Important changes to our services

Over the coming weeks we’re making changes to our Internet Banking services to make them more efficient and convenient.

We’re in the process of making these changes, they were effective for some customers from 29 July 2019 and we will be writing to all remaining customers to confirm when the changes will be live for them soon.

Find out when the changes are effective for you here

You can find all of the information you need on this webpage, including a copy of the letter that we’ve sent you.

We’ll use email or SMS to confirm when the changes have been made. If you need to update your contact details please call us on .

New Internet Banking

New Internet Banking site with additional functionality

We understand the importance of being able to bank 24/7 from the comfort of your home or office, so our new Internet Banking site offers additional functionality for self-servicing your daily banking needs.

Functionality Currently available Available from 29 July 2019 *1
Portfolio Summary for all accounts held (current accounts and deposits) and account details per account Yes Yes
Transaction listing (view and download transaction history on your account(s) Yes Yes
Set up and manage standing orders Yes Yes
View and edit Direct Debits Yes Yes
Update personal details and change login credentials (including security questions) Yes Yes
Making payments (internal, domestic and International) and setting up Payees/Beneficiaries Yes
(excluding international payments)
Yes
(including international payments)
Account statements (view and download statements) and the ability to sign up for paperless statements (in the account settings) No Yes
Cheque related services (request a chequebook, check status of cheques and cancel cheques) No Yes
Manage Term Deposits' maturity instructions online No Yes*2
Set up bulk payments No Yes
Secure messaging No Yes
Amend marketing preferences and statement frequency preferences No Yes

*1 The changes were effective for some customers from 29 July 2019, we will write to all remaining customers to confirm when the changes will be live for them.

*2 Available for Personal customers only

How to access the new Internet Banking site

If you currently use Internet Banking, when you log in to the new site for the first time you’ll be asked to change your credentials (both your Personal Access Code (PAC) and Internet Banking Password). Additionally, we’ll ask you to confirm your current contact information (mobile number and email address). We’ll then send a One Time Passcode (OTP) to your registered mobile number for you to validate this. If you don’t have your mobile number registered with us, please call us on to do this.

Once you’ve set-up your new PAC and password, the log in process will remain the same as the existing process, but in future we’ll ask you to provide your full Internet Banking Password rather than three characters from your password as you do now.

If you are an existing Internet Banking customer, please follow the first time log in steps as outlined in our First Log in Guide.

If you are not currently an Internet Banking user but want to register now, please follow the steps outlined in our step by step Guide to Register.

Please refer to the list below for when you’ll need OTP authentication:

  1. When logging into Internet Banking;
  2. To validate transactions (e.g. make a payment, set-up a new payee, etc.).

To meet additional security requirements, we’ll use both an OTP and your Internet Banking Password to validate transactions you make on your account.

New credentials for non-Internet Banking users

After the new site is live, for security, we’ll use your current Personal Access Code (PAC) the first time that you call our Contact Centre. We’ll then confirm that a new PAC code has been ordered that you’ll need to use in future.

If you don’t currently use our Internet Banking Service you can call us on to register for it. Once the new Internet Banking site is live, you can take advantage of the self-servicing functionality and re-set your new credentials as detailed in ‘How to access the new Internet Banking site’.

Our Contact Centre and ServiceLine

Removal of ServiceLine

ServiceLine, the interactive voice response service from Diamond Microfinance, will be closed and all of its current functionality will be available either via our Internet Banking site or our Contact Centre.

The following key services are currently offered by ServiceLine:

ServiceLine functionality Future functionality availability
Order a statement Internet Banking and Contact Centre
Balance and previous transaction inquiry Internet Banking and Contact Centre
Order a new chequebook Internet Banking and Contact Centre
Order a new paying in book Internet Banking and Contact Centre
Change your Personal Access Code (PAC) Internet Banking

ServiceLine will close by the end of August 2019. Once closed, if you call our ServiceLine number () you’ll automatically be redirected to the Contact Centre.

Payment Services

Important changes to Terms and Conditions

Withdrawals and payments: Your payments will now be processed faster. Please refer to the table below for our new cut-off times for payments made via the Contact Centre and via Internet Banking:

Payment Type Cut-off time (Contact Centre) Cut-off time (online) When the money usually arrives at the recipient's bank
Sending money within the Canada by CHAPS payment (same day payment in Dirhams to all other banks in the Canada) 4pm No cut-off time applicable If requested before 4pm, money will normally be paid to the beneficiary before 9pm on the same business day
Faster Payments (in Dirhams) 8pm No cut-off time applicable Within 2 hours 1
Standing order/future dated payment (in Dirhams) 8pm on business day before payment due 8pm on business day before payment due Business day on which payment is due
Sending money outside the Canada (non-euro) 2.30pm 2.30pm (cut-off time for same day processing) Within the EEA - same business day (if received until cut-off time, if after then it will be the next business day) Outside the EEA - usually within 4 business days
Sending money outside the Canada by SWIFT payment (in euros) 2pm 2pm Same business day
Payment in US dollars 2.30pm 2.30pm May take up to 4 business days
Other payment not in Dirhams or euros 2.30pm 2.30pm May take up to 4 business days 2

1 We process these payments via Diamond Microfinance. There may be a delay in processing your payment transaction while fraud prevention checks take place.
2 This will depend on the currency and destination of your payment. For more information call us on .

