BNP Paribas Fortis and bpost bank merge: 1.3 million customers choose post office banking

Since January, bpost Bank has been an integral part of BNP Paribas Fortis. As a result of this merger, clients of these two financial institutions had to indicate which offices they wanted to receive assistance at. The major bank has now shared some numbers on the matter.

In the news: Of the nearly 4 million customers amassed by BNP Paribas Fortis and its bpost bank, 1.3 million ultimately chose to be served through post offices. Another 2.7 million chose a BNP Paribas Fortis branch as their preferred location. This is what Spaargids.be writes.

• On January 21, bpost Bank was listed on BNP Paribas Fortis. The institution's approximately 1 million customers became direct customers of the parent bank. BNP Paribas Fortis has revised its current account (paid) packages as a result of the merger.
  • First, there's the basic Easy Go package. You pay €2 per month for this package. In return, you get a checking account, up to two debit cards, the ability to do six manual transactions a year (such as withdrawing cash from the counter) and basic advice. Anyone who chooses this formula can go to a postal bank office with all their financial questions.
  • For those who need more personalized advice, the Easy Guide Pack format can provide relief. You pay €5.50 per month for this subscription formula. In addition to the basic offer, this package includes two credit cards and extensive financial advice. The service will be provided to anyone who chooses this format at one of the BNP Paribas Fortis offices (after making an appointment).
  • There's also a third free variant for those who just want online banking: the Hello package. You can open this current account online through the BNP Paribas Fortis platform or its subsidiary Hello Bank.
• BNP Paribas Fortis notes that the number of visits to the post office has increased significantly since the merger. “Because 1.3 million people have chosen the post office as their preferred place to bank, the number of people going to a post office to manage their finances has risen by 30 to 40 percent,” said Michael Ancio, CEO of BNP Paribas Fortis.
• “We also suggested a preferred location for clients based on their profile: people who transacted more versus clients who came in for advice more often. We were doing very well there. In the end, only 85,000 people made a different choice.” “Slightly more older customers have chosen the Post Office, but also younger people who, for example, live in university accommodation and find cash important in managing their budget.”
• According to Anseeuw, there is no doubt that digital banking will continue its rise. The number of times the BNP Paribas Fortis mobile app was used rose 14 percent in the past year to more than 1 billion times. The number of active app users increased by 6 percent to 2.5 million. “By 2023, 35 digital transactions will be made every second,” says Ancio.

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