Plus savings account (Cat. B)* from BNP Paribas Fortis

The interest rate on the Plus savings account consists of a basic rate and a loyalty bonus. Currently, the basic rate is set at 0.50% and the loyalty bonus at 1.00% (gross annual percentages).

These percentages may vary depending on market conditions. We will inform you of any changes via a note in your first account statement following the change. A savings account can never have a negative balance, so you will never pay debit interest.

Basic rate

The basic rate is the rate you receive for all amounts you deposit into your savings account. Your money earns interest every day it is on your account (at the latest from the next calendar day after the deposit). You receive your basic rate on 1 January of each year (or at the closure of your account).

Loyalty bonus

You receive a loyalty bonus on all deposits that remain in your savings account for 12 consecutive months. Any loyalty bonuses you receive then generate interest in turn. A loyalty bonus is paid on the first day following the end of the quarter in which it vested (1 January, 1 April, 1 July or 1 October, or when the account is closed).

The loyalty bonus may fluctuate, but is guaranteed for the entire vesting period. To give a practical example, if you deposit €100 into your savings account on 10 January 2025, then 12 months later, on 11 January 2026, you will receive the loyalty bonus that was applicable on 10 January 2025, whether or not the loyalty bonus has been changed in the meantime.

There are no opening, closing or management fees on the Plus savings account, although some postage fees may apply. If the balance of the Plus savings account is less than €25 and no withdrawals or deposits have been made for 10 years, a fee of €2.50 will be charged each year. This will only happen if the account holder is 24 years old or older and has no other accounts with BNP Paribas Fortis.

The bank does not deduct any withholding tax from the interest on your regulated savings account, provided that the interest doesn’t exceed the annual tax-free amount of €1,050 (for interest income in 2025). For a savings account opened in the name of two married/cohabiting individuals, the bank doesn’t deduct any withholding tax, provided that the interest does not exceed twice that amount, i.e. €2,100 (for interest income in 2025).

If you’re resident in Belgium for tax purposes, you must check each year the total amount of interest you receive on regulated savings accounts based on your assets/marital regime (as well as accounts legally controlled by you on behalf of children under 18) and from which banks have not deducted any withholding tax. If that total exceeds the annual tax-free amount of €1,050 per taxpayer (assuming tax residence for the entire income year), you must declare the amount of interest above that level in your personal income tax return. The non-exempt portion of your interest is subject to a 15% withholding tax.

• Insolvency risk

The funds deposited in a savings account with BNP Paribas Fortis are covered by the deposit protection mechanism up to a maximum of €100,000 per person. If the bank becomes insolvent or shows a risk of insolvency, the saver could see the portion of their savings exceeding €100,000 converted into shares (through a "bail-in") or could lose some or all of that money. You can find more information on this in the Deposit Protection Information Sheet.

• Risk of inflation

A sustained rise in prices could reduce the real value of the money in your account.

Do you want to know more about the Plus savings account? First, read the key information for savers before opening your account.

• Key information for savers
• List of rates
• Plus savings account – Pre-contractual information
• Plus savings account – Special terms and conditions
• Deposit Protection Information Sheet

The "Plus savings account" is a regulated savings account under Belgian law, marketed by BNP Paribas Fortis, belonging to category B (accounts subject to a maximum balance) according to the new classification defined by the Belgian federal government and the banking sector.

Any complaint about our products or services should be sent by post to BNP Paribas Fortis SA – Complaints Department– Montagne du Parc 3, 1000 Brussels or by email to gestiondesplaintes@bnpparibasfortis.com.

If you’re not happy with the proposed solution, you can send your complaint by post to Ombudsfin – Financial Services Mediation Service - North Gate II, Blvd du Roi Albert II 8 (Bte 2), 1000 Brussels or by email to ombudsman@ombudsfin.be

When you transfer an amount from a regulated savings account directly to another regulated savings account, the transferred amount immediately attracts interest at the basic rate of the savings account into which you deposit the money.

But did you know that any loyalty bonuses that are still vesting in relation to the transferred amount will continue to vest if the following conditions are met?

• Direct transfer (without passing through a current account) between two regulated savings accounts held with BNP Paribas Fortis in the name of the same owner(s).
• Transferred amount of at least €500.
• The transfer does not result from a standing order.
• The owner(s) have not already made three of these transfers from the same savings account in the same calendar year.

If all these conditions are met, the vesting period of any loyalty bonus that’s still vesting will be transferred to the new savings account and will continue at the rate offered on the latter account for the remainder of the vesting period. At the end of the 12-month vesting period, the loyalty bonus will be calculated based on the loyalty bonus rates of the original savings account and the destination savings account, in proportion to the amount of time the money stayed in each of the two accounts.

If any of the above conditions is not met or if the transfer passes through a current account, the loyalty bonus in progress will be lost. A new 12-month vesting period will start on the date of the deposit.