The First Section: Introduction, Purpose and Definitions
Introduction
The Central Bank is the body that monitors and supervises the financial institutions licensed by it, and it has regulatory powers, including framing and regulating what is related to the rights of the customers of these financial institutions, based on the system of the Saudi Central Bank issued by Royal Decree No. (M/36) dated 11/04/1442H and its amendments, and pursuant to Article (4) thereof, which stipulates that "The Bank shall perform its tasks in accordance with the provisions of the system, the regulations and policies issued by the Council, and in accordance with the best international standards and practices, and has all the powers necessary to achieve its objectives, and for this purpose, it may exercise the following roles, powers and competencies: 9. Establish the directives and procedures necessary for the protection of customers of financial institutions. In addition to the Banking Control System issued by Royal Decree No. (م/5) dated 22/2/1386H and its amendments, which gave the Central Bank the authority to determine the procedures and conditions that the Bank must follow when dealing with customers, in addition to what was included in the Cooperative Insurance Companies Control System issued by Royal Decree No. (م/32) dated 2/6/1424H and its amendments regarding the competencies of the Central Bank, in order to establishing the rules and controls that guarantee the rights of the beneficiaries. The Finance Companies Control Law issued by Royal Decree No. (م/51) dated 13/8/1433H and its amendments that included the necessary rules to protect transactions and their fairness as well as the rights of customers, in addition to the credit information system issued by Royal Decree No. (م/37) dated 5/7/1429H and its regulations, which regulated the rights of customer in the credit information sector, and finally the payments law and its services issued by Royal Decree No. (م/26) dated
22/3/1443H, which aims to enhance the protection of the rights of parties dealing in the payments systems and Payments service providers Payments.
The Purpose:
1- Establishing the principle of protecting the customers of the financial institutions and pursuant to the directives issued internationally to protect the customers of the financial institutions "HIGH- LEVEL PRINCIPLES ON FINANCIAL CONSUMER PROTECTION "
2- Guarantee that customers dealing with the financial institutions subject to the supervision of the Central Bank receive fair treatment with transparency, honesty and integrity.
3- Providing easy access to services and products for customers at a reasonable cost and with high quality.
Definitions
Unless the context requires otherwise, the sentences and definitions in these principles and rules shall have the meanings ascribed to them as follows:
The Kingdom |
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia |
The Central Bank |
Saudi Central Bank |
The financial organization |
The entity subject to the supervision and control of the Central Bank in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations. |
Bank. |
Any natural or legal person who mainly carries out any banking business in the Kingdom. Licensee in pursuant to the provisions of the Banking Control Law. |
Finance Company |
The shareholding company that has obtained a license to practice the financing activity in accordance with the control system of the financث companies. |
Insurance company |
The joint stock company that carries out insurance or reinsurance services or both in accordance with the Insurance Companies Control Law. |
Payments companies |
Payment Services companies licensed by the Central Bank as per the Payment Services Provider. |
Financial Transfers Performers |
The financial organization which provides the service of money transfer reconciled as per the license awarded to it by the Central Bank. |
Monthly deductions and issuers of credit and debit card |
The financial organization in the Kingdom that has the license to issue credit cards and monthly deduction. |
Credit Information Companies |
Companies licensed to collect and maintain consumer credit information and provide members with such information upon request in accordance with the credit information law. |
Credit Registry |
A report issued by credit information companies containing credit information about the customer. |
Conflict of Interests |
The situation in which the objectivity and independence of the financial institution or any of its employees is affected during the performance of tasks in pursuit of its own interests or that of its employees, which violates justice, fairness, integrity and responsibility towards customers. |
The Customer |
The natural person to whom the services and products are directed or obtained from licensed financial institutions. |
Complaint |
Every expression of dissatisfaction related to the provided service whether justified or unjustified, in writing or verbally submitted. |
Handling of complaint |
The financial institution reaches a final conclusion regarding the customer's complaint by following the necessary measures and procedures to address the complaint fairly and effectively within a specified period of time. |
Inquiry |
Query by the customer about the services or products provided by any financial institution. |
Request |
A motion submitted by the customer for a product or service provided by any financial institution. |
Clearance letter |
An official statement issued by the financial institution confirming that there are no financial obligations on the customer towards a product or service previously obtained by the customer. |
Employees |
Persons concerned with providing services and products at a financial institution, including all employees directly contracted or assigned with tasks. |
Error |
Any action that results in a violation of the documented policy of work procedures that entails financial consequences and/or a violation of the statutory or regulatory rights of one or more customers. |
Outsourcing |
An arrangement with a third party contracted by the financial institution in order to provide a service on its behalf. |
Documented Channels |
A documented, verifiable and retrievable means of communication in paper or in an electronic form. |
Day |
A calendar day, including weekends and official holidays. |
Workday |
A calendar day that does not include weekends and official holidays. |
Third Party |
An entity entrusted with an activity to perform on behalf of the financial institution. |
The Second Section: Customer Protection Principles
These principles are considered to be the general framework for the protection of financial institutions customers, which financial institutions must take into account in all their dealings with customers, as follows:
Principle 1: The treatment as per rules of justice and fairness
The financial organization has to handle the transactions of its customers with fairness and integrity through all stages the relationship between them, in a manner that constitute an integral part of the culture upon which the financial insitution was founded with special care for the customers who have limited resources of income and education senior citizens and special needs citizens from both genders.
