Havana, June 17 (RHC)--Banco de Crédito y Comercio (BANDEC) has implemented a new service called Prepaid cards, initially aimed at international travelers who do not reside in Cuba, in response to their demand to access goods and services in facilities that only accept payment using magnetic cards.

These prepaid cards are available for sale from June 15, 2021, at CADECA's offices, which are located in the tourist resorts of Varadero and Cayo Coco. They can only be used in Cuba with a validity of two years, and allow trading in foreign currency through POS (Point of Sale Terminal). Only a PIN number is required for their use, so they can only be used at POS that supports this payment system.

Non-resident travelers may acquire cards of US$200, US$500, and US$1000 upon presentation of an identification document (passport).

Prospect customers must make the deposit in cash in freely convertible currency (MLC), and a 5.00 USD fee is charged for each card provided.

Deposits or transfers from abroad or between similar cards operating in dollars are not accepted.

Users may perform all relevant actions, such as consulting the balance of their cards, last transactions made, PIN change, and cash withdrawal in Cuban Pesos (CUP).

Until June 20, 2021, these cards may be acquired by paying with any freely convertible currency accepted in the banking system. As of June 21 it will not be possible to acquire them by paying in cash with U.S. dollars.