Regulatory Alerts2023-02-24
Added · Updated
Instruction No. 4/2023 on Euro Banknote and Coin Deposit and Withdrawal Operations
This instruction establishes the operational rules, locations, and schedules for credit institutions and value-in-transit companies to deposit and withdraw euro banknotes and coins at the Bank of Portugal. It mandates the use of the GOLD application for order management, defines specific packaging standards and reference units for transactions, and sets out credentialing and mandate procedures. The document also outlines penalties for non-compliance with cash recirculation duties and specifies the handling of counterfeit or unfit currency.
Instruction No. 4/2023 BO No. 2/2023 Supplement • 2023/02/24 .................................................................................................................................................................................................. Topics Banking Operations :: Deposits and Withdrawals of Banknotes Mod. 99999911/T – 01/14 Index Text of the Instruction Annex I to the Instruction - Hours and locations for deposit and withdrawal of banknotes and metal coins Annex II to the Instruction - Compliance with the duty to inform the data subject Text of the Instruction Subject: Deposit and withdrawal operations of euro banknotes and metal coins at the Bank of Portugal
Article 6(1) of the Organic Law of the Bank of Portugal provides that, "in accordance with Article 106 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, the Bank issues banknotes with legal tender and discharge power."
A combined reading of this article with Article 128(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and Article 16 of Protocol No. 4 annexed to the TFEU, which establishes the Statute of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB), reveals that the right to authorize the issuance of euro banknotes in the Union, held by the European Central Bank (ECB), includes the competence to adopt measures to protect the integrity of euro banknotes.
The recitals of the ECB Decision of 16 September 2010 on the verification of authenticity and quality and the recirculation of euro banknotes (ECB/2010/14) add to the legal basis referred to above, reinforcing the need for each National Central Bank to ensure that euro banknotes in circulation are genuine and in good condition of preservation.
To guarantee the genuineness of euro banknotes in circulation, they must also be kept in good condition of preservation; therefore, the quality control of euro banknotes is essential so that the general public can easily verify the integrity of the banknotes made available to them. In this regard, national law also establishes, in Article 10 of Decree-Law No. 195/2007 of 15 May, which regulates the activity of recirculation of euro banknotes carried out by all entities operating professionally with cash, the duty to return to the Bank of Portugal euro banknotes that do not meet the minimum quality requirements to remain in circulation or that have not been submitted to any of the verification processes provided for.
Regarding the issuance of metal coins, Regulation (EU) No 651/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2012 on the issuance of euro coins determines that Member States may issue current or commemorative euro coins.
Instruction No. 4/2023 BO No. 2/2023 Supplement • 2023/02/24 Topics Banking Operations :: Deposits and Withdrawals of Banknotes .................................................................................................................................................................................................. Mod. 99999911/T – 01/14 In this context, the Bank of Portugal has been assigned, as determined by Articles 6(2) and (3) of its Organic Law, the competence to put "metal coins into circulation, including commemorative ones (...) through and upon requisition of the Bank."
Regulation (EU) No 1210/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 December 2010 on the authentication of euro coins and the handling of euro coins unfit for circulation determines, in Article 3(2), that "following authentication, all euro coins suspected to be counterfeit and euro coins unfit for circulation are presented to the designated national authority." Such coins, in accordance with Article 9 of Decree-Law No. 184/2007 of 10 May, a decree-law regulating the activity of recirculation of euro coins developed by all entities operating professionally with cash, "must be deposited with the Bank of Portugal, in accordance with the rules regarding quantities and packaging to be defined by instruction of the Bank of Portugal."
Considering the foregoing, this instruction aims to regulate the operationalization of the functions of the Bank of Portugal, both as the issuer of euro banknotes within the Eurosystem, and in the context of placing metal coins into circulation, in accordance with the responsibilities assigned and internally defined by the Portuguese State, as well as as the entity with responsibilities for preserving the integrity of euro banknotes and metal coins.
