We will be able to withdraw the exact amount we want from any ATM, regardless of the card issuer bank. The Senate has adopted a project that obliges ATM operators to offer the option of entering a customized amount to clients of other banks.
Currently, many ATMs allow their own clients to enter the desired withdrawal amount, but only offer cardholders from other banks a few preset values.
The project has received the Government's support and has not faced opposition from the National Bank of Romania, writes Profit.ro. After the Senate vote, the document goes to the Chamber of Deputies, which is the decision-making body.
What will change at ATMs
If the project becomes law, payment service providers operating ATMs will have to allow the entry of a customized amount for cash withdrawals.
The rule will apply regardless of the card issuer bank, the card scheme used, or the account or withdrawal currency. However, fees, possible currency conversion operations, and limits set by the contract with the bank will remain valid.
ATMs will still be able to offer "quick withdrawal" options with preset amounts, but these will not replace the option for the client to enter the desired amount.
There are natural limits: the ATM will not be obliged to dispense an amount it cannot form from the available banknotes or when there are other technical or security limitations. However, these limits must be objective, non-discriminatory, and applied in the same way to users in comparable situations.
Why the change was proposed
The initiators argue that currently, cardholders are forced to choose from preset amounts when using another bank's ATM, even if the machine could technically provide the desired amount.
The issue is even more critical in situations where the client pays a fee for withdrawing from another bank's ATM. The lack of the option to enter the amount can lead to withdrawing a higher value than needed.
BNR believes the measure "could contribute to increasing access to cash, especially in rural areas and less developed regions where ATM availability is limited." However, the central bank has requested further clarifications on the implementation of the new rules and recommended consulting the banking system.
The Government has also supported the adoption of the project but has requested that the technical and security limits that operators can invoke be clearly defined to prevent arbitrary use.
Fines of up to 100,000 lei
Senators have also set a period for operators to adapt their systems. If the project passes through the Chamber of Deputies and is promulgated, the new rules will come into effect 120 days after the law is published in the Official Gazette.
Failure to comply with the obligation, when consumers' interests are affected or could be affected, may be sanctioned with fines ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 lei.
The initiators argue that the change does not entail significant investments in the physical infrastructure of ATMs but mainly involves modifications to the software applications and interfaces used by ATMs.