Problems with the takeover of First Bank by Intesa Sanpaolo: Customers could not use their accounts and bank cards for several days. Queues and nervous people in branches

First Bank Romania customers have been unable to use their cards since Thursday, nor could they make banking transactions or online payments, once the bank was taken over by Intesa Sanpaolo. The situation had not been resolved even on Monday, when queues formed at the old First Bank branches since the early hours of the morning. The call center was also not operational on Monday.

“Why are people queuing at the bank, is there any offer?”, asks a passer-by, amazed by the dozens of people who have gathered in front of the First Bank branch in Drumul Taberei, since 9:00 a.m., the opening time.

No, it wasn't some bank super offer. They were the bank's customers, unhappy that since Thursday afternoon they can no longer use their cards or make payments through the internet banking application.

With the takeover of First Bank, Intesa decided to change all the cards, which is absolutely normal. These were sent by couriers to customers' homes, but many did not receive them. Others have not received the PIN and have no way to use the new cards.

“I received an SMS with a code to send again by SMS to a short number to find out the PIN. I sent 10 times and it didn't work, I didn't get any PIN,” says a lady.

Other customers complain that they cannot activate their Intesa app to make online transactions. “I got a code from them, I put it in the app and it doesn't work,” says one of the people in line.

Branch employees helped people activate their mobile banking app, but the process was taking more than ten minutes for each person, and the waiting time in the queue stretched to several hours.

The call center, also non-functional since Thursday, had not been put back into operation even on Monday afternoon.

Intesa: “I identified isolated difficulties”

At HotNews.ro's request, Intesa Sanpaolo representatives stated that they are experiencing exceptional traffic in the branches, but they are fully functional.

“Following the migration of IT systems over the weekend, we identified isolated difficulties related to the activation of the cards, especially regarding the receipt of the PIN code via SMS. The SMS were previously sent to customers with a validity period of 7 days, which expired today. For customers who did not validate the codes within the validity period, we are distributing new PIN codes through: individual communication, contacting the call center or branches,” said the bank's representatives.

They added that the enrollment of new customers in mobile and internet banking services is now working (Monday afternoon – no) in normal parameters. “We continuously monitor the performance of systems in real-time and intervene promptly where necessary to bring the user experience back to expectations as quickly as possible.”

• “Our message to customers is one of trust and appreciation: the cards are functional, and our technical teams are working intensively to ensure a smooth banking experience. We apologize for the discomfort created and thank customers for their patience and understanding during this transition period!”, Intesa managers also sent.

Intesa Sanpaolo Grup bought First Bank in 2023 and the transaction was completed in May 2024.

Last summer, First Bank customers were notified that they would be fully transferred to Intesa. From September 15, they began to take possession of the new debit and credit cards issued by Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Romania, with the following mentions:

• The new debit cards will be able to be used starting from October 31, 2025;
• The new credit cards will become functional from November 3, 2025.
• Cards issued by First Bank can be used until October 30, 2025 inclusive, under the same conditions and costs, at Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Romania ATMs.

Last day of operation in the First Bank system

Thursday, October 30 was the last day customers could use First Bank products and services. The First Bank Internet Banking application was available until Thursday at 8:00 p.m.

Customers have been advised to make all planned payments by this date, to settle any outstanding obligations and to communicate in time the new IBAN accounts received from Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Romania to their employers and business partners, so that payments can be processed starting from November 3, 2025.

The migration process is expected to be completed on November 3, 2025.

At that time, current accounts, deposits, loans and related products will be fully transferred and functional within Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Romania, according to a press release.

Since then, customers will have full access to their own funds, including through the new Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Romania Internet and Mobile Banking service.

Last year, in May, Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Romania and First Bank announced that they had total assets of approximately 3.2 billion euros, served approximately 143,000 customers and had over 1,500 employees.