Principle 2: Disclosure and transparency
The financial institution shall verify easiness and clarity of the information of the services and products provided to customers si that it is easy to understand and up to date, clear, concise, accurate and not misleading, and can be accessed effortlessly, especially the main conditions and advantages of such services. It should also include clarification of the entitlements and liabilities of each party, details of the prices and commissions charged by the financial institution, the incurred taxes, exclusions, fines, types of major risks and benefits, the mechanism of ending the relationship and its consequences, in addition to providing information on alternative products and services provided by the financial institution.
Principle 3: Education and awareness-raising
The financial institution should develop appropriate programs and mechanisms to develop the knowledge and skills of customers, raise their level of awareness and guidance, enable them to understand the basic risks, help them make informed decisions, and assist customers know the appropriate entity to obtain information in case they need it.
Principle 4: Business conduct and Ethics
The financial institution must work in a highly professional manner that is reflected on the best interest of customers and throughout the relationship between them, so that the financial institution is primarily responsible for protecting the interests of customers. The financial institution must also provide the necessary human resources to achieve the above and implement its work and serve its customers in all regions of the Kingdom and provide suitable centers for customer service and the recorded channels to communicate with them.
Principle 5: Protection against fraudulence and misuse
The financial institution shall protect the assets of its customers from fraudulence and develop technical and supervisory systems with a high level of efficiency and effectiveness to reduce and detect fraudulence, embezzlement or misuse and take the necessary action when they occur, in accordance with the relevant regulations and directives.
Principle 6: Protection of Information and Data Confidentiality
The financial institution shall establish appropriate mechanisms in accordance with the relevant valid rules, regulations and policies to protect the financial, credit, insurance and/or personal information and data of customers and to maintain their confidentiality, including all rights mentioned in the Personal Data Protection Law, and shall establish high-level regulatory systems that include appropriate mechanisms that determine the purposes for which the data were collected.
Principle 7: Handling of complaints
The financial institution must provide an appropriate mechanism for customers to submit complaints so that the mechanism is clear and effective, and the complaint must be studied and the necessary measures and procedures to address it fairly and effectively must be followed, and the best and most appropriate solutions must be provided without delay in accordance with the relevant regulations and directives.
Principle 8: Comptition
The financial institution shall provide customers with the ability to search and compare the best services and products with ease and clarity, and the financial institution shall provide the best products, services and prices to meet the needs and desires of the customer, promote innovation and maintain the quality of services and products.
Principle 9: Outsourcing Services
When the financial institution outsources any of its services to a third party it must confirm full compliance of that third party with the such rules and regulations – where applicable - and confirm that such third party works for the best interest of its customers and shall handle their protection, and the financial institution shall be responsible for non-compliance of the third party outsourcing the services of such financial organization as per the concerned directives from the central bank.
Principle 10: Conflict of Interests
The financial institution must have a written policy regarding conflict of interest and must ensure the policies that assist in detecting potential conflicts of interest are applicable and in place. When a potential conflict of interest arises between the financial institution and any other party, it must be disclosed to the responsible authority.
