The Bank of Ghana has revised its directive for “Treatment of Captured Payment Cards in Automated Teller Machines”.

This will seek to address the perennial complaints that emanate from the capture of Payment Cards at ATMs of regulated Financial Institutions.

It will also provide for standard procedures in retrieving payment cards captured by ATMs and also prescribe conditions for releasing, transporting or destroying the payment cards.

Conditions for the capture of payment card on ATMs include the wrongful entering of personal Identification Number more than the permitted number of times by a customer during an ATM transaction or the use of an expired or damaged card on an ATM.

The information to be presented by the card holder for the purposes of identification may take the form of one or more of the following; valid national identification card, valid driver’s licence, valid passport, valid SSNIT ID or valid voter identification card.

The Central Bank said all payment cards captured may be blocked or disabled by the issuer, among others.

Alternatively, an issuer shall provide reliable avenues for card holders to report issues of card capture and card blockage request or a card holder whose card has been captured by an ATM may lodge a complaint with the acquirer or the issuer and provide all relevant information to assist in identifying the card holder.

The card holder can get back his or her card if he or is able to provide required documents requested by the acquirer to authenticate the card holder.

Penalties for non-compliance

Overall the Bank of Ghana said a regulated financial institution in breach of the provisions of this directive shall be liable to an administrative penalty of not less than 2000 penalty.

Notwithstanding the penalties specified, it may impose any other penalty or take any remedial action that it considers appropriate