Opening bank account

ohno

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Feb 25, 2019
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Hi,

I want my husband to open a bank account that I can use. I don't have residency, so it would just be easier that way. I would like an account with an internet solution where I can pay my bills abroad. I would also like to have VISA so I can buy stuff online, connect it to a PayPal account etc. Does anyone know if any bank would offer this? And what bank has the most user friendly solutions?
 

ohno

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Feb 25, 2019
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My husband says Banco Popular would be the best option, but he doesn't have any experience with using the account like I want to.
 

lifeisgreat

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May 7, 2016
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Popular will be huge pain as foreigner...Santa Cruz will be easier and you can go online pay bills... visa, goodluck as foreigner unless you place a huge down payment for privilege of giving you one, use your home country visa..
 

ohno

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Feb 25, 2019
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That's why I would make my husband create the account in his name. He's Dominican, so that's why I thought that would be the best solution. I know it would be a pain for me. What about Scotiabank? I wan't a bank I don't need to contact or visit. Just to use it online. It's a hassle to work abroad, deposit the money to my home country, and then transfer it to DR. I just want to put my money in the account and transfer to my home country if needed.
 

Cdn_Gringo

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Apr 29, 2014
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Pay bills abroad? You in the DR and wanting to pay bills in another country? If I understand that correctly, sorry, not a possibility. You'll need to use your online accessible bank account at home for that.

What you want here in the DR is a joint account. Both of you will have to submit documents when opening the account. For you it might just be a passport unless you are an American then there will be FACTA forms.

Credit cards work the same here as they do at home. To qualify you have to prove an income. Banks like people with jobs whose wages that can go after if they don't pay. Retirees with pensions abroad have a steeper hill to climb. You need to establish a credit score here in the DR. The first card is always the hardest to get. After that, if you pay on time, everyone throws a card at you.

You might be able to get one of those prepaid credit cards, or something like a Visa debit card that kind of works like a credit card. You'll have to speak with your bank about what options are available to you.
 

ohno

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Feb 25, 2019
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Ok, thanks. I have a student loan I have to pay back home, and hoped I could just use a Dominican account to pay if I don't have sufficient funds in my home account. I hate all the hassle with dealing with money in several countries. Would prefer to have it all together. Because it's so much stress to be able to open an account, I thought I'd just let my husband do it and use it as if it was mine.
 

Cdn_Gringo

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Apr 29, 2014
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Online, you can access the account to pay Dominican bills and maybe do local/int'l transfers if that option exists at your bank. You wouldn't be able to go to the bank and withdraw funds, but you can put money in the account. If not a joint account you can't get an ATM card but you can use your husband's card for cash withdraws from the machine. Now if only the ATM machines here would accept deposits too... The joys of living in the developing world.

For sure, money is usually the first hassle that resident have to overcome. Getting money here can be an expense and a hassle depending on where it is coming from and how you choose to move it.
 

ohno

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Feb 25, 2019
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Thanks. I guess using a Dominican account isn't as easy as I hoped. I hoped the online banking would be as easy as I'm used to. I was thinking that as many of the banks are international, they would have properly developed online solutions.
 
Feb 7, 2007
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Popular will be huge pain as foreigner...Santa Cruz will be easier and you can go online pay bills... visa, goodluck as foreigner unless you place a huge down payment for privilege of giving you one, use your home country visa..

I concur. Popular is most likely the biggest PITA of all the banks. I am in the process of opening up an account with them because I can get money faster from some clients if they can pay into Popular.

I have been in DR for 14 years and I am PR. I bank with 3 other major banks besides Popular. It was for me 4 trips already including today and yes today I snapped at the account executive after giving her the 4th required batch of documents, that after this I am not going to give them any more documents because what they are asking is borderline of privacy violation and client confidentiality and they can go *** themselves if they ask for more.

The initial "list" published on the website has grown threefold in the meantime, including them insisting on accounting for what I was doing in my home country before coming to DR. Given that I came as 24 year old I told them that I was studying and leeching off my parents and I had no employment there.

I gave these people probably more documents than to other banks and Migración combined. If it was not for a good reason to be client of Popular (thinking of acquiring Azul merchant account later on) I would have sent them to carajo a long time ago. And I actually don't like the bank one bit... Long lines always too many people. But if I can get some people to pay me today instead of in 3 days, simply by having Popular account, I am willing (so far) to put up with their BS.
 

Riva_31

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Apr 1, 2013
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Im Dominican and if your husband has a Job will be easy to open an account in Banco Popular, law change and now they are asking for a letter to the clients prior to open the account to tell them how you will get the money to deposit into your account, and if you are working they will ask your for a letter from your employer.

