Do any ATMs in Belgium support balance inquiries?

Submitted ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨ciferecaNinjo@fedia.io⁩ to ⁨nostupidquestions@lemmy.world⁩

https://fedia.io/m/nostupidquestions@lemmy.world/t/383087

ATMs I’ve checked:

BNP Paribas: no balance inquiry option. Nor did it print the balance on the receipt.

Attijariwafa: no balance inquiry option. Anti-feature: you must enter your PIN before it shows you the menu. Does that mean it connects to my bank even in the absense of a transaction?

Ing: no longer has ATMs?
KBC: no longer has ATMs?
Belfius: no longer has ATMs?
Aion: only has 1 ATM (unplugged, grafitti on screen)
Europabank: no longer has ATMs?
DHB bank: has no ATMs?
Fintra: ATM is the same as BNP Parabas?

Batopin: no balance inquiry option. (this is a 3rd party hired by Ing & KBC)

This website claims to give a way to check your balance, but I’m not so trusting:

https://www.getmybalance.com/

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Comments

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jeffw@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
Your banks don’t have websites and apps in Belgium?

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- ciferecaNinjo@fedia.io ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  Banks are gradually removing features from their websites in a progression toward complete elimination of the website (some banks have already taken that step & impose an app). 1-factor authentication is illegal in Belgium. So for web access banks typically hand out devices for 2FA. Some banks avoid that cost by imposing a smartphone app in lieu of a card reader or RSA token (BYO smartphone).
  
  There are many problems with bank apps in Belgium:
  
  You must buy smartphone hardware (the apps detect when they are executed inside a virtual machine & deny service)
  
  You must patronize a surveillance capitalist (create a Google or Apple account)
  2.1. You must subscribe to mobile phone service in order to satisfy Google’s unreasonable demand for a mobile phone number
  2.2. You must trust Google with your mobile phone number
  2.3. When Google records your place of banking, you must trust Google not to share that info (with debt collectors, for example)
  
  All bank apps in Belgium are closed-source, so you must trust the apps not to carry spyware and to work in your interests
  
  You must chronically upgrade your hardware every few years because the bank apps are upgraded with reckless disregard to the lockstep-coupling of hardware to software on all phone platforms that are supported by Belgian banks. You cannot run a VM to prevent irresponsible electronic waste (see point 1)
  
  The bank’s privacy policies are written to allow your realtime location to be tracked via the app.
  
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  - Thavron@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    I say this with the best intentions, and you have every right to take all these things into consideration, but you’re sounding very paranoid. I think your best option would be to immediately withdraw any funds you receive and keep a completely paper administration.
    
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  - thelastknowngod@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    My man… You are not getting around the tracking. It’s never going to happen. Unless you literally toss everything with a network connection and disconnect from the electric, gas, and water grids, you are going to be tracked.
    
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Camus@jlai.lu ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
Hello,

You’ll probably get better answers on !belgium@lemmy.world or !belgique@jlai.lu

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Fleppensteijn@feddit.nl ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
As far as I know, European banks never give you the option for balance inquiry. ATMs in e.g. Asia may give the option but it won’t work with a European bank card.

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- ciferecaNinjo@fedia.io ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  Dutch ATMs give a balance.
  
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  - Fleppensteijn@feddit.nl ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    Not with my ING account
    
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allywilson@sopuli.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
That’s unexpected.

I’ve never thought about it before. In the UK getting your balance is on every ATM. The ATMs are all different makes and models, interfaces, OSes, different banks, etc. the only thing I can think of that is the same is they are all connected to LINK - maybe they have set standards for what they should all have/have not?

Anti-feature: you must enter your PIN before it shows you the menu. Does that mean it connects to my bank even in the absense of a transaction?

This is the same in the UK. They request your PIN immediately after putting in your card (althogh I think if you use a credit card it will prompt for your language first), but it doesn’t use it until it needs to connect to your bank (I know this after knowingly mistakenly putting in my PIN, then attempting to get my balance or something and then the card is ejected and the message about incorrect PIN appears).

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- Blackmist@feddit.uk ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  I think in the UK each bank enquiry results in the ATM operator getting paid. So they ask you like three times if you want to see your balance because they get money for that as well as just the cash dispensing.
  
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Zippit@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
I know Belfius still has a few ATMs inside the building, they do show your balance. During the day you can enter without swiping your card, but after certain hours you have to your card to get in.

Also, they have the banking app so you can always check your balance and do payments as long as you have a debit or credit card. Unless you have a special expenses card when in debt collection I think.

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SmashingSquid@notyour.rodeo ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
Is there no number on your card you can call and get your balance using an automated system?

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- ciferecaNinjo@fedia.io ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  No. There are a few phone numbers but they’re a disaster. I’ve not encountered a Belgian bank that gives automated account info over the phone. Last time I called my bank it was just a greeting saying “contact us through the app” or something like that, IIRC.
  
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kernelle@0d.gs ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
I’ve never seen a check balance option ever when not using my own banks ATM over here. ING does still have ATM’s in a few places, KBC and Belfius definitely do as well. Also you forgot Argenta and Bpost which has them as well. Honestly don’t think you’ll be able to perform a balance check on any of them.

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