ADCB waives personal banking fees

The Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) said yesterday it would no longer charge its retail banking customers fees for transactions and services on their personal current and savings accounts, thereby becoming the first UAE bank to remove charges for personal banking. "All our innovation is based on customer feedback and our own research. A customer does not wish to be charged to access his own funds. From October 1, all charges related to transactions and services have been waived," Arup Mukhopadhyay, executive vice-president and head of Consumer Banking at ADCB told reporters at a news conference here. "This [move] is designed to increase our share of the market. However, as we would like to prevent misuse, the charges on bounced cheques will remain," Mukhopadhyay added. The fees to be waived include relationship fees and debit card fees. Up to six free transactions will be allowed per month for remittances. Teller transactions, cheque book usage, statements, standing instructions and bill payments will no longer attract fees. Threshold level "Above the threshold, the fees that are applicable, will apply," said Mukhopadhyay. The bank has also waived charges levied on clients for failure to maintain a minimum balance. "The service will instantly benefit existing customers, whilst attracting new customers to transfer their banking relationship to ADCB, enabling the bank to create a strong and sustainable relationship and further strengthening ADCB's retail banking franchise," ADCB said.