Your account history. You can obtain your account transaction history for the current financial year and even for previous financial years from the customer service. The fee per page for the current financial year is CFAF 500 and it is deducted automatically from the customer’s account. For previous financial years, the fee stands at CFAF 5000 per year + VAT and it is calculated manually. Cost of research for previous years: 5000 FCFA + VAT at the prevailing rate Fee per printed page: 500 FCFA +VAT ·

Powers of attorney. Powers of attorney may be established for personal accounts or for company accounts. For personal accounts, the holder of the account and his authorized agent are each expected to submit a legalised photocopy of his/her identity card and two passport size photographs. At the customer service you shall fill in a power of attorney template (available at the bank), and two specimen signature forms. The customer service officer records the operation and it is hence possible for your authorized agent to transact in your account. For companies, this is in the form of a letter issued by the company’s highest authority and jointly signed by the First Bank. The letter shall expressly indicate the types of transactions the agent is authorized to carry out. For each transaction, the agent shall produce the original and a photocopy of the power of attorney to the counter. Cost: CFAF 5,000 + VAT.

Account hold. You may request the placing of a hold on your account following the loss of your passbook, for judicial inquiry, etc.. For this to be done, you should write an application to the branch manager. Submit the letter to the customer service head who shall eventually place your account on hold. You may also request that debit or credit transactions on your account be stopped, or that all types of transactions be stopped. Cost : 10, 000 FCFA + VAT · Account closing When you wish to close your account, you shall be required to write a hand written application to the branch manager. Submit the letter to the customer service officer along with your account document (passbook or bank card). The officer will then check your account and calculates the balance to be paid, after having deducted the relevant closing fees. If your account is in anomaly (balance is below the required minimum level), you should first of all make a deposit before the closing is possible.
Cost: CFAF 10,000 + VAT for accounts more than 3 months old or 20,000 + VAT for accounts less than 3 months old.

Cheque book order/collection At the level of the customer service, fill in a cheque book order form (25 or 50 leaves). Your application will be processed and you will be asked to come and collect your cheque book within three days.
Changing your passbook / bank card
Go to the customer service and the attending officer shall see to the regularity of entries recorded in your passbook. If everything is OK, you will be issued a new passbook indicating the balance carried forward In case of any irregularity, the new passbook is stapled to the old one after adjustment of entries and carry forward of the balance. This operation is free of charge ·

Changing of lost or stolen passbook
Cost : 7000 FCFA TE.
Receiving customers’ written or verbal claims (account errors, change of address, lost of passbook, etc.)
Generally speaking, our customer service is at your disposal for all your claims.

Transfer transactions A transfer is literally the movement of funds at the order of a customer (originator) to a beneficiary with the handling of cash (provision of funds) or without the handling of cash (transfer from one account to another account). Generally speaking, there are two types of transfers: outgoing transfers and incoming transfers. Since all First Bank branches are now interconnected, transfers are carried out on a real time basis. This new development implies a change in the notion of value date. In the save vein, by September 2007, the implementation of the SYSTAC project initiated by the Central Bank is expected to reform interbank transfers.

a) Outgoing transfers
Same branch transfer: The originator and the beneficiary have their accounts in the same First Bank branch. Transfer is free of charge.

Outgoing Inter-branch Transfer
Here, both the originator and the beneficiary are First Bank clients, yet their accounts are domiciled in two different branches. Cost : 5,000 FCFA+VAT at the expense of the originator, except as otherwise specifically provided.

Local outgoing inter-bank transfer: The originator and the beneficiary are from different banks located in the same town.

This transaction requires the issuance of transfer slip to BEAC
Cost : 2,500 FCFA+VAT

External outgoing Inter-bank transfers: The originator and the beneficiary are from two different banks located in two different towns.
Cost : 7,000 FCFA +VAT

With the implementation of the remote clearing system (SYSTAC project), the notions of local or external transfers shall disappear since all banks will be interconnected.

b) Incoming transfers

The transfer is said to be incoming when you are client at the recipient branch. There are transfers from First Bank branches and transfers from other banks (BICEC, CA SCB, etc.).

Incoming inter-branch transfers:
No fee is charged to the beneficiary.
Local incoming inter-bank transfers:
The beneficiary is charged a fee of: 2,000 FCFA+ VAT.
External incoming inter-bank transfers:
The beneficiary is charged a fee of:: 6,000 FCFA+VAT.
Special transfers
Shall be considered as special transfer: calls for funds, putting funds at disposal, Off-branch deposits.

Calls for funds This is a provision for the benefit of an account holder who is away from the branch where his/her account is opened. Such a holder can send a message by fax to his/her branch which then proceeds to supply him/her with funds.
Cost : 5,000 FCFA + VAT

Putting funds at disposal (MAD) This is a transfer whereby funds are made available to the individual beneficiary at the originator’s bank branch.
Cost same town MAD: 1,000 FCFA+VAT
Cost out-of-town MAD : 5,000 FCFA+VAT
Off-branch deposit
This is a transfer whereby a customer deposits money in his account from a branch which is different from the branch where his account is domiciled.
Deposit in same customer account: free of charge
Off-branch deposit same customer: free of charge
Off-branch deposit in customer’s account: 4,500 FCFA +VAT

Certified cheques and bank cheques

Bank cheques and certified cheques are cheques that are guaranteed by the bank in which the account is held. These are riskless values, that is, the beneficiaries are sure to be paid upon their presentation at First Bank counters. Bank cheques are issued for individuals and companies while certified cheques are meant for administrations (Taxation services, FEICOM, NSIF, etc.).

How do you proceed to obtain a bank/certified cheque?

Once at the counter, fill in a cheque certification or bank order form. Submit it to the reception agent in charge of processing your request, and you will eventually be issued a cheque signed by two First Bank authorities. For bank cheques, you don’t need to be an account holder with First Bank while for certified cheques, holding an account with First Bank is mandatory and you are expected to bring along the cheque for certification.

Below are the cost in FCFA for these items
Bank cheque for account holders 3000
Bank cheque for non account holders 10 000
Certified cheque 1000
Express cheque 3000
Cancellation of certified/bank cheque 1000