FAQs

Payment card

Google Pay - NFC payments

  • What is Google Wallet?

    Google Wallet is a service that enables payments in shops just by tapping the payment terminal with a mobile device using the Android operation system and the NFC technology.

    Payments made with a mobile device are very easy and convenient. 

  • How do the Google Wallet payments work?

    For payments up to CZK 500 it is needed to turn on the screen of your mobile device and then tap the payment terminal with it. For payments exceeding CZK500 it is needed to unlock the screen of the mobile device, tap the payment terminal with the device and wait until the payment has been processed.  Subsequently the confirmation of your transaction will be displayed on the screen of your device.  In some cases you might be prompted repeatedly to unlock your phone for enhanced security reasons.

  • Can I use my phone with the Google Wallet app for ATM withdrawals?
    Yes, you can, provided the ATM has a contactless NFC reader. Turn on the screen of your mobile phone (no need to unlock it) and just tap it on the reader. The screen of the ATM will always prompt you to enter your card PIN (no matter whether the phone is unlocked or not). Then follow the instructions on the ATM screen.
  • Why can’t I add my card in the Google Wallet app?

    Make sure that a) the card you are adding is a payment card issued by Equa bank, b) you are connected to the internet, c) your mobile device supports the NFC technology and has the Android operation system version 5.0 or higher installed.

  • Can I add my payment card into the Google Wallet app in multiple devices?
    Yes, you can. However, you need to be aware that you are responsible for all devices in which the payment card has been added into the Google Wallet app.
  • What do I need to make payments with my mobile phone?

    A mobile phone with the Android operation system version 5.0 or higher and with the NFC (Near Field Communication) technology. Also your Equa bank payment card needs to be registered in the Google Pay mobile app, which you can download from Google Play into your mobile phone. In order to make safe payments, it is necessary to set the screen lock on your phone.

  • Is it safe?
    Yes, the payments are completely safe. Upon adding in the Google Pay app, the payment card number is saved neither in the device, nor in the app.  During the payment, card details are not shared either with Google, or merchants.
  • What are the fees?
    The bank does not charge any fees for using Google Pay.

Apple Pay

  • How much does the Apple Pay service cost?
    The Apple Pay service costs you exactly CZK 0. We provide this service to you free of charge.
  • What devices does Apply Pay work on?
    Apple Pay works on these phones: iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max, iPhone Xr, iPhone X, iPhone 8/8 Plus, iPhone 7/7 Plus, iPhone 6/6 Plus, iPhone 6S/6S Plus, iPhone SE; tablets: iPad (6th and 5th generation), iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 4 and iPad mini 3; Apple Watch and also Mac models 2012 and later that are connected to an iPhone or Apple Watch.
  • How can I turn off the payment confirmations that Apple sends me?

    In Wallet, choose the card and tap the button (three dots) in the upper right corner. This takes you to Card details, go to the Transactions tab, and turn off Notifications there. Or in Settings on your phone, go to the Wallet app and Apple Pay and select your card. This takes you to Card details, go to the Transactions tab, and turn off Notifications there.

  • Can I use Apple Pay for online payments?
    Yes, if the given Internet shop takes Apple Pay. In payment selection, tap Buy with Apple Pay and confirm the payment on your mobile phone with a fingerprint or Face ID. Your phone has to be connected to the Internet.
  • Do I need to be connected to the Internet or have a phone signal when I’m paying?
    You don’t need the Internet for contactless payments or to withdraw cash. As soon as you add your card to Apple Pay, you can use it for payments without a connection. Of course you will need an Internet connection to make online payments.
  • What should I do if my device is lost or stolen?

    To use Apple Pay, you need to authorize each card with Touch ID, Face ID or your passcode. To remove the card from the lost/stolen device contact our customer service line +420 222 010 222 or visit your Apple ID account page. For more information click here. If the card is lost or stolen, block it immediately in your internet banking, mobile application or call our customer service. Once the card is blocked, it is not possible to use it for payment with mobile phone.

Repayment problems

  • Reporting to registers

    Banks are obliged to update the status of all existing loans in credit registers every month. The information on the status also includes the amount of the currently paid monthly installment. The registers will therefore state that the installment paid is lower than agreed. Some financial institutions may interpret this reduction negatively. Even so, information on a lower installment is perceived significantly more positively than information on a fully deferred or due installment. Outstanding installments often lead to the rejection of further loan applications.

  • How can I prevent repayment problems?

    • Choose a suitable instalment date. The best date is four days after your paycheck is deposited to your account. You’ll have money available for the instalment even if your paydate falls on a weekend or a holiday. You can make the change free of charge in your Internet banking.

