A guide to what our name change means for you

Transcription

1 A guide to what our name change means for you Part of the Danske Bank Group

2 What changes lie ahead for Northern Bank? In late 2012, Northern Bank will change its trading name to Danske Bank. Our registered company name will not change nor will our status as a UK bank. We will still be authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (our registration number is ). Is there a specific date? It will take a little time to get all the changes made. But the new signs on our branches will start going up from 15 November and we plan to get all the new signs in place by the end of November. Some of the other changes will be more gradual. Who is Danske Bank? Danske Bank A/S is the largest bank in Denmark and is a leading player in the Scandinavian financial markets. The Danske Bank Group serves personal and business customers with nationwide networks in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Baltic States, Republic of Ireland and here in Northern Ireland. In total, the Danske Bank Group serves 4.9 million personal and business customers and a significant number of public sector and institutional organisations. Isn t Northern Bank already part of Danske Bank? Yes. We are a wholly owned subsidiary of Danske Bank A/S and part of the Danske Bank Group. Since 2005 Danske Bank has invested in and continues to invest in substantial upgrading of our infrastructure and technology platform, including state of the art mobile banking solutions. By adopting the trading name of Danske Bank we will be able to bring even more competitive products and services to you more quickly. Who will regulate the bank? There won t be any change as we will still be authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority in the UK and you will still have all the same benefits of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) as you do at present. What difference will a change in trading name mean? Changing the trading name to Danske Bank is a clear signal of Danske s commitment to the Northern Ireland market. It also reflects its confidence in Northern Bank s relationship with its customers and position in the local marketplace. You will start to see small glimpses of the Danske Bank brand over the coming weeks and months. For example, Danske Bank is already sponsoring lots of local sporting competitions. What does this mean for me? There won t be any change to your day-to-day relationship with us. We will retain the same great staff, service and products. The most obvious change will be that we will be known as Danske Bank from 15 November, the sign over our doors will change and you will start to see the new logo being used in all communications with you. There will also be slight changes to the name(s) of your account(s) but otherwise nothing changes in terms of your dealings with us. Terms and conditions There have been minor changes to your terms and conditions. We have updated them to reflect the change of trading name and to include references to new product names, interest rate and exchange rate names. We will also amend the terms and conditions to reflect the fact that Danske Bank A/S (currently trading as National Irish Bank) will not provide a cash machine service in the Republic of Ireland from early Will I need to get new debit/credit cards or chequebooks? You won t need to get new cards or chequebooks immediately. You should not destroy your cheque books or cards. The logo on your debit cards and credit cards will only start to change after 15 November as and when the expiry date printed on your card(s) is reached. For some people, this may actually mean they retain their Northern Bank branded debit and credit cards until When you receive your new cards they will have the Danske Bank logo instead of the current Northern Bank logo. If you have a chequebook and use cheques, your Northern Bank branded cheques can still be used. You will receive a new chequebook with the Danske Bank logo when your current chequebook runs out after 15 November. If you have authorised someone else to have a card or chequebook to operate your account then you will need to tell them about these changes. Will Northern Bank notes still be valid? Yes, Northern Bank notes will continue to be valid and from around mid 2013 you will begin to notice new Danske Bank branded notes being introduced. Northern Bank notes will continue to be circulated and will be accepted in retail outlets. Also, value can always be obtained for Northern Bank notes by exchanging them at any of our branches in Northern Ireland.

3 Will the Northern Bank website address change or do I need to change how I log onto ebanking? Yes, the website address will change from to and will have the new Danske Bank logo. After 15 November you should enter the new address if you wish to visit our website or log onto ebanking. Apart from having to change the website address, there will be no change to how you log onto ebanking. You will still use the same User ID and password. If you go to after 15 November, you will be automatically redirected to our new website address at If you currently contact anyone in the bank via , from 15 November their address will change to end e.g. John.Smyth@northernbank.co.uk will change to John.Smyth@danskebank.co.uk Will the mobile banking App change? If you currently have the Northern Bank mobile banking App this will be renamed Mobile Bank UK in November. You will be notified via the App Store or Google Play and by Northern Bank secure mail when the update is available. You should update in the usual way. Do you pay your credit card by direct debit from another bank? From 15 November 2012, if you pay your credit card by direct debit from an account held with another bank, the name Danske Bank will appear on your bank statement. There is no need for you to complete a new Direct Debit Instruction, as details of the change will have been supplied to your bank, who may also notify you, independently. Additionally you may also see a comment on your bank statement advising you of the final payment under the old name details and the first payment under the new name details. Please be assured this change will not affect the service you receive in any way. You will continue to enjoy the benefits of the Direct Debit Guarantee, as detailed. If you have any questions about this change please call us on (calls outside NI/UK +44 (0) ) *. The Direct Debit Guarantee This Guarantee is offered by all Banks and Building Societies that accept instructions to pay direct debits. If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your direct debit, Danske Bank Card Services will notify you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request Danske Bank Card Services to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of request. If an error is made in the payment of your direct debit, by Danske Bank Card Services or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society. If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when Danske Bank Card Services asks you to. You can cancel a direct debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us. What do I need to do? Actually, for most customers you don t need to do anything. - We recommend that you visit our new website after 15 November. - If you have the Northern Bank App you will need to update in the usual way. - If you have authorised someone else to operate your account (e.g. on ebanking or have given them a card) you will need to tell them about these changes. - If you have specialist products we may need to write to you separately over the coming weeks. - If you do not agree to these changes then you must tell us in writing before 15 November 2012 and you will be able to end your agreement before that date, without having to pay any extra charges. If we do not hear from you we will assume that you have accepted the changes. Where can I get more information? Revised Terms and Conditions will be available on our website over the next few weeks. These are the standard terms and conditions we will rely on from 15 November And remember, you can pop into your local Northern Bank branch or call [calls outside NI/UK +44 (0) ] for more information *. We would encourage you to keep checking our website for further exciting updates. Just go to over the next few weeks.

4 Will there be changes to the product name(s) of my account(s)? Yes, the names of a number of our products and services will change where they currently include the word Northern e.g. Northern Choice will change to Danske Choice etc. You will see the new names on your bank account statements after 15 November. Will there be changes to Interest Rates and Exchange Rates? There will be no changes to the way interest rates and exchange rates are calculated and applied however the names of interest rates and exchange rates will change (see below). Current name New Name Northern Bank Base Rate Danske Bank Base Rate (UK) Northern Bank Card Exchange Rate Danske Bank Card Exchange Rate (UK) Northern Bank Exchange Rate Danske Bank Exchange Rate (UK) Northern Bank Limited Bank Danske Bank Bank Offered Offered Rate (NBL BOR) Rate (DANSKEBOR(UK)) Northern Bank Limited Bid Rate (NBL BID) Danske Bank Bid Rate (UK) (DANSKEBID(UK)) Northern Re:pay Variable Rate Danske Bank Re:pay Rate (UK) Northern Standard Variable Rate Danske Bank Standard Variable Rate (UK) * Telephone lines may be temporarily unavailable when we are carrying out routine maintenance. We may record or monitor calls for your protection, to train our staff and to maintain the quality of our ongoing service. Call charges may vary. Please refer to your service provider.

5 This leaflet is also available in Braille, in large print, on tape and on disk. Speak to a member of staff for details. Northern Bank Limited Registered in Northern Ireland R568 Registered Office: Donegall Square West Belfast BT1 6JS COM1082