Last January, the bpost bank disappeared after being absorbed by BNP Paribas Fortis, marking the end of the existence of this bank which had around one million customers. Since 2021, BNP Paribas Fortis, Belgium’s leading banking brand and subsidiary of BNP Paribas, already held 50% of the capital of bpost bank and it quickly announced its intention to merge the two institutions. This was done at the beginning of the year.
At that time, BNP Paribas Fortis had implemented two new account formulas for its customers, old and new, in order to simplify its offer: Easy Go, at 2 euros per month, slightly more expensive than the basic bpost offer bank, and Easy Guide, at 5.5 euros per month. At the time, BNP had guaranteed that the additional options (unlimited manual transactions, account insurance, additional current account) of these packs would be free for the year 2024.
But, from January 2025, customers who currently benefit from free options will have to start paying for them. According to our colleagues from Le Soir, of the approximately 4 million individual customers, 2.3 million, or nearly 60%, have no options. But the others, hundreds of thousands of people, will see their bill increase, and not just a little. This was recently denounced by Test-Achats.
Very bad surprise for this Belgian when checking his bank account after returning from vacation in Türkiye: “I advise everyone to be wary”
For example, an Easy Go account holder will now have to pay between 2.25 and 4.25 euros extra for a credit card depending on whether they opt for a Visa Classic or a Mastercard Gold, and 5 euros more each month for the “unlimited manual transactions” option. Today, BNP customers are entitled to 6 free manual transactions. From the 7th, you have to pay 2 euros, or even 6 if the help of a teller is requested. For older people who are not comfortable with new technologies, it can be steep!
Customers can deactivate these options before January 1 to avoid paying them… but they must do so in agency or by telephone.
Related News :