    • Keep an eye on transfers. If your paycheck or other source of income is not deposited to an Raiffeisenbank account, i.e. you transfer the money for the instalment from another bank, set up a standing order – you won’t have to worry about it and you’ll minimize the risk of forgetting a transfer.

    • Allow for extra time. If you use the postal service to send money for instalments, put in the order several days before the instalment date because this service often takes much longer than a bank transfer.

    • Consider the instalment amount. When you take out a loan, set the instalment amount so that at least 20% of your monthly income is left on your account after subtracting your reoccurring and regular expenses, including the instalment.

    • Consider repayment insurance, particularly for larger loans and mortgages. It can help you out if you suddenly lose your job, have an unexpected injury or experience a long-term illness.

  • My financial situation has changed and I’m afraid that I won’t have enough money to cover the instalment. What should I do?

    • We understand a difficult situation and we know that it can happen to every one of us. Should you get into difficulties in repaying, let us know about it as soon as possible. We will advise you and find a satisfactory solution. You may call us at 412 440 000 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. We also recommend to arrange a payment protection insurance (preferably immediately upon origination of the loan).

  • I didn’t pay an instalment. What’s going to happen now?

     




    • We have understanding for a difficult situation and we know that it can happen to every one of us. Should you get into difficulties in repaying, let us know about it as soon as possible. We will advise you and find a satisfactory solution. You can call us at 412 440 000 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. You can also get payment protection insurance for your loan. 

    • If you are late paying an instalment, we first send you a free warning (by text message, e-mail or phone). At that point you can still pay the debt without incurring any penalties.

    • Clients who do not communicate for a longer period and/or repeatedly, or fail to deal with the situation actively, are subject to the following penalties: debt collection fee of CZK 499. We charge this fee repeatedly every month until we declare the entire loan payable immediately, usually up to 4 times.

    • During this entire period, we will also charge you interest for late payments on the owed amount in accordance with Government Regulation 351/2013Coll. Its amount is determined by the currently valid repo rate announced by the CNB. (For clients who fell into arrears in the second half of 2022, the interest on arrears is set at 15% per year)

    •  

    • At the end of each month, we will report your debt to the credit registers, which will significantly reduce your creditworthiness for other banks in case of applying for further loans.

    • In the case of repeated delays in payment of installments or debt lasting more than 30 days, we can transfer the collection of the debt to an external collection agency, which also contacts clients personally at their place of residence or workplace on behalf of the bank.

    • If you fall into arrears of 3 installments or more, we will proceed to declare the loan due immediately. This means that you will lose the benefit of installments and the debt will be collected all at once.

    • Here is an example of how a debt can increase if it is not addressed – a situation that can be avoided if the client communicates in a timely manner and makes an effort to address the situation:

      • A debt of CZK 100,000 for 3 months, with late payment interest of 15% (Repo rate set by the Czech National Bank valid for the period when debt occured, currently for the second half of the year 2022 and for the first half of the year 2023 it is 7%, and increased by 8 percentage points per government order, making a total of 15%), contractual interest of 6.7% and the costs of sending 2 payment reminders: 

      • owed amount +contractual interest +reminders +late payment interest = debt due to non-repayment

      • CZK 100,000 + CZK 1,675 + (2 x CZK 499) + CZK 3,750 = total of CZK 106,423



    • If a debt is not addressed for a long time, the bank may accelerate the loan and demand immediate payment of the entire outstanding principal. In the most extreme cases, the situation may require court enforcement and distraint. However, the bank’s goal is to help clients overcome such adverse situations and engage clients in resolving them to the satisfaction of both parties.

Current Account

  • Can I grant a power of attorney for my account?

    Yes it is possible for unexpected situations and one-time transactions only. The mandatory requirements are: official verification, identification of both parties, account identification and what acts can power of attorney holder perform with the account. Power of attorney can be used for example for one-time money transfer or for account cancellation.



    We do not accept a general power of attorney and determination of a permanent authorized person. We neither allow authorization to other person to the Internet banking service or empowerment to exchange the account holder and to similar purposes.

  • What is the difference between accounting and available balance?

    The available balance is the balance of funds in your account, which are freely available to you - it reflects card or other blockages. Accounting balance is the balance of funds in your account, which does not reflect the card blockages or the amount of overdraft.

  • How many debit cards can I get to my current account?
    At this moment you can get one debit card to your current account.
  • Is the account maintenance for free?
    Account maintenance in all currencies is free for all clients.

Savings account

  • What is the minimum deposit amount?
    There is no minimum deposit required for savings account.
  • Can I open a HIT Savings Account separately?

    Unfortunately not - while opening an account with a current account, but in which the payments, account management, withdrawals from all ATMs, and internet and mobile banking is always free of charge and without conditions.

  • When will I receive the activity bonus rate?

