Large Brazilian Banks Announce New Branch Opening Hours

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Faced with the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic (Covid-2019) in Brazil, Banco do Brasil (Bank of Brazil), Caixa Econômica Federal (Federal Savings Bank), Santander, and Bradesco are announcing new temporary opening hours for their bank branches nationwide.

As of Tuesday, March 24th, the Banco do Brasil branches will be operating from 10 AM to 2 PM. According to the bank, this initiative aims to protect employees, customers, and society as a whole. In addition, the institution pledges to extend and improve the operation of its self-service channels.

“Face-to-face service will be provided only in critical and exceptional cases, such as in situations of password unblocking, card unblocking, social benefit withdrawals without a card, services related to social programs aimed at mitigating the economic consequences of the novel coronavirus,” Banco do Brasil reported in a statement.

Starting on Thursday, March 26th, the bank will begin paying retirees and pensioners of the INSS (Social Security Institute). Aiming to minimize clusters of this risk group, branches that concentrate the largest volume of payments have been selected, with differentiated hours, from 9 AM to 10 AM, exclusively for essential services to this group.

Caixa reported that, as of Tuesday, the institution’s branches will operate during special hours, from 10 AM to 2 PM, and will be restricted to cases that cannot be handled by the bank’s mobile phone service or other digital services.

Among these operations are the immediate withdrawal of the FGTS (Severance Premium Reserve Fund) and the collection of social benefits, such as the Bolsa Família (Family Grant).

In addition, the bank will continue to open 1,619 branches one hour earlier, exclusively for risk group clients. The list of such branches can be checked on the institution’s official website.

Last Thursday, Match 19th, Santander bank had already suspended in person operations some of its branches in the metropolitan regions of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Throughout the country, as will occur in other banks, the branches’ opening hours will be reduced by two hours, from 10 AM to 2 PM.

Bradesco also announced that as of Tuesday, March 24th, its branch network will start operating in different hours, from 10 AM to 2 PM for the general public.

For retirees and pensioners of the INSS, the attendance starts one hour earlier and on payment days for this group, branches will open two hours in advance, at 8 AM.

Source: InfoMoney