BNI Madagascar review

The account carries a monthly fee of MGA 7,300 to MGA 13,200. That is the price of keeping the card active, so it pays off for someone who uses the account through the month. Holding it idle and barely spending means the fee is doing all the work.

It is a debit card, listed as debit. The money comes straight from the bank account rather than from a balance loaded onto the card in advance, which is the safer setup for everyday spending.

The card runs on Mastercard, listed as mastercard. That is the network most merchants and cash machines at home take, so everyday payments and withdrawals should not be awkward.

Help is offered by phone and email, listed as phone and email. Both channels are staffed by the bank, so a card block or a disputed payment can be raised directly with the card issuer.

The card is listed with travel among its features as travel. It is still a single market card tied to a local account, so a traveller with regular foreign spending would usually pair it with a multi currency account.

The account is held with BNI Madagascar, the legal entity named as BNI Madagascar, which is a domestic bank rather than a foreign challenger. Customers deal with the bank directly, by phone, email or at a counter.

There is no annual charge to add to the picture. The cost to watch is the monthly one at MGA 7,300 to MGA 13,200, which recurs every month for as long as the account is open.

It is a retail current account with a payment card attached, from a bank founded in 1974. There is no separate savings or joint variant described, so the card comes with the standard everyday account.