    All you need to do is to make monthly 3 payments with our card or in the end of month have a current investment value of at least 50,000 CZK. If you meet either of the conditions, you will be credited a bonus interest payment in the next month.

E-banking

Mobile application

  • Where do I set a biometric authentication?

    You may allow biometric login during pairing process. Also it is possible to allow biometric authentication for payments, card management and login in the user tab with your name – the “Settings” section.

  • What are the formats of the passcode?

    You may set a numeric code (4-digit, 6-digit, 8-digit) or an alphanumeric (minimum of 6-digit).

  • How many log-in attempts do I have in my mobile application?

    If you insert a wrong code five times in a row, your device will be “un-paired”, and you will not be allowed to access the mobile app. The app will then ask you to perform the “pairing” again, using the internet banking log-in number and password and an authorisation SMS code.

  • How can I confirm my payments in mobile application?

    You can authorize payments with the passcode you selected when pairing the application or fingerprint.

  • What operations can I perform in my mobile application?

    Your mobile application gives you a complete overview of your finances and the ability to manage them. You can make domestic payments and maintain recurrent payments. You can also manage your payment card and change your PIN and limits for card payments. If necessary, you can also block your card in the app.

Telephone banking

Payments

  • What is the limit for one-time payments?

    There are no limits for one-time payments. A one-time order can be placed up to the amount of available account balance. If there is a fee associated with the transaction, you must retain sufficient funds in your account.

  • What are the payment processing cut-off times?
    For payment processing cut-off times, see the Conditions for payment services (see Document Centre).
  • What is IBAN and where do I get it?

    "IBAN is an acronym for "International Bank Account Number", which is used for payments to/from abroad (i.e. foreign payments).Your IBAN can be found in your Internet banking, section "Settings/Account Details", in mobile app in the account detail or on the account statement.

  • What is SWIFT/BIC code and where can I get it?

    Clients of Equa bank can find SWIFT/BIC code on the bank account statement, on the bank’s website at www.equabank.cz, or at the customer service phone number +420 222 010 222.

  • How can I submit europayment/SEPA payment?

    To submit a europayment/SEPA payment, fill in the form SEPA in internet banking or in mobile app. Europayments/SEPA payment are transfers to/from EU/EEA countries in currency EUR with SHA fee type and executed with standard priority. It is required to enter the payee's account number in international IBAN format.

  • Definitions of types of fees

    Information about the types of fees, see Document centre - Terms and conditions of payment services.

Open Banking

  • What does the term Open Banking mean?
    In simple terms, it is making selected customer data available to various entities. To whom and what can be made available is described in the following questions. In this terminology, the terms API and webAPI are often used, representing a uniform communication method between two parties. An equally known term is the abbreviation PSD 2, which is an abbreviation for the second version of the Payment Services Directive covering the internal market, drafted by the European Parliament. This Directive has served as a basis for the new Czech Payment Services Act, which is valid from 13 January 2018.
  • Why has the internet banking been enhanced with the new item “Access to Accounts” in the Settings section?
    Open Banking enables you to obtain information about all your accounts as well as to perform payments through other service providers. In this menu, you will find a list of authorisations granted to individual entities, the length of their validity, including the option to withdraw the authorisation. You will also find their individual access history here.
  • What does granting of access to an account mean for me specifically?
    You can use the information on your accounts in connection with other services. Typically, this may concern an overview of all your transactions from the accounts with various banks. You can also follow your regular expenses. In the case of a loan application, you may grant consent to a loan provider to download an account statement from your account, so that you do not have to document your income.
  • How can I grant an authorisation to access my account?
    You may grant an authorisation directly in the internet browser on the website of the service provider or using a specific application. With the increasing number of providers, you will be able to grant an authorisation in the internet banking as well. From the website of the service provider or the application, you will always be redirected to our website to enter your login data you use to enter your internet banking.
  • What information will be accessed by the provider?

    If you allow the service entitled “Account Information Service” in the application, the provider will have information about all your accounts, their balances, and transactions. The validity of the authorisation is set to 90 days; after the validity expires, the authorisation needs to be assigned again. The authorisation may also be cancelled at any time. Some applications enable setting up a payment transaction from your account only with your consent and according to our authorisation rules. It is a single authorisation and you must assign it to every payment.

  • Can the service provider get to the information about my accounts without my consent?
    No. No service provider can get to this information without your confirmation.
  • Am I obliged to grant access to accounts?
    The option of making your data accessible to another provider is purely upon you. If you are not interested in the service, Open Banking does not impact on you in any way.
  • Security of Open Banking services

    The list of providers of these services is regulated by the Czech National Bank. Adding an authorisation goes hand in hand with our security principles and rules. However, be careful when it comes to applications from unknown sources and unsecured websites. You can read more on security online in the Security guidelines section on our website.

