Refused S-Etukortti

[northamerica]

I've been living here for two years and decided to finally sign up for the cooperative membership of my local S-group in order to get the "bonus points", or a small return for the sky-high high prices I pay at my local supermarket (unfortunately, I live too far from a Lidl to take advantage of their better prices).

I am employed full time here and have an A-residence permit, valid until 2016. I successfully signed up for an S-Group membership online, using my henkilötunnus and basic information such as address and telephone number. A week later I received an information package with a temporary card and a bank account contract (including account number) with the S-Bank, with instructions to come to the S-Bank in my local Prisma to get my S-Etukortti.

When I went there this afternoon, I was asked for an identity card, and then informed that my residence permit card is not acceptable. Neither is my passport. I was told it must be an identity card issued by the Finnish government, such as a driver's license, a Finnish passport, or a Finnish identity card. I don't have any identity card issued by any Finnish government agency except for my residence permit. I was told it was impossible for me to get an S-Etukortti.

I was rather surprised, as I already have a Finnish bank account (at another bank). The woman dealing with me at S-Bank was apologetic and called a "central office" to reconfirm the fact that a residence permit, a foreign driver's license, and a foreign passport are all unacceptable forms of identification. She was also nice enough to call me afterwards on my mobile to assure me that my bank account would still accumulate points, but I could not access it until I have a Finnish identity card.

Still, it seems to me strange that banks would be allowed to discriminate on the basis of not having a Finnish ID or driver's license (which costs a substantial amount to procure). I had no problems opening a bank account at a different bank a few years ago with my henkilötunnus, work contract and non-EU passport.

Has any non-EU person dealt with this issue before? Is the only solution to go to the local police and pay the hundreds of euros they will undoubtedly want to issue a plastic card with my name on it?

Thanks for your feedback!

[Pursuivant]

Its not discrimination, its the new EU anti-money-laundering rules. The Accepted identification is X, Y and Z. If you don't have money to procure a Finnish ID card from the police or if you haven't been able to switch your driver's licence (which you should have) - accepting that being a fluke as it is *not* an official ID - so cry me a river.

[Karhunkoski]

Is the only solution to go to the local police and pay the hundreds of euros they will undoubtedly want to issue a plastic card with my name on it?

It's about fifty. Just pay up and get a proper ID. Your non-EU stuff isn't worth much here.

[betelgeuse]

I was told it was impossible for me to get an S-Etukortti.

Here we need to separate two things. S-Etukortti you get by becoming an owner in one of the local co-operatives. Getting the S-Etukortti together in one card with a S-Bank debit card requires opening a bank account in S-Bank (the co-operatives are owners in the S-Bank). The latter should not be a requirement for the former so if you want to just collect bonus points you can just get a s-etukortti with no debit functionality.

Still, it seems to me strange that banks would be allowed to discriminate on the basis of not having a Finnish ID or driver's license (which costs a substantial amount to procure). I had no problems opening a bank account at a different bank a few years ago with my henkilötunnus, work contract and non-EU passport.

Has any non-EU person dealt with this issue before? Is the only solution to go to the local police and pay the hundreds of euros they will undoubtedly want to issue a plastic card with my name on it?

My girl friend had the same issue. In the end we just got the id from the police. An added benefit was that while like you she did have an account in another bank (Danske) the online bank credentials were not enabled to identify her online. With the S-Bank credentials opened with a Finnish id this was possible. I speculate that, unlike Danske, S-Bank does not have this functionality to restrict accounts. This means any-one getting online access needs to fill the rules set by the Act on Strong Electronic Identification and Electronic Signatures. You can find them in section 17.

http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/kaannokset ... 090617.pdf

[northamerica]

Its not discriminationif you haven't been able to switch your driver's licence (which you should have)

As you know there is a relatively brief window of time in which one can exchange a driver's license, and it is only possible if one has already been driving in Finland for 6 months. Not paying 5000€ for a 2001 VW with 250.000km = not driving in Finland = no driver's license = missed the exchange window. I speculate that the 6-month-driving stipulation is meant to encourage foreigners to provide an economic stimulus to the country by forcing them to either purchase a vehicle (and thus contribute to state revenues) when they arrive in Finland, or take Finnish driver's licensing courses (thus contributing to state revenues even more).

Your non-EU stuff isn't worth much here.

My girl friend had the same issue. In the end we just got the id from the police. An added benefit was that while like you she did have an account in another bank (Danske) the online bank credentials were not enabled to identify her online. With the S-Bank credentials opened with a Finnish id this was possible. I speculate that, unlike Danske, S-Bank does not have this functionality to restrict accounts. This means any-one getting online access needs to fill the rules set by the Act on Strong Electronic Identification and Electronic Signatures. You can find them in section 17.

http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/kaannokset ... 090617.pdf

Thanks for the comments. Danske Bank gave me online banking credentials 2 years ago, without "Finnish ID". The link to Finnish law you post is interesting, because it states in section 17: "For initial identification purposes, the identification service provider may, if desired, also use a valid driving license issued by an official of an EEA member state after 1 October 1990 or a valid passport issued by a government official of another state."

