Multibanco
Multibanco is the unified ATM network and debit card system of the banks in Portugal .
Companies
Multibanco is managed by the Portuguese company Sociedade Interbancaria de Servicos, SA (SIBS), a private joint-stock company whose shares are held by 27 shareholders, all from the Portuguese banking sector. In 1985 the first machine was installed at a Banco Nacional Ultramarino branch (today Caixa Geral de Depósitos ) on the Rossio in Lisbon .
With 64 banks, four savings banks and 110 cooperative banks, most of the country’s credit institutions are connected to the system.
Features and fees
With around 60 functions, it is one of the most powerful systems in the world. In addition to the possibilities of receiving cash or making payments, similar to the electronic cash system or giro cards in Germany, the multibancos offer a number of other options, including Alfa Pendular and Intercidades train ticket purchases, various tax and fee payments ( Water, electricity, tuition fees, etc.), purchase of hunting and fishing licenses, charging of mobile phone credit, PIN changes, Via Verde motorway vignettes , etc. a. All major credit card and debit card systems are accepted, including VISA , Mastercard , EC , Cirrus , American Express , and the like. a.
The operating menu can be selected in different languages, including German . Payouts are limited to 400 euros per day.
Portuguese banks do not charge fees for withdrawals to multibancos, however customers of foreign banks are often charged fees for withdrawals at home by their bank.
Acceptance and dissemination
The multibancos enjoy extremely broad acceptance and make Portugal the country with one of the highest density of ATMs in the world. In Portugal, including the Azores and Madeira , the number of machines increased to 14,126 by 2010, only to drop to 13,991 in 2011 for the first time in its history. The reason lies in the recent decline in the number of bank counters in Portugal as a result of bank mergers and their cost reduction programs. The number of card terminals, for example in retail, has also decreased for the first time, and in 2011 was around 274,000.
In 2009 the Multibanco system received the European eGovernment Award .
Web links
- Website of the operator SIBS (Portuguese and English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ www.vrl-financial-news.com ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed September 7, 2012
- ↑ SIBS report on the 25th anniversary ( memento of the original from October 29, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 464 kB), accessed on September 8, 2012
- ↑ Deutsche Bank Portugal website , accessed on September 8, 2012
- ↑ www.vrl-financial-news.com ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed September 8, 2012
- ↑ www.economico.sapo.pt , accessed September 8, 2012
- ↑ www.epractice.eu/awards , accessed on September 8, 2012
