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Recommendations for a bank account with reasonable charges

Posted: Wed Jul 8, 2020 11:20am
14 replies415 views8 members subscribed
LesleyDee

Posts: 20

4 helpful points

Location: Estepona

Joined: 25 Feb 2020

We currently bank with Santander and their charges are exorbitant.  Can anyone recommend a bank with minimal charges please?

Kerri

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:15pm

Kerri

Helpful member

Posts: 539

237 helpful points

Location: Estepona

Joined: 5 Sep 2018

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:15pm

What is "exorbitant"?

Sabadell is very good.  They charge 35 euro a quarter.

I hear that others charge less but it depends on the service and whether you need English speakers at your branch.

Cazmac22

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 8:28am

Cazmac22

Helpful member

Posts: 229

69 helpful points

Location: Nerja

Joined: 11 May 2019

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 8:28am

Kerri wrote on Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:15pm:

What is "exorbitant"?

Sabadell is very good.  They charge 35 euro a quarter.

I hear that others charge less but it depends on the service and whether you need English speakers at your branch.

Kerry, I’m with Sabadell and find €35 a quarter is exorbitant. As far as I’m aware there are no English speaking staff in my branch in Antequera. They are not one of approved banks where I can pay any utility bills and I’m left wondering what I’m paying €140 per annum for. Please enlighten me.

LesleyDee

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 10:08am

LesleyDee

Original Poster

Posts: 20

4 helpful points

Location: Estepona

Joined: 25 Feb 2020

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 10:08am

Kerri wrote on Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:15pm:

What is "exorbitant"?

Sabadell is very good.  They charge 35 euro a quarter.

I hear that others charge less but it depends on the service and whether you need English speakers at your branch.

We have paid in charges for the last 12 months on only one account, 331.35€ plus 36€ for our two debit cards!  That’s what I call exorbitant!  Then they have the cheek to charge us every month a further 5€ every time we transfer our rent money.

Jenga

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 3:21pm

Posts: 28

12 helpful points

Location: Estepona

Joined: 22 Sep 2018

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 3:21pm

Solbank charge more than that.

It’s a different operating model to that of the uk I’m afraid.

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Kerri

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 8:10pm

Kerri

Helpful member

Posts: 539

237 helpful points

Location: Estepona

Joined: 5 Sep 2018

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 8:10pm

Cazmac22 wrote on Mon Jul 13, 2020 8:28am:

Kerry, I’m with Sabadell and find €35 a quarter is exorbitant. As far as I’m aware there are no English speaking staff in my branch in Antequera. They are not one of approved banks where I can pay any utility bills and I’m left wondering what I’m paying €140 per annum for. Please enli...

...ghten me.

Never seem to stop learning what goes on in Espana!  

My branch of Sabadell is good.   All my bill payments are on direct debit.  There are no exceptions to what I can pay from my Sabadell account, either DD or transfer.  I use the transfer feature without additional charge.

I pay 35e per quarter and nothing else.  

Santander certainly sounds outrageous!

Tworowans

Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2020 12:11pm

Posts: 55

38 helpful points

Location: Álora

Joined: 23 May 2020

Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2020 12:11pm

Because of the often unavoidable and invariably irritating queuing (mostly based on memorising who was in the banking hall when you arrived) the only time I ever visit a bank is to pay my annual Spanish property tax and get a duplicate Form 210 stamped

The only reason being that a property’s Cadastral value is liable to annual review so the form has to be completed manually either by the owner or an agent

Other than the property tax everything is paid online via Sabadell mandates or transfers -  including local / regional taxes and utilities

There is also a very useful online screen for querying both Direct Debits and bill payees Eg cancelled payees still making application for payments

As a non-resident these arrangements are worthy of me paying account maintenance fees.

If I was to become a resident I’d seriously consider Cajamar Caja Rural (Cajamar Group)

KevinBD

Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2020 3:14pm

KevinBD

Helpful member

Posts: 229

51 helpful points

Joined: 5 Jan 2020

Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2020 3:14pm

LesleyDee wrote on Wed Jul 8, 2020 11:20am:

We currently bank with Santander and their charges are exorbitant.  Can anyone recommend a bank with minimal charges please?

Sabadell are very good and reasonable

Bushy

Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2020 6:21pm

Posts: 9

8 helpful points

Location: Coin

Joined: 21 Jun 2017

Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2020 6:21pm

Sabadel: i pay no charges and it’s all in English so no confusion. 

Kerri

Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2020 6:40pm

Kerri

Helpful member

Posts: 539

237 helpful points

Location: Estepona

Joined: 5 Sep 2018

Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2020 6:40pm

Bushy wrote on Thu Jul 16, 2020 6:21pm:

Sabadel: i pay no charges and it’s all in English so no confusion. 

Just to be clear on this comment.  In order to have a free service with Sabadell one must have a regular influx of cash, pension, income, etc. and then there is no charge.

For those of us without that we pay 35 euro per quarter.

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