Third Section: General code of conduct:
Rule no. (1)
The financial institution must urge customers to read the contracts and their annexes, the initial disclosure form, terms and conditions, documents and any other document that requires the customer's approval or signature, and verify that they are aware of what is stated therein, in addition to providing the updated terms and conditions through the electronic channels of the financial institution.
Rule no. (2)
The financial institution shall provide information and/or documents to customers in a clear and accurate manner, and avoid misinformation, fraud and embezzelment.
Rule no. (3)
Financial institutions must include all terms and conditions in the application form for the product or service, provided that the precautionary statements include the potential risks invloved when using the product or service in a way that contradict the agreement.
All terms and conditions shall be drafted in Arabic in a simplified, clear and non-misleading manner, with an English version provided upon request by the Customer.
Rule no. (4)
Without prejudice to Rule No. (8) of this part, the financial institution shall inform the customer by text message to his/her mobile phone approved by the financial institution in addition to other documented channels of any change in the terms and conditions (if the agreement and related directives give permit to such change) at least (30) days before the commencement of such change. The financial institution shall also provide the possibility of objecting in case the customer refuses such change after receiving the notification through one of the documented channels.
Rule no. (5)
The financial institution must provide the customer with the initial disclosure form that contains the information about the products and services and the details of the calculation of fees, commissions and the cost of the term, if any, when concluding the contract or agreement and taking a statement from the customer to read, understand and approve its content, and the disclosure form must be in an easy and clear language and in a simple format.
Rule no. (6)
The financial institution must standardize the size of the font used (a minimum size of 14) and it should be clear and legible in the contracts and their annexes, which include, the initial disclosure forms, terms and conditions, documents, exceptions and exclusions, and any other document that requires the customer's signature or access to it, and the customer's signature (whatever the form of signature) must not be requested on any blank document or a document that has incomplete data, and the financial institution must protect and preserve the customers' documents and signatures.
Rule no. (7)
The financial institution must provide the customer with a paper copy or electronic copy - according to preference of the Customer - of all documents related to the products and services as soon as they performed to customers, and taking an acknowledgement from the Customers in case they receive paper copies of any type of the following documents: Contract and its annexes, insurance policies, terms and conditions, fees and commissions schedule.
Rule no. (8)
The financial institution must not make any change by increasing the fees and commissions that the customers must pay after receiving the service or product or at signing the contract or agreement or the like, except for the fees and commissions related to another party, provided that they are related to the customer's benefit of the funded asset, and the customer must be notified of this at the time of concluding the contract.
Rule no. (9)
The financial institution must place the list of fees and commissions (including the fees of the other party) in a clear place inside its building and in the branches and list them on its websites.
Rule no. (10)
The financial institution must when the customers applt for receiving its services or products abide by the following:
- When accepting the claim in whole or in part: Settlement amount, explanation that includes the method of receiving the settlement amount, justification of reducing the settlement amount or partially accepting the claim.
- When the claim is rejected: Reason for rejection, support documents for the rejection decision if requested from the customer.
Rule no. (11)
The responsibility for protecting the information and data related to the customer falls on the financial organization, whether the information were preserved with it or with a third party, and the financial institution must abide by the following:
Rule no. (12)
: The financial institution must verify that all electronic channels are safely available, and in the event that customers suffer a direct loss as a result of hacking such channels and/or any vulnerability in security, they must be compensated for any losses resulting therefrom, and the following must be adhered to:
Rule no. (13)
The financial institution shall verify the continuity of the operation of its systems and services and ensure that they are ready to meet the needs of customers at all times. The financial institution shall not benefit from any refunds that may arise due to a technical error or malfunction and shall return them to the affected customer without delay, and other customers who have suffered the same error within (5) working days and without any delay for reasons related to application of a claim. The defect or malfunction must be fixed in accordance with the requirements of business continuity, and the affected customers must be contacted and informed of the error and the corrective actions taken through any of the documented channels, and this should be declared through all available channels.
Rule no. (14)
The financial institution must ensure the efficient and effective performance of the tasks of all employees and follow their conduct and ethics with high professionalism towards current or potential customers at all times, in addition to providing training for frontline employees who deal directly with customers and working to obtain the professional certificates necessary to familiarize themselves with the skills of dealing with customers, the products and services provided to customers and the relevant instructions issued by the Central Bank.