For the things you want to do I think Banco Popular es the best option that you have, you can connect your saving account with your paypal account and transfer money from Paypal to your account in Banco Popular.

About paying your bills aboard not sure how will works from here, but you can make international transfers using the internet banking with Popular Bank.

With the credit card after you get the account will be more easy to get a credit card Vista, Mastercard or watever you want.
 

SKY

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Apr 11, 2004
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Most banks here issue you a debit card to draw from your account. You can use this for Paypal. Just make sure they give you the International card. This will be from a peso account, but it is easily used in any currency. Usually a Mastercard or Visa.
 

Riva_31

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Apr 1, 2013
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Most banks here issue you a debit card to draw from your account. You can use this for Paypal. Just make sure they give you the International card. This will be from a peso account, but it is easily used in any currency. Usually a Mastercard or Visa.

For those that use paypal, when you set up the account as the credit card is from Dominican Republic they setup the transactions in Dominican pesos and bill you in pesos, that make a charge of extra fee for the conversion into dollars, this will give you an exchange rate arround 53.00 pesos for each dollar you paid or litte more. What you must do is call them or email telling that you want to be billed in USA dollars, this way you wil pay direct to the bank using the oficial exchange rate here.
 
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ctrob

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Nov 9, 2006
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Im Dominican and if your husband has a Job will be easy to open an account in Banco Popular, law change and now they are asking for a letter to the clients prior to open the account to tell them how you will get the money to deposit into your account, and if you are working they will ask your for a letter from your employer.

For the things you want to do I think Banco Popular es the best option that you have, you can connect your saving account with your paypal account and transfer money from Paypal to your account in Banco Popular.

About paying your bills aboard not sure how will works from here, but you can make international transfers using the internet banking with Popular Bank.

With the credit card after you get the account will be more easy to get a credit card Vista, Mastercard or watever you want.

So would you say Banc Popular has a decent online system compared to others?
 

Riva_31

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Apr 1, 2013
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So would you say Banc Popular has a decent online system compared to others?

Yes, so far for me is the best from all the internet banking webs here. As a note they have toll free numbers from aboard, USA, Canada, Spain, Italy. Last september I was in Canada and had to call them and used the toll free number for Canada.
 

ohno

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Feb 25, 2019
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Thank you. Maybe I should let him open an account in Banco Popular, then. He has a job, so I guess it shouldn't be too much of a problem. His friend said that Scotiabank would be easier for me, and that I probably can open my own account there. But I don't think I'll be able to, so I just want the easier solution. I'd rather open my own account when I have all the paperwork done, and not spend time discussing with bank employees.
 

Riva_31

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Apr 1, 2013
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Thank you. Maybe I should let him open an account in Banco Popular, then. He has a job, so I guess it shouldn't be too much of a problem. His friend said that Scotiabank would be easier for me, and that I probably can open my own account there. But I don't think I'll be able to, so I just want the easier solution. I'd rather open my own account when I have all the paperwork done, and not spend time discussing with bank employees.

You can go with him, he just has to tell you will be the second person signing in the account and will be as you opened the account, so in case you need to call asking for anything you will have the rights so they can not refuse to answer your questions.
 

Cdn_Gringo

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Apr 29, 2014
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You can go with him, he just has to tell you will be the second person signing in the account

It's not that easy especially for a foreigner. All sorts of ID and related documentation needed to be able to use a joint bank account. Depending on the nationality of the foreigner, DR banks have additional paperwork requirements.

The OP has already stated they do not wish to go through this exercise so they're be no sitting down and casually adding a 2nd person to a bank account "...and will be as you opened the account." - it just doesn't work that informally here or anywhere that I can think of.
 

AlterEgo

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Jan 9, 2009
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It's not that easy especially for a foreigner. All sorts of ID and related documentation needed to be able to use a joint bank account. Depending on the nationality of the foreigner, DR banks have additional paperwork requirements.

The OP has already stated they do not wish to go through this exercise so they're be no sitting down and casually adding a 2nd person to a bank account "...and will be as you opened the account." - it just doesn't work that informally here or anywhere that I can think of.

That’s exactly how our account was opened. My Dominican husband and American me. His cedula, my passport. At the same time, I wasn’t added later. This is BHD.
 

ctrob

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Nov 9, 2006
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You can go with him, he just has to tell you will be the second person signing in the account and will be as you opened the account, so in case you need to call asking for anything you will have the rights so they can not refuse to answer your questions.

I suppose there is no way to add a second person without them present? Power of Atty? I'd like my daughter on my account. But she can't be here when I open the account next week.

Maybe just give her a second debit card so she can draw money out if she needs it? She visits the NC occasionally, but I'm not always here at the same time.