Deposit-enabled ATMs

  • Do I have to somehow sort the banknotes while deposit?
    No, there is no need to sort banknotes. Please only insert banknotes straightened, folded, without bent corners, undamaged and dirty.
  • How many banknotes can I deposit at once?
    You can deposit up to 200 banknotes at one time at our deposit-enabled ATMs.
  • Can I deposit CZK, EUR and USD during a single deposit transaction?
    Yes, you can. You can deposit all three currencies at our deposit-enabled ATMs at once in any order. Our machine sorts the banknotes and posts the money to your accounts. ATM does not accept $1 and $2 banknotes. Please note that your card needs to be linked to the foreign currency account in order to deposit foreign exchange banknotes.
  • How do I connect a foreign currency account to my payment card?
    It’s easy to connect a foreign currency account to your payment card in your Internet banking in the Cards – Card settings section, where there is an Added foreign currency accounts tabYour foreign currency current account can be easily linked to the payment card either in your mobile application in your Profile > Cards > Accounts linked to card or in your internet banking Cards > Card settings > Added foreign currency accounts.
  • What is the fee for deposits in EUR and USD?
    For deposits in EUR and/or USD there is a 0.5% fee on the deposited sum.
  • At the time of deposit, the ATM showed me that some of the banknotes were marked as suspicious. What should I do?
    You don't have to do anything. Your entire deposit amount has been credited to your account, only the amount of suspicious banknotes has been temporarily blocked. The suspicious banknotes will be manually scanned no later than 30 days (but most likely sooner). If the banknotes are evaluated as genuine, the blocking will be cancelled. In the event that even a subsequent check evaluates the banknotes as suspicious, they are forwarded to the CNB. The deadline for assessing banknotes at the CNB is 60 days. In total it may take up to 90 days to assess the banknotes.

Online payments

  • Do I really have to set up this authentication?
    The new European legislation requires using a higher level of authentication, which makes online payments even more secure and helps prevent fraud. If you do not set a preferred phone or E-PIN by 26 September, 2019, you will not be able to use a card for online payments when you are asked to authenticate a payment. Please make sure you are ready and check your card settings on your mobile phone and Internet banking.
  • How are online payments authenticated exactly?
    Mastercard Identity Check analyzes every online payment made with your card and determines whether the payment was really made by you and does not require further authentication with a text message code. That means that all payments are monitored in real time and most of them are approved immediately, so they are processed smoothly and easily. If a further level of security is required, you will be asked during payment to verify your identity in our mobile banking. It’s really that simple.
  • I don’t want to use a mobile app. Will I still be able to shop online?
    Of course! You don’t have to use mobile banking to make secure payments. You can also authenticate payments using an authorization code from a text message and E-PIN, which you set easily in your Internet banking. However, we recommend using the mobile app, as it really is the easiest way to shop quickly and securely.
  • How does it all work?

    1. As soon as you click on “Pay for order” in an e-shop, the authentication process is launched and the transaction risk is monitored in real time.



    2. Transactions with a low risk may be approved without any further steps. Only when a higher level of authentication is needed will you be asked to authorize the payment in our mobile banking or by using a E-PIN code and authorization code from a text message.



    3. You open the app using a push notification in your mobile phone and then approve the payment. If you don’t have our mobile app, you will have to set a E-PIN.



    4. The merchant receives a confirmation and your order is then completed.

  • How do I allow notifications from the Equa bank mobile app?

    After you sign in, click on your profile on the bottom right bar, go to Settings in the upper left corner and in the Services section in Settings allow notifications, so that we can send you notifications through the mobile app.

  • How do I set my phone as the authorization phone for online payments?
    In the mobile app under your profile in the Settings tab, in the Security section, click on Set your authorization phone and choose your mobile as the authorization phone for mobile online payments.
  • What’s the difference between a PIN and E-PIN?
    A PIN is used to confirm payments when you withdraw money from an ATM and when you pay with your card at Points of Sale. An E-PIN is only for card payments online.
  • Can my PIN and E-PIN be the same?
    Yes, these two codes are independent and can be identical.
  • What should I do if the E-PIN code is blocked?

    E-PIN code is automatically unblocked the next day. If you can’t wait, you can authenticate through our mobile app or you can call to our customer service.

  • For which online card payments is Mastercard ID Check verification needed?
    All online card payments in EU are subjected to an internal risk assessment. After this evaluation, we will either approve the payment or request your verification.
  • Can I turn off SMS code verification for online card payments?

    No. New European Union legislation demands upper level authentication to provide more security and to prevent card fraud.

  • What should I do if the SMS code is blocked?

    SMS code is automatically unblocked the next day. If you can’t wait, you can authenticate through our mobile app or you can call to our customer service.