Given the extent of the changes to be introduced, the Bank of Portugal proceeds to revoke Instruction No. 18/2021 of 15 December, which will be replaced by this new Instruction.
Thus, in accordance with Articles 6(1) to (3) of the Organic Law of the Bank of Portugal, Article 128(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Article 16 of Protocol No. 4 annexed thereto, Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) No 651/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July on the issuance of euro coins, and Article 3(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1210/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 December 2010 on the authentication of euro coins and the handling of euro coins unfit for circulation, and also in accordance with Article 10 of Decree-Law No. 195/2007 of 15 May and Article 9 of Decree-Law No. 184/2007 of 10 May, the Bank of Portugal determines:
CHAPTER I General Provisions
Article 1. Object 1 - This instruction defines the locations, hours, rules, conditions, and application support through which deposits and withdrawals of euro banknotes and metal coins may be carried out at the Bank of Portugal. 2 - This instruction does not apply to the delivery of euro banknotes and coins suspected of counterfeiting and damaged by intelligent banknote neutralization systems (IBNS).
Instruction No. 4/2023 BO No. 2/2023 Supplement • 2023/02/24 Topics Banking Operations :: Deposits and Withdrawals of Banknotes .................................................................................................................................................................................................. Mod. 99999911/T – 01/14
Article 2. Scope of Application The addressees of this Instruction are: a) Credit institutions (CI); b) Value-in-transit companies (VITC) that ensure, on behalf and on the order of CIs, the carrying out, at the Bank of Portugal, of the operations provided for in this regulation.
Article 3. Value-in-Transit Companies 1 - In the situations provided for in Article 2(b), CIs must, whenever the Bank of Portugal requests, provide proof within ten business days that they have contracted the respective cash transport and handling services with the mandated VITC, namely by presenting an extract of the contract providing for said services. 2 - Failure to comply with the preceding point prevents the VITC from carrying out operations at the Bank of Portugal, with respect to the CI in question.
Article 4. Business Continuity The Bank of Portugal adopts the necessary procedures to ensure the following in the face of crisis scenarios: a) A maximum period of unavailability of up to the next business day after the crisis scenario occurs; b) At least one debit operation per day, per CI, at one of the Bank of Portugal's treasuries.
Article 5. Hours and Locations CIs and VITCs may only proceed with the deposit and withdrawal of banknotes and metal coins at the hours and locations listed in Annex I to this Instruction.
Article 6. Conditions for Carrying Out Operations at the Bank of Portugal 1 - If the Bank of Portugal considers that, at a certain cash processing center (CPC), a VITC repeatedly fails to fulfill the duty to promote efficient cash recirculation, following two formal warnings, the Bank of Portugal may inhibit operations regarding that CPC for up to 10 business days. 2 - The circumstances referred to in the preceding point may also constitute grounds for re-evaluating the conditions for carrying out cash recirculation.
Instruction No. 4/2023 BO No. 2/2023 Supplement • 2023/02/24 Topics Banking Operations :: Deposits and Withdrawals of Banknotes .................................................................................................................................................................................................. Mod. 99999911/T – 01/14 3 - Practices that fail to fulfill the duty to promote efficient cash recirculation are considered, namely: a) Deposit of fit banknotes, previously processed or not, followed by withdrawal, on the same day or within the next 2 business days, of banknotes of the same denomination; b) Incorrect segregation of counterfeits in deliveries; c) Non-compliance with packaging standards defined by the Bank of Portugal, notably through the use of consumables, or their residues, that damage cash processing equipment; d) Return of banknotes in the withdrawal packaging standard at the Bank of Portugal.
Article 7. Contacts of CIs and VITCs CIs and VITCs are obliged to make available, up to twice a year, or to communicate whenever they change, the contacts of the persons responsible for the business area at the national level, as well as the operational managers at each of the treasuries at which they operate, relevant for the operations carried out under this Instruction.
Article 8. Personal Data The personal data processed by the Bank of Portugal by virtue of the application of this Instruction are processed as described in Annex II.
