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Today the Banco de Portugal publishes on the Bank Customer Website data on developments in the number of basic bank accounts up to the end of 2020.
At the end of 2020, there were 129,586 basic bank accounts, an increase of 25% from the end of 2019 and 10.3% from the end of the first half of 2020.
In 2020, 30,073 basic bank accounts were opened, 74.7% of which by converting an existing current account with the same credit institution (80.4% in 2019).
Institutions reported the closing of 4,115 basic bank accounts in 2020, 79.3% of which on the customer’s initiative.
At the end of the year, 5,714 basic bank accounts were held by persons over the age of 65 or with a degree of disability of 60% or more, co-held by individuals who owned other current accounts. There were also 1,524 basic bank accounts held by individuals who co-held other basic bank accounts (held by persons over the age of 65 or with a degree of disability of 60% or more).
Click here for full data on developments in basic bank accounts.
Source: Banco de Portugal.
Basic bank accounts provide low-cost essential banking services to citizens.
These include opening and maintaining a current account – the basic bank account –, the respective debit card and access to home banking, as well as the possibility of over-the-counter withdrawals, direct debits, domestic intrabank transfers and 24 transfers to other banks via home banking. As of 1 January 2021, basic bank accounts also allow five transfers per month, with a limit of €30 per transaction through payment applications operated by third parties (Law No 44/2020 of 19 August 2020).
For providing basic bank account services, the credit institutions may not apply fees, expenses or other charges that annually and as a whole represent a value above 1% of the value of the social support index (IAS), i.e. €4.38 in 2021.Any individual can have access to a basic bank account if they do not have a current account or if they have a single current account, which they may convert into a basic bank account.
A person over the age of 65 or with a permanent degree of disability of 60% or more may be a co-holder of a basic bank account with an individual who has other current accounts. The current account of these co-holders may also be a basic bank account.
The provision of basic bank accounts is compulsory for all credit institutions that provide the public with the services included in the basic bank account, i.e. banks, savings banks, the central mutual agricultural credit bank and mutual agricultural credit banks.
Basic bank account > Evolution in accounts
Basic bank account > What it is