Author: Olga Prokopyeva. Photo: Onlíner archive

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A reader wrote to the editorial office who encountered a commission when transferring Chinese yuan to Belarusbank. He said that after 15,000 yuan was credited to the account, about 2% — almost 150 rubles — was deducted from the amount.

The man claims that before the transfer he checked the conditions at a bank branch and was told that there would be no additional commission for receiving yuan from another bank's account, unless the sending bank itself charged a fee.

But five days after the funds were credited, he discovered that about 2% — almost 150 rubles — had been deducted from the amount.

"I checked this point at the branch before the transfer, so I was confident there would be no additional expenses," the reader insists.

According to the client, after contacting the bank he was informed that his complaint could not be considered, since the employee's consultation had not been recorded.

As explained to an Onlíner journalist at Belarusbank, there is indeed a commission for crediting funds to personal accounts in foreign currency, including Chinese yuan, unless other conditions are established by contract.

The fee amounts to 2% of the transaction currency amount in the equivalent of Belarusian rubles, but not more than 700 rubles. The commission is calculated at the National Bank's rate on the day of the transaction.

Belarusbank clarified that this fee is not charged if the bank and the payer have concluded an agreement for the corresponding type of transfer, as well as in a number of other cases. Among them are transfers from personal accounts opened at the bank itself, operations through the instant payment system, refunds of unfulfilled international transfers, and certain social payments.

You can find out the size of the commission before performing the operation in the Bank's Fee Schedule on the Belarusbank website, as well as through the contact center or at a branch.

"Can a verbal consultation by a branch employee about the size of the commission differ from the bank's tariff, and how does the bank handle a client's complaint in such a case?"

"The bank pays close attention to ensuring that its employees meet the qualification requirements established at JSC 'ASB Belarusbank.' Training activities aimed at improving the professional knowledge and skills of specialists are conducted on an ongoing basis, and service quality is monitored. Employees are only allowed to perform their job duties after passing assessments and confirming the relevant competencies."

At the same time, if it is established (confirmed) that a bank employee provided incorrect advice regarding the charging of a fee, the bank, based on the principle of customer focus and in accordance with the law "On Consumer Rights Protection," may consider the issue of refunding the withheld fee on an individual basis.

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