CHAPTER II Integrated Management of Cash Withdrawal and Deposit Operations
Article 9. GOLD Application 1 - CIs and VITCs use the GOLD application, available on the BPnet channel, to communicate deposit orders (DO) and withdrawal orders (WO) of euro banknotes and metal coins at the Bank of Portugal, as well as to manage said operations. 2 - The Bank of Portugal publishes on the BPnet channel, in the documentation area associated with the GOLD application: a) The Procedures Manual for Deposit and Withdrawal Operations of Cash at the Bank of Portugal, to facilitate understanding of the rules and operational procedures related to this Instruction, as well as to define operational aspects related to the use of the GOLD application. b) Any changes to the Procedures Manual for Deposit and Withdrawal Operations of Cash at the Bank of Portugal.
Instruction No. 4/2023 BO No. 2/2023 Supplement • 2023/02/24 Topics Banking Operations :: Deposits and Withdrawals of Banknotes .................................................................................................................................................................................................. Mod. 99999911/T – 01/14
Article 10. Reference Units for Euro Banknotes 1 - The reference units for the constitution of DOs and WOs of euro banknotes are the thousand (1,000 notes), the half-thousand (500 notes), and the hundred (100 notes), in compliance with the rules defined in the following numbers. 2 - DOs and WOs observe, in addition to discrimination by denomination, based on the request presented by the CI, the reference units as represented in the following table:
| Denomination | Thousand | Half-Thousand | Hundred |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR 500 | DO | ||
| EUR 200 | DO/WO | ||
| EUR 100 | DO/WO | ||
| EUR 50 | DO/WO | DO/WO | n/a |
| EUR 20 | DO/WO | DO/WO | n/a |
| EUR 10 | DO/WO | DO/WO | n/a |
| EUR 5 | DO/WO | DO/WO | n/a |
3 - Deposits of hundreds are only accepted in quantities that do not make up the immediately superior reference units and are limited to one delivery per day per CI or VITC and per Bank of Portugal Treasury. 4 - Exceptionally, deposit and withdrawal requests in quantities lower than indicated may be accepted at the Faro Branch, at the Regional Delegations of the Azores and Madeira, provided that this is previously requested and coordinated with the respective Bank of Portugal Treasury. 5 - The exception referred to in the preceding number is limited to one delivery per day per CI or VITC and per Treasury.
CHAPTER III Credentials, Mandates, and Sub-delegation
Article 11. Credentials 1 - The withdrawal of cash presupposes the intervention of two distinct BPnet users, previously credentialed by each CI, under the following terms: a) A user responsible for inserting the WO into the GOLD application; b) A user responsible for confirming the WO in the GOLD application. 2 - For the credential to be considered valid:
Instruction No. 4/2023 BO No. 2/2023 Supplement • 2023/02/24 Topics Banking Operations :: Deposits and Withdrawals of Banknotes .................................................................................................................................................................................................. Mod. 99999911/T – 01/14 a) It must be carried out using the "Credentialing" letter model; b) It must be accompanied by a document of recognition, by an authorized entity, of the signatures of the credentialed users.
Article 12. Mandates 1 - CIs may mandate a VITC for the execution of deposit and withdrawal operations of euro banknotes and metal coins, with the mandate being valid for all treasuries of the Bank of Portugal. 2 - Only VITCs qualified to exercise the activity of metal coin recirculation may be mandated, under the preceding number. 3 - For the mandate to be valid, it must be carried out using the "Mandates" letter model.
Article 13. Sub-delegation 1 - A VITC may sub-delegate to another VITC the execution of deposit and withdrawal operations of euro banknotes and metal coins, provided that it is previously and formally authorized by the CI that mandated it. 2 - The sub-delegation under the preceding number does not suspend the mandate and is only valid for the Bank of Portugal treasury specified therein. 3 - The sub-delegation is carried out using the "Sub-delegation" letter model.
