The issue concerns recent news that SIBS - manager of the Multibanco network and the MB Way service - intends to allow the latter to be associated with payment accounts, in addition to the existing solution of associating it with payment cards.

In a statement, DECO expresses "its concern, as there may be an increase in commissions under this new transfer regime between payment accounts".

"The association of MB Way with accounts will mean that transfers between users will be considered immediate transfers", and therefore "they may be subject to the price list applicable to these transfers and not subject to the limits applicable to transfers between cards, as is currently the case, and in the event of exceeding the free transactions, of 0.2% in the case of debit cards and 0.3% in the case of credit cards", it explains.

If this is the amount charged for MB Way transfers between accounts, the association highlights that it will be "a huge increase in commissions on the average value of MB Way transfers, of approximately 40 euros, going from close to 10 cents to 80 cents or over one euro".

"This amount will be completely disproportionate, contrary to the law, and damaging the interests of consumers in MB Way, a product that is well received and adopted by the Portuguese, and for which the application of disproportionate commissions should be avoided", it argues.

In this context, DECO says it has already sent a letter to the Ministries of Economy and Finance "requesting an urgent assessment and intervention to adapt the legislation and maintain proportionality in the commissions applicable to MB Way transfers".