Bank Home Delivery Offers Free Alternative as Postal Pension Delivery Costs Double

Over half a million Czech seniors are facing a significant change in their pension delivery costs this month. The postal service fee has doubled from 35 to 78 crowns, regardless of whether pensioners collect their money at the post office or receive it at home. However, there’s a silver lining – banks are stepping in with innovative solutions, including free home delivery services.

The Czech Postal Service justifies the price increase, stating they cannot operate below cost. Notably, this change doesn’t affect everyone – those who were granted their pension before January 1, 2010, are exempt from these delivery charges.

For those looking to avoid the increased fees, two main banking options are available. The first is a standard personal account, which typically offers free basic services, including card payments and ATM withdrawals from the bank’s own network. The second option is specialized senior accounts, exclusively offered by Česká spořitelna and ČSOB.

These specialized accounts come with unique benefits. Česká spořitelna’s offering for those over 70 includes automatic fee waivers and free services like SMS notifications and branch transactions. Meanwhile, ČSOB’s service, available to those 65 and older, includes a remarkable feature – free monthly home delivery of up to 20,000 crowns.

To support seniors in this transition, banks and post offices have collaborated to provide special advisors who help elderly customers navigate digital banking, card usage, and protect themselves against fraud.