From August 1, Belarusbank customers will pay 1 ruble of commission when paying for services in cash. According to experts, this innovation will primarily hit the pockets of pensioners.
Iryna Paulava from Pinsk retired 22 years ago. As always she pays for all services, including utilities, in cash, and thus was very upset by the Belarusbank innovation.
“When we were retiring there were no cards. I do not have it now, either. Even if someone does have such a card, we are used to withdrawing money after we receive pension. After all, we have to see the money and count every penny,” says Iryna Paulava.
The bank said it would charge a 1 ruble commission not for every payment but every time the client uses bank services. That is, person will be able to pay for the mobile phone, communal services, the Internet, while the cashier charges the 1 ruble commission. The bank promises to send all the money collected this way to charity account.
Belarusbank, however, will not charge commission for every payment. There will be no additional charges for paying fines and government fees, as well as for paying loand and transfering money to other accounts opened in Belarusbank.
In order to avoid the commission without changing the bank, the clients will either need to master the Internet payments or learn how to use self-service terminal, or stand in line at the post office, or to actively use bank cards, which in these cases will allow to save a little.
Vital Babin Belsat
