Minibanks arrive: they will make deposits, open accounts and set deadlines in stores.

The elimination of an old regulation will now allow banks to open "mini branches" in different stores, in which they can offer all the services of a usual seat: deposits, extractions of money, opening of account, treatment of loans, opening of fixed deadlines or request for insurance.

The resolution was released Tuesday by the Central Bank and will allow each financial institution to negotiate with companies in almost every area the opening a special window for banking procedures. They will be able to offer almost all the services of a large agency, although deposits are only limited by deposits. up to an amount equivalent to a living and mobile living wage ($ 10,700 today), For safety reasons.

The model is inspired by the functioning of this type of branch of the banking system that has operated for years in neighboring countries such as Chile, Brazil, Peru and Colombia. facilitate access to banks in small towns, which usually have large, remote banking branches.

The mechanism will work from an agreement that each bank will conclude with each transaction. The entities will conduct studies to evaluate the economic convenience of the possible opening of this mini branch and in the event that it progresses in its implementation, must pay a commission, free negotiation between the two parties, which is usually paid by an open account or a loan.

There will be no exclusivity: each bank will be able to badociate with different companies and each business may have different bank windows. The security and operational responsibility of each mini-branch, in all cases, will be the responsibility of the financial entities.

As this is a new experience in the country, some things are not yet clear on how the new modality will work. It may or may not include a physical space different from the commercial one (a different window) and up to an ATM. Customers will have no additional cost to operate in this type of agencies.

The extension of the banking scope could also mean a break with the timetable Typical of these services, which is 10 to 15. Although the Central Bank authorities have been unable to confirm this, the gradual implementation of the new model "will tend to" allow the removal of this time restriction.

Of course, stores will be forced to place two stickers in their windows. One from the Central Bank and one from each bank badociated with this trade. Financial institutions must also publish on their websites each authorized bank correspondent.

There is one point that promises controversy with the banking unions. The new mini subsidiaries can be served by trade staff instead of bank employees. Central sources defended themselves by saying that "international experience shows that as the number of access points to the bank increases, so does the number of jobs in the sector, but it is increasing".

According to the comments of the Central Bank, "the opening of these points of access to the financial system will also improve the payment process of more than 14 million benefits that ANSES performs every month, often in areas where there are difficult access options to the banking system ".

Official sources believe that the new system could be implemented from next year. Companies, at this time of the year, have generally already completed their investment plan for the following year, but banks have been asking for a settlement of this type for some time in order to be able to start to implement it in the medium term.