Rule no. (15)
Without prejudice to the relevant instructions, the financial institution shall follow up the performance of frontline employees through visits (periodic – confidential) to branches, call center and collection staff, including third party employees, to ensure that best practices are followed when dealing with customers, and familiarity with the instructions issued by the Central Bank and with the products and services provided by the financial institution, provided that semi-annual reports are submitted to the higher management to monitor the performance of employees.
Rule no. (16)
The financial institution must abide by continuously educating customers through all its channels, provided that it includes a minimum of: The products and the services and their involved risks, mechanism of dealing with the debts and the default, embezzelment cases, leading transactions with the unlicensed companies or the financial organizations or investors, savings, the financial education and planning.
Rule no. (17)
The financial institution must provide multiple channels to receive complaints, inquiries and requests so that customers can submit complaints according to their preferences easily and at their convenience and in line with the nature of the financial institution, provided that they include a minimum of: Free phone, branches and/or website, smartphone apps, email.
Rule no. (18)
The financial institution must set up a complaint handling mechanism in a clear place in the its building and in its branches and must be mentioned in all its websites and smart phone applications.
Rule no. (19)
The mechanism of handling complaints and inquiries should include the following:
Rule no. (20)
The financial institution must directly develop performance indicators to measure the processing of complaints received by the financial institution, including (measuring customer satisfaction, measuring the quality of complaint processing), and submit the results of the satisfaction indicators quarterly to the highest executive position in the financial institution.
Rule no. (21)
The Financial Institution shall provide within (5) working days the following documents at the Customer's request:
Rule no. (22)
The financial institution shall provide a free phone number that the customer segments can call from within the Kingdom by either a land line or a mobile phone, in addition to a phone number to call from outside the Kingdom (for banks and insurance companies) to submit complaints and request inquiries, provided that the free number is clearly mentioned on the main page of the website of the financial institution for the customer in addition to all other channels.
Rule no. (23)
The financial institution must consider humanitarian situations and its societal responsibilities when dealing with customers who have urgent financial difficulties and find appropriate solutions for them before starting to take legal measures against them.
Rule no. (24)
The financial institution and its employees must not discriminate against its customers (existing and prospect customers) by treating them unfairly based on race, sex, religion, color, age, disability, marital status or by any other form of discrimination through the different transactions.
Rule no. (25)
The financial institution should post the principles and rules for the protection of its customers on its website and in a clear place for the customer.
Rule no. (26)
: The financial institution shall place the working hours of the branch on the main entrance and on its website in addition to the working hours of the telephone services.
Section Four: Special Code of Conduct:
Rule no. (1)
The bank or the finance company must not caculate fees that exceed, commissions and costs of administrative services it receives from the customer, to an equivalent percentage of (1%) of the amount of the fund or (5000) five thousand riyals, whichever is less, and may not be deducted until after signing the contract, except for real estate appraisal fees, which may be deducted after the customer receives initial approval to grant real estate finance.
Rule no. (2)
Without prejudice to Rule No. (1) of this part, the bank or finance company when granting the mortgage must take an acknowledgement from the Customer (before commencing the contracting procedures) including its right not to refund the real estate valuation fees in the event that the financing granting procedures are not completed for a reason due to the Customer, and the real estate valuation fee must be refunded in the following cases:
Rule no. (3)
The bank and the finance company must issue a clearance letter and grant it to the customer through one of the documented channels immediately after payment of the due amount or full payment of the agreed settlement amount, and without the need to submit an application from the customer except in cases where judicial decisions have been issued.
Rule no. (4)
The bank or finance company shall inform the customer through documented channels of the results of his credit registery with the credit data companies in the event of a settlement by a forfeit process by the bank or the finance company of the remaining amounts not paid by the customer of the total due amount.
Rule no. (5)
The bank or finance company shall provide the customer, upon request, with a detailed debt statement free of charge within one working day including all fees, term costs and expenses, including any additional costs, for once in the event of a default or an in case of applying for an early repayment.