This tends to confirm my initial suspicion that the S-Bank is simply disregarding valid Finnish and EU law.

[riku2]

I was rather surprised, as I already have a Finnish bank account (at another bank). The woman dealing with me at S-Bank was apologetic and called a "central office" to reconfirm the fact that a residence permit, a foreign driver's license, and a foreign passport are all unacceptable forms of identification. She was also nice enough to call me afterwards on my mobile to assure me that my bank account would still accumulate points, but I could not access it until I have a Finnish identity card.

Are you sure what kind of card you were applying for? there are s cards that accumulate bonus points, ones that accumulate points that are online debit cards and ones that accumulate points that are credit cards. I have a finnish bank account and lived in Finland 14 years but they would not give me the third credit card type without finnish issued ID. which I don't have. I already had the first kind (just to get points/discounts). Since i wanted to get the credit card they declined but said i could have the online debit card instead. which I never use. instead I just get the points and pay with another credit card.

s bank seem more fussy than others. Pohjola issued me with their plussa mastercard without seeing ID at all. these were both around a year ago when i decided to get s mastercard and plussa mastercard.

[betelgeuse]

Thanks for the comments. Danske Bank gave me online banking credentials 2 years ago, without "Finnish ID". The link to Finnish law you post is interesting, because it states in section 17: "For initial identification purposes, the identification service provider may, if desired, also use a valid driving license issued by an official of an EEA member state after 1 October 1990 or a valid passport issued by a government official of another state."

This tends to confirm my initial suspicion that the S-Bank is simply disregarding valid Finnish and EU law.

Did you spot that it says "may, if desired, also use"? This means that accepting foreign passports is optional. S-Bank business model works by training shop cashiers to also handle bank duties. This enables them to use a different (cheaper) collective bargaining agreement from other banks. As a purely Finnish bank with focus on only Finnish markets they probably haven't noticed enough demand to make it worthwhile to accept foreign passports. However, I do remember googling and asking around other banks at the time to see their policies and they usually also seemed to be delegating the identification to the police.

[Pursuivant]

Its not discriminationif you haven't been able to switch your driver's licence (which you should have)

As you know there is a relatively brief window of time in which one can exchange a driver's license, and it is only possible if one has already been driving in Finland for 6 months. Not paying 5000€ for a 2001 VW with 250.000km = not driving in Finland = no driver's license = missed the exchange window.

Its still not discrimination. You're just pisspoor.

[Rip]

Its not discriminationif you haven't been able to switch your driver's licence (which you should have)

As you know there is a relatively brief window of time in which one can exchange a driver's license, and it is only possible if one has already been driving in Finland for 6 months. Not paying 5000€ for a 2001 VW with 250.000km = not driving in Finland = no driver's license = missed the exchange window. I speculate that the 6-month-driving stipulation is meant to encourage foreigners to provide an economic stimulus to the country by forcing them to either purchase a vehicle (and thus contribute to state revenues) when they arrive in Finland, or take Finnish driver's licensing courses (thus contributing to state revenues even more).

You could have also rented one for example for every second or third weekend, starting from about 100€/rental, or about 1000€ + gas for the six month period. Charge includes insurance, service and seasonally suitable tires.

I am not up to date about the current system, but even after the transfer window you don't have to go through the full system if you have an existing foreign license.

There is also the option getting that national ID card. Costs a bit, but so does my passport cost too - and that costs more as expires faster than the old one for the same reason i had to worry if I can get enough milk with me for a long distance flight with a one year old boy - because some, now deceased, North-American president thought it was great idea to supply money and weapons to religious crackpots.

[justaguy]

Been living here for years, and have been told the same thing for years. Get an ID card or drivers license and you won't have a problem.

It's to do with EU regulation laws and also it's obviously another form of 'tax' that you have to pay to use all the systems in Finland. There is also a single use identification form you can get from the Police station but obviously an ID card is a better choice. Get the ID/License anyway because it's ridiculous using your American passport as ID for everything. Pay up, use the card and keep your precious passport at home.

[Jussi]

Just get a Kela card with your pic on it. Most places accept that... (not all though)

[Upphew]

Just get a Kela card with your pic on it. Most places accept that... (not all though)

Kela stopped issuing them 13.10.2008
Are you suggesting forgery?!?

[justaguy]

Just get a Kela card with your pic on it. Most places accept that... (not all though)

Been living under a rock lately matey?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbMlHGEICuY

[gfunho]

Been living here for years, and have been told the same thing for years. Get an ID card or drivers license and you won't have a problem.

Funny thing is (when opening an account) Nordea does not accept the finnish driver's license as an ID if you are a foreigner but they do accept your foreign passport. When it happened to me I was puzzled, but I had my passport with me anyway.

Not really consistent.

[Pursuivant]

A driver's licence is not an official form of ID.