to open a bank account in other countries but I was trying to give him an idea of the equivilant of what he said, basically he said "I am not paying taxes and breaking the law". I don´t want to get into an argument about if it is right or wrong, but no bank here will open that up for you if you state that. Also, in the US if you get over 10k USD they will investigate you and if you can´t show where the funds came from will seize the account.