Rule no. (6)
Banks, payment companies and issuers of credit cards and monthly debit cards should confirm to their trading customers not to add and/or charge additional fees to holders of credit cards, debit cards and mada banking cards when paying through point-of-sale devices (Merchant Service charge) and the operations carried out through payment service providers and e-commerce sites and they have the responsibility to follow up on the trader's deposits to ensure their suitability to the nature of his activity and train shop workers to use POS devices and provide them with the operational controls to be adhered to.
Rule no. (7)
Banks, payment companies and issuers of credit card and monthly debit cards must include in the agreement concluded with their trading customers that they are not entitled to charge additional fees on the amount of the product or service if the customer uses credit cards, mada bank cards (Debit and Prepaid Card) and payment service providers when paying through POS terminals and e-commerce sites while completing a purchase process.
Rule no. (8)
Banks, payment companies and issuers of credit card and monthly debit cards must notify customers when debit or credit operations occur on their accounts as soon as they take place by sending text messages to the mobile phone in accordance with the relevant instructions.
Rule no. (9)
Banks and payment companies must set the maximum limit for the following: Transfers, daily withdrawals, POS operations, online purchases, and payment processes. Notify customers of such maximum limit when they receive the service, and review it annually on the minimum.
Rule no. (10)
Banks and issuers of credit card and monthly debit cards must provide a toll-free phone number around the clock that customers can call from within the Kingdom via landline and mobile phone, in addition to a phone number to call from abroad, provided that it includes a minimum of:
Rule no. (11)
Banks must provide a new ATM card to the customer free of charge at the request of the customer through a reliable channel or at the request of a person authorized by the system, and must be reissued within thirty days at least before the expiry of the validity period, unless the customer wishes otherwise, and ensure that the card has been issued and delivered to the customer or to the person authorized by the system with a mechanism to verify such transaction with the customer.
Rule no. (12)
Banks should verify that all ATMs, POS and other electronic services meet the needs of customers and facilitate the completion of transactions in accordance with updated methods, and the following must be adhered to:
Rule no. (13)
Banks must process claims associated with erroneous and incomplete transactions made through mada bank cards for all services (ATM, POS, e-commerce operations) within two business days from the date of the transaction.
Rule no. (14)
Issuers of credit and debit cards must comply with the following:
The Fifth Section: Closing Provisions
The First Section: Introduction, Purpose and Definitions
Introduction
The Central Bank is the body that monitors and supervises the financial institutions licensed by it, and it has regulatory powers, including framing and regulating what is related to the rights of the customers of these financial institutions, based on the system of the Saudi Central Bank issued by Royal Decree No. (M/36) dated 11/04/1442H and its amendments, and pursuant to Article (4) thereof, which stipulates that "The Bank shall perform its tasks in accordance with the provisions of the system, the regulations and policies issued by the Council, and in accordance with the best international standards and practices, and has all the powers necessary to achieve its objectives, and for this purpose, it may exercise the following roles, powers and competencies: 9. Establish the directives and procedures necessary for the protection of customers of financial institutions. In addition to the Banking Control System issued by Royal Decree No. (م/5) dated 22/2/1386H and its amendments, which gave the Central Bank the authority to determine the procedures and conditions that the Bank must follow when dealing with customers, in addition to what was included in the Cooperative Insurance Companies Control System issued by Royal Decree No. (م/32) dated 2/6/1424H and its amendments regarding the competencies of the Central Bank, in order to establishing the rules and controls that guarantee the rights of the beneficiaries. The Finance Companies Control Law issued by Royal Decree No. (م/51) dated 13/8/1433H and its amendments that included the necessary rules to protect transactions and their fairness as well as the rights of customers, in addition to the credit information system issued by Royal Decree No. (م/37) dated 5/7/1429H and its regulations, which regulated the rights of customer in the credit information sector, and finally the payments law and its services issued by Royal Decree No. (م/26) dated
22/3/1443H, which aims to enhance the protection of the rights of parties dealing in the payments systems and Payments service providers Payments.
The Purpose:
1- Establishing the principle of protecting the customers of the financial institutions and pursuant to the directives issued internationally to protect the customers of the financial institutions "HIGH- LEVEL PRINCIPLES ON FINANCIAL CONSUMER PROTECTION "
2- Guarantee that customers dealing with the financial institutions subject to the supervision of the Central Bank receive fair treatment with transparency, honesty and integrity.
