Cyprus-Forum.com

[Beauregard]

How about banks? Any suggestions? This is only for private banking, although I plan to open a corporate account in the near future, too.

I have some info from Hellenic Bank. Anyone have any good/bad experiences with Hellenic Bank?

Thanks!

[Main_Source]

Try the North Bank on Avenell Rd, N5.

[cannedmoose]

Personally I've got money in Laiki, Bank of Cyprus, Hellenic and a number of co-operatives. They're all pretty much the same, it just depends how well you get to know your branch manager.

[devil]

Internet banking here is primitive and without high level security. Hellenic is the least poor. Laiki is impossible.

[cannedmoose]

I only ever use internet banking in the UK. Do all banking business in person when in Cyprus for the reason devil mentioned, find Laiki's site unwieldy.

[Samwan]

I have only good experiences with Hellenic Bank

[Piratis]

Bank of Cyprus is the biggest, but they don't have net accounts with higher interest like Laiki and Hellenic.

Personally I am using an internet account with Laiki and it works perfectly ok.

Laiki is impossible

What exactly is impossible with Laiki?

[devil]

I have net accounts with 6 banks and have no problems, except with Laiki. Their system is Windows/MSIE only. I therefore have no access. Furthermore, because it is a netbanking account, they will not send me statements so that I cannot check their balance against mine except if I go to the bank and ask for a printout. My Laiki manager tells me that he has several customers in the same situation, but there is nothing he can do about it.

Security is very weak with Hellenic (and probably Laiki, if it worked). To access my a/c I have only an open user ID and a single semi-fixed 8-character password. If I didn't have PestPatrol and a firewall, I would be very wary about this. With my other banks I have a dynamic system with a smart card and a smart card reader so that each access requires an ad hoc password that is used only once, plus a pin number, as well as a user ID number. This means that even if I access an a/c from a third party computer that has a Trojan Horse reading what I type, there is no way that the guy at the other end could ever access my a/c.

[pimprenelle]

Hi
The same question for me.
Considering your last post devil, could you - or others - give me the name of 2-3 banks you would recommand in South Cyprus (net and/or standart) ; only Cyprus or EU banks. The object is only for a very simple and private account (transfer, visa or similar card for usual life expenses as I will move there for my work).
Thanks in advance.

[TVSET]

Although I agree that all the banks here are roughly the same, I find Hellenic to be just a bit better. I have better experience with their personnel in several branches. Their website works and is supported in browsers other than Microsoft Internet Explorer. They have (or had, last time I checked) slightly better loan conditions for foreigners.

All these small things count and make it a better alternative.