Belfius:

  • “ATM”s are cashless (iow, no proper ATMs. But at least you know you are not trapped on a closed-source app running on your own assets. A new Belgian law is under consideration to force all banks to have a way to print paper statements - but of course it could fail)

BNP Parabas:

  • no ATMs

bPost:

  • nannied ATM limit (€650) – unless their ATMs give their own customers better treatment

Ing:

  • no ATMs
  • forced app (closed-source, starts next month)
  • app detects emulated platforms and refuses to run (likely also refuses to run on FOSS platforms like LineageOS and ultimately forces periodic purchases of new proprietary hardware)

Aion/UniCredit:

  • no ATMs
  • forced app (closed-source)

KBC:

  • nannied ATM limit (€620) – unless KBC ATMs give their own customers better treatment

Why it’s wise to avoid the ATM-less banks

In Belgium, you have no possible way to get proof of balance from an ATM not operated by your own bank. Proof of balance is important in some legal proceedings. Otherwise you are trapped on their platform which produces a full statement of account (thus over exposure).

Your ATM transactions are needlessly shared with an extra 3rd-party. This creates another point of nannying and surveillance. WRT nannying, it means that your limits become the lesser of your bank’s limit and the ATM operator’s limit. And of course with the extra surveillance, your GDPR data minimisation rights are undermined through the extra info sharing.

Ethics: there is an ethical problem with supporting banks that have a hand in ATM enshitification and reduced availability of ATMs.

The ATM shit-show due to outsourcing to Batopin/Bancontact (“CASH”) ATMs means if a touchy AI algorithm falsely detects fraud, your card is confiscated by an ATM the bank does not directly control (thus you are exposed to finger pointing between the bank and ATM operator). Your bank will charge you a card replacement fee if an ATM operated by someone else confiscates the card. ATM operators are not accountable for false confiscations so no incentive for the AI algo to be smart.

  • sniggleboots
    2·
    19 days ago

    Good intel, sadly switching banks is a Herculean task for many. I’m vested in their ecosystem with my mortgage and insurance, and I’d lose discounts on both if I switched.

    • ciferecaNinjo@fedia.ioOP
      2·
      19 days ago

      EU Directive 2014⧸92 was /supposed/ to make it easier. It at least shifts the effort onto the banks as far as moving all the mandates/domiciliations from one bank to another. But indeed the switching law has limited utility in situations where you are trapped in a bundled mortgage+insurance relationship scheme.

      I wonder if you can use the “switching” mechanism without taking the final step of closing the original acct. So e.g. you move most of your money into NEW BANK as well as all standing orders except the mortgage & insurance. Then you setup a monthly standing order to feed the old acct just enough to cover the mortgage and insurance. The old bank earns less when the bulk of your money is elsewhere.