Bank association urges customers to pay bills online to limit contacts, avoid cash

The Hellenic Bank Association (HBA) urged customers to favor electronic transactions over visiting bank branches and to rely on card payments instead of cash, as a way to limit the transmission of the new coronavirus.

In its press release, the association said banks would continue their operations as usual and resupply ATMs with cash.

It added that banks have put in place health and safety regulations for staff and those customers who chose to visit branches.

According to data from the banks, electronic transactions have increased by 30 percent in recent days. The big question is what will happen with the payment of pensions at the end of the month.

Banks are already studying scenarios of limiting entrance to bank branches, as had been the case when the capital controls were first introduced in 2015; this will be examined as of this week and depending on the course of the coronavirus expansion.

The objective is that, even in the extreme case scenario of bank branch closure, all main bank activity and work monitoring will be conducted from home, while maintaining all key departments of banks, such as their treasuries and IT, in full operation.

Source: ekathimerini.com