Article 14. Communication and Formalization 1 - The CI is responsible for communicating to the Bank of Portugal the attribution or revocation of credentials, mandates, and sub-delegations. 2 - The communications referred to in the preceding number are made in writing and addressed to the mailing address referred to in this Instruction. 3 - Credentials, mandates, and sub-delegations are signed by those with powers to bind the entity, and signatures must be recognized in person in accordance with legally provided terms. 4 - The letter models referred to in the preceding articles are available on BPnet, in the area reserved for Issuance and Treasury, in the section related to documentation.
Instruction No. 4/2023 BO No. 2/2023 Supplement • 2023/02/24 Topics Banking Operations :: Deposits and Withdrawals of Banknotes .................................................................................................................................................................................................. Mod. 99999911/T – 01/14
CHAPTER IV Identification of Volumes and Packaging
Article 15. Sealing and Identification of Volumes 1 - All volumes delivered to the Bank of Portugal by depositors must be sealed and identified with a unique barcode. 2 - The coding of the barcodes referred to in the preceding number must comply with one of the following systems: a) GS1 (SSCC - Serial Shipping Container Code); b) Code 128 with a maximum limit of 17 positions.
Article 16. Packaging Material The packaging material used in the delivery of euro banknotes and metal coins to the Bank of Portugal is obligatorily recyclable and, preferably, reusable.
Article 17. Packaging Structure for Current Euro Metal Coins Fit for Circulation 1 - The packaging structure for current euro metal coins fit for circulation consists of the following groupings of the same denomination: a) Bags or rolls; b) Sleeves or combs, consisting of bags or rolls, respectively; c) Boxes, consisting of sleeves or combs. 2 - Sleeves must contain the following indications: a) Quantity of coins; b) Denomination; c) Value; d) Weight; e) Date of their constitution; f) Financial agent code, assigned by the Bank of Portugal, of the entity responsible for their handling. 3 - Sleeves or combs are packaged by the same denomination in boxes, which in turn must contain the following indications: a) Quantity of coins; b) Denomination;
Instruction No. 4/2023 BO No. 2/2023 Supplement • 2023/02/24 Topics Banking Operations :: Deposits and Withdrawals of Banknotes .................................................................................................................................................................................................. Mod. 99999911/T – 01/14 c) Value; d) Weight; e) Date of their constitution; f) Financial agent code, assigned by the Bank of Portugal, of the entity responsible for their handling. 4 - The packaging referred to in the preceding numbers must respect, for each denomination, the following quantities:
| Denomination | Coins per Bag/Roll | Sleeves | Rolls | Bags | Coins | Rolls | Coins | Sleeves | Combs | Coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EUR 0.01 | 50 | 30 | 1,500 | 10 | 500 | 190 | 570 | 285,000 | ||
| EUR 0.02 | 50 | 30 | 1,500 | 10 | 500 | 145 | 435 | 217,500 | ||
| EUR 0.05 | 50 | 20 | 1,000 | 10 | 500 | 170 | 340 | 170,000 | ||
| EUR 0.10 | 40 | 20 | 800 | 10 | 400 | 190 | 380 | 152,000 | ||
| EUR 0.20 | 40 | 20 | 800 | 10 | 400 | 145 | 290 | 116,000 | ||
| EUR 0.50 | 40 | 15 | 600 | 5 | 200 | 145 | 435 | 87,000 | ||
| EUR 1.00 | 25 | 15 | 375 | 10 | 250 | 220 | 330 | 82,500 | ||
| EUR 2.00 | 25 | 15 | 375 | 10 | 250 | 220 | 330 | 82,500 |
Article 18. Packaging of Non-Circulated Current Euro Metal Coins Non-circulated euro metal coins are packaged in rolls consisting of coins of the same denomination.
Article 19. Packaging of Circulated Current Euro Metal Coins Circulated euro metal coins are packaged in bags consisting of coins of the same denomination.