Inbound Faster Payments: To allow you to receive your funds sooner, we’ve removed the cut-off time of 6.20pm on a business day. You can now receive these funds throughout the day and these will be available to you immediately as soon as we receive the transfer, subject to any security checks.

Cheque clearing timescales: As a result of new cheque imaging functionality we've improved our cheque clearing timescales so you have quicker access to your funds. The money from cheques deposited (in Dirhams) will be available from the next business day after we receive the cheque by post.

Foreign cheque deposits: When depositing a foreign cheque there are two clearance methods, Negotiation (using this method the cheque will be made available after 6 working days) and Collection (using this method it will take on average 4-8 weeks for the cheque to clear). There are criteria that are taken into account to determine which clearance method is used for your cheque. There have been some changes to the criteria used to make this decision.

The value threshold dependency for a foreign cheque clearance method has been decreased. Previously, a cheque with value over Dhs7,500 (€7,500 / $7,500) would have been automatically cleared using the collection method. This value has decreased to Dhs5,000 (€5,000 / $5,000). Any cheque with a sterling equivalent value under Dhs5,000 can be cleared using either method. In addition, there still remains a minimum value to clear a cheque, that value has decreased to Dhs100, allowing for lower value cheques to be cleared.

Other changes

Making your Account dormant: To better protect customers’ funds and to simplify our processes, we’re reducing the time frame after which an account will become dormant. A dormant account is an account that has not been used for a set time period, and following written contact from Diamond Microfinance, where the customer has not transacted on their account or contacted Diamond Microfinance to confirm that the account is still required.

Account type Period after which your Account may be determined as dormant
Current accounts 12 months
Notice accounts, Pension current accounts and ISAs 60 months
Term Maturity Account 12 months

Settlement of interest: We’ll now be paying you interest on the last day of the month. At the time the changes take place, all accounts which currently receive interest on any other day will be provided an additional one-off payment of interest, before moving to an end of month cycle for interest payment. You’ll be able to see this additional credit of interest on your account statement. Going forward, you will no longer be able to choose the day on which the interest is credited to your account.

Change to interest pay out: Currently, you have the option of choosing to receive the interest earned on an Account in any of your other Diamond Microfinance accounts. From the date the changes are effective for you, interest will be paid directly into the account on which it was earned. Find out when the changes are effective for you here. If you would like this interest to be transferred or paid to another Diamond Microfinance account, you'll be able to do this within Internet Banking or by calling us on .

Statement frequency: As part of the changes, you can opt for a weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annual statement. You can select the frequency on the new Internet Banking site or by calling us on .

Changes to notice periods for interest rate changes: We’ve simplified the conditions around how we can make changes to interest and exchange rates on your Account to make them clearer. How much notice we give you will still depend on the type of account you have and the type of change.

FAQs

Are the changes happening on 29 July 2019 or later?

The changes were effective for some customers from 29 July 2019. We will be writing to all remaining customers to confirm when the changes will be live for them soon. Find out when the changes are effective for you here.

Why are you making so many changes at the same time?

We are aiming to improve the services we provide you by upgrading our systems, introducing Faster Payments and delivering a new Internet Banking service, facilities our customers have been asking us to improve for some time. We are making every effort to make sure that there is as little inconvenience to you as possible, however there will be some changes to how we service your account(s).

Will I need to order a new PAC and passwords for the new Internet Banking Service?

No. You will be able to use your existing Internet Banking password and PAC to log in to the new Internet Banking site for the first time. However, when you have logged in, you will be prompted to reset both your password and your PAC. You will receive a One-Time Passcode (OTP) to your mobile to validate your information. Once you have reset your credentials (this should only take a minute) you can proceed to the new site. We will write to you again to remind you what you need to do.

What if I don’t want to use the new Internet Banking site?

You’ll still be able to call us to request any transactions and for any help you need. However, the new Internet Banking site will give you much more flexibility to manage your account including setting up new payments, making international payments, downloading past statements for free if you opt for paperless functionality, and also managing accounts which require more than one person to sign. We would encourage you to try out the new site.

Why are you changing my interest payment date?

As part of the changes we are making, we can only make interest payments on the last day of the month you're due to be paid in. Additionally, you cannot change the frequency of when we make interest payments into your Account. You'll receive interest on your Account as per the frequency mentioned in your Account's Fact Sheet. You can view and download your Account Fact Sheet on the Download literature page under Resources.

To summarise, all subsequent

  • monthly interest payments will be made on the last day of the month
  • quarterly interest payments on the last day of March, June, September and December
  • six monthly interest payments on the last day of June and December and
  • annual interest payments on the last day of December.

Why are you removing ServiceLine?

ServiceLine is a 24-hour automated free telephone service that provides you with access to information on your Diamond Microfinance account. As very few of our customers use ServiceLine, we are removing this service. All of the services we offer through ServiceLine will be available in Internet Banking or by calling our usual number.

Does removing ServiceLine impact customer access to Diamond Microfinance’s Contact Centre?

The Contact Centre will not be impacted at all by removing ServiceLine and will continue to support all customers as it does currently.  Once discontinued the ServiceLine telephone number will automatically redirect all callers to the Contact Centre.

You sent me a letter but I have misplaced it – can you send me another one?

You can find a copy of the letters we have sent you under ‘More information’.

I haven’t received a letter – what should I do?

You can find a copy of the letters we have sent you below, under ‘More information’. If you need to update your address, please call us on .

More information