3- Providing easy access to services and products for customers at a reasonable cost and with high quality.
Definitions
Unless the context requires otherwise, the sentences and definitions in these principles and rules shall have the meanings ascribed to them as follows:
The Kingdom |
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia |
The Central Bank |
Saudi Central Bank |
The financial organization |
The entity subject to the supervision and control of the Central Bank in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations. |
Bank. |
Any natural or legal person who mainly carries out any banking business in the Kingdom. Licensee in pursuant to the provisions of the Banking Control Law. |
Finance Company |
The shareholding company that has obtained a license to practice the financing activity in accordance with the control system of the financث companies. |
Insurance company |
The joint stock company that carries out insurance or reinsurance services or both in accordance with the Insurance Companies Control Law. |
Payments companies |
Payment Services companies licensed by the Central Bank as per the Payment Services Provider. |
Financial Transfers Performers |
The financial organization which provides the service of money transfer reconciled as per the license awarded to it by the Central Bank. |
Monthly deductions and issuers of credit and debit card |
The financial organization in the Kingdom that has the license to issue credit cards and monthly deduction. |
Credit Information Companies |
Companies licensed to collect and maintain consumer credit information and provide members with such information upon request in accordance with the credit information law. |
Credit Registry |
A report issued by credit information companies containing credit information about the customer. |
Conflict of Interests |
The situation in which the objectivity and independence of the financial institution or any of its employees is affected during the performance of tasks in pursuit of its own interests or that of its employees, which violates justice, fairness, integrity and responsibility towards customers. |
The Customer |
The natural person to whom the services and products are directed or obtained from licensed financial institutions. |
Complaint |
Every expression of dissatisfaction related to the provided service whether justified or unjustified, in writing or verbally submitted. |
Handling of complaint |
The financial institution reaches a final conclusion regarding the customer's complaint by following the necessary measures and procedures to address the complaint fairly and effectively within a specified period of time. |
Inquiry |
Query by the customer about the services or products provided by any financial institution. |
Request |
A motion submitted by the customer for a product or service provided by any financial institution. |
Clearance letter |
An official statement issued by the financial institution confirming that there are no financial obligations on the customer towards a product or service previously obtained by the customer. |
Employees |
Persons concerned with providing services and products at a financial institution, including all employees directly contracted or assigned with tasks. |
Error |
Any action that results in a violation of the documented policy of work procedures that entails financial consequences and/or a violation of the statutory or regulatory rights of one or more customers. |
Outsourcing |
An arrangement with a third party contracted by the financial institution in order to provide a service on its behalf. |
Documented Channels |
A documented, verifiable and retrievable means of communication in paper or in an electronic form. |
Day |
A calendar day, including weekends and official holidays. |
Workday |
A calendar day that does not include weekends and official holidays. |
Third Party |
An entity entrusted with an activity to perform on behalf of the financial institution. |
The Second Section: Customer Protection Principles
These principles are considered to be the general framework for the protection of financial institutions customers, which financial institutions must take into account in all their dealings with customers, as follows:
Principle 1: The treatment as per rules of justice and fairness
The financial organization has to handle the transactions of its customers with fairness and integrity through all stages the relationship between them, in a manner that constitute an integral part of the culture upon which the financial insitution was founded with special care for the customers who have limited resources of income and education senior citizens and special needs citizens from both genders.
Principle 2: Disclosure and transparency
The financial institution shall verify easiness and clarity of the information of the services and products provided to customers si that it is easy to understand and up to date, clear, concise, accurate and not misleading, and can be accessed effortlessly, especially the main conditions and advantages of such services. It should also include clarification of the entitlements and liabilities of each party, details of the prices and commissions charged by the financial institution, the incurred taxes, exclusions, fines, types of major risks and benefits, the mechanism of ending the relationship and its consequences, in addition to providing information on alternative products and services provided by the financial institution.
Principle 3: Education and awareness-raising
The financial institution should develop appropriate programs and mechanisms to develop the knowledge and skills of customers, raise their level of awareness and guidance, enable them to understand the basic risks, help them make informed decisions, and assist customers know the appropriate entity to obtain information in case they need it.
