KRALENDIJK- Much remains unclear about the costs, especially for shoppers, of the new debit cards that the banks on Bonaire will soon introduce.

The Bonaire Banker’s Association confirms in a press release on Wednesday that the Maestro system does indeed cease to exist and that a switch to a new system has to be made. “Banks are therefore forced to replace the Maestro cards with, for example, a MasterCard Debit or VISA Debit that are accepted worldwide both online and offline. The new debit card is easier and seamless to use in a digital environment, and can also be used, for example, for making travel bookings and hotel / car reservations online, just like with a credit card.

Costs

The BBA also indicates that there will indeed be higher costs, but does not specify this. “Unfortunately, with this change, another cost aspect comes to our market, but one that is still lower than the credit card commission charged today,” the banking association wrote.

The BBA believes that the consequences for consumers will be limited. Customers of the various banks will receive a new debit card, but otherwise not much would change, except that debit cards can also be used to pay online payments in the future.