CHAPTER V Deposit Operations Section I Deposit Operations of Euro Banknotes and Current Metal Coins
Article 20. Deposit Operations of Euro Banknotes 1 - When carrying out deposit operations, CIs and VITCs deliver to the Bank of Portugal banknotes packaged and segregated by denomination, in accordance with Article 6 of this Instruction. 2 - Banknotes are delivered in sealed volumes, properly identified in accordance with Article 14, observing the following: a) Each volume may contain only one denomination; b) Banknotes from different CIs are permitted in the same volume; c) They must be grouped by reference units, preferably with only one band. 3 - At Bank of Portugal treasuries where operational conditions allow, the delivery of banknotes must be carried out in reusable containers provided by the Bank of Portugal. 4 - At treasuries that do not operate with reusable containers, the use of sealed volumes has the following limits per volume:
| Denomination | EUR 5 | EUR 10 | EUR 20 | EUR 50 | EUR 100 | EUR 200 | EUR 500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantity of notes per volume | 10,000 | 8,000 |
Instruction No. 4/2023 BO No. 2/2023 Supplement • 2023/02/24 Topics Banking Operations :: Deposits and Withdrawals of Banknotes .................................................................................................................................................................................................. Mod. 99999911/T – 01/14 5 - Exceptionally and whenever a volume with quantities lower than defined in No. 4 is delivered, it is accepted that the total quantity of banknotes, of the same denomination, may be distributed equitably among all volumes, provided that this does not imply a change in the number of volumes to be delivered. 6 - The Bank of Portugal accepts deposits on the condition that the declared value corresponds to the amounts delivered and that the banknotes have legal tender. 7 - Without prejudice to the exception stipulated in No. 5, at each treasury, the Bank of Portugal accepts only one sealed volume with quantities lower than defined in No. 4 per depositor, per day, and per denomination.
Article 21. Deposit Operations of Current Euro Metal Coins Fit for Circulation 1 - The deposit of euro metal coins at the Bank of Portugal depends on the authorization of this Bank, which is granted if the following requirements are met: a) Prior registration in the Coin Excess Module, available in the GOLD application; b) Verification, by an entity qualified to exercise the activity of euro metal coin recirculation, of their authenticity and fitness, aiming to guarantee that they are authentic and meet sufficient conditions to remain in circulation. 2 - The addressees of this Instruction deliver euro metal coins in boxes, as established in Article 16, and may, whenever operational conditions justify it, request authorization from the Bank of Portugal to carry out the delivery in differentiated units.
Article 22. Special Deposits 1 - Without prejudice to the provisions in the preceding articles, the Bank of Portugal may select and determine the delivery of samples of euro banknotes or metal coins, within a period of 5 business days, to fulfill information reporting obligations within the framework of cash recirculation control. 2 - The provision in the preceding number is equally applicable to euro banknotes or metal coins collected during the carrying out of an inspection. 3 - The euro banknotes and metal coins referred to in the preceding numbers must be segregated by condition and denomination, and placed in sealed volumes, complying with the identification requirements provided in Article 14.
Article 23. Verification of Deposit Regularity 1 - The acceptance of deposited volumes depends on the verification of their integrity, inviolability, and validation of the information registered in GOLD. 2 - In case of irregularities detected at the time of receipt of the volumes, the Bank of Portugal may, if those are not remedied in a timely manner, return part or all of the volumes.
Article 24. Settlement of Deposits The Bank of Portugal settles the values received through a specific document for this purpose.
Instruction No. 4/2023 BO No. 2/2023 Supplement • 2023/02/24 Topics Banking Operations :: Deposits and Withdrawals of Banknotes .................................................................................................................................................................................................. Mod. 99999911/T – 01/14
Article 25. Posting of Deposit Value to Account The Bank of Portugal posts the value of deposit operations to the account of the ordering CI on the date of their carrying out.
Section II Discrepancies
Article 26. Responsibility for Discrepancies The entity that creates the DOs in GOLD assumes responsibility for discrepancies verified in the deposits.
Article 27. Verification and Assessment by the Bank of Portugal 1 - The Bank of Portugal verifies the completeness of banknote deposits and assesses their authenticity within 15 days after the date of their receipt. 2 - The Bank of Portugal may, for operational reasons...