Principle 4: Business conduct and Ethics
The financial institution must work in a highly professional manner that is reflected on the best interest of customers and throughout the relationship between them, so that the financial institution is primarily responsible for protecting the interests of customers. The financial institution must also provide the necessary human resources to achieve the above and implement its work and serve its customers in all regions of the Kingdom and provide suitable centers for customer service and the recorded channels to communicate with them.
Principle 5: Protection against fraudulence and misuse
The financial institution shall protect the assets of its customers from fraudulence and develop technical and supervisory systems with a high level of efficiency and effectiveness to reduce and detect fraudulence, embezzlement or misuse and take the necessary action when they occur, in accordance with the relevant regulations and directives.
Principle 6: Protection of Information and Data Confidentiality
The financial institution shall establish appropriate mechanisms in accordance with the relevant valid rules, regulations and policies to protect the financial, credit, insurance and/or personal information and data of customers and to maintain their confidentiality, including all rights mentioned in the Personal Data Protection Law, and shall establish high-level regulatory systems that include appropriate mechanisms that determine the purposes for which the data were collected.
Principle 7: Handling of complaints
The financial institution must provide an appropriate mechanism for customers to submit complaints so that the mechanism is clear and effective, and the complaint must be studied and the necessary measures and procedures to address it fairly and effectively must be followed, and the best and most appropriate solutions must be provided without delay in accordance with the relevant regulations and directives.
Principle 8: Comptition
The financial institution shall provide customers with the ability to search and compare the best services and products with ease and clarity, and the financial institution shall provide the best products, services and prices to meet the needs and desires of the customer, promote innovation and maintain the quality of services and products.
Principle 9: Outsourcing Services
When the financial institution outsources any of its services to a third party it must confirm full compliance of that third party with the such rules and regulations – where applicable - and confirm that such third party works for the best interest of its customers and shall handle their protection, and the financial institution shall be responsible for non-compliance of the third party outsourcing the services of such financial organization as per the concerned directives from the central bank.
Principle 10: Conflict of Interests
The financial institution must have a written policy regarding conflict of interest and must ensure the policies that assist in detecting potential conflicts of interest are applicable and in place. When a potential conflict of interest arises between the financial institution and any other party, it must be disclosed to the responsible authority.
Third Section: General code of conduct:
Rule no. (1)
The financial institution must urge customers to read the contracts and their annexes, the initial disclosure form, terms and conditions, documents and any other document that requires the customer's approval or signature, and verify that they are aware of what is stated therein, in addition to providing the updated terms and conditions through the electronic channels of the financial institution.
Rule no. (2)
The financial institution shall provide information and/or documents to customers in a clear and accurate manner, and avoid misinformation, fraud and embezzelment.
Rule no. (3)
Financial institutions must include all terms and conditions in the application form for the product or service, provided that the precautionary statements include the potential risks invloved when using the product or service in a way that contradict the agreement.
All terms and conditions shall be drafted in Arabic in a simplified, clear and non-misleading manner, with an English version provided upon request by the Customer.
Rule no. (4)
Without prejudice to Rule No. (8) of this part, the financial institution shall inform the customer by text message to his/her mobile phone approved by the financial institution in addition to other documented channels of any change in the terms and conditions (if the agreement and related directives give permit to such change) at least (30) days before the commencement of such change. The financial institution shall also provide the possibility of objecting in case the customer refuses such change after receiving the notification through one of the documented channels.
Rule no. (5)
The financial institution must provide the customer with the initial disclosure form that contains the information about the products and services and the details of the calculation of fees, commissions and the cost of the term, if any, when concluding the contract or agreement and taking a statement from the customer to read, understand and approve its content, and the disclosure form must be in an easy and clear language and in a simple format.
Rule no. (6)
The financial institution must standardize the size of the font used (a minimum size of 14) and it should be clear and legible in the contracts and their annexes, which include, the initial disclosure forms, terms and conditions, documents, exceptions and exclusions, and any other document that requires the customer's signature or access to it, and the customer's signature (whatever the form of signature) must not be requested on any blank document or a document that has incomplete data, and the financial institution must protect and preserve the customers' documents and signatures.
Rule no. (7)
The financial institution must provide the customer with a paper copy or electronic copy - according to preference of the Customer - of all documents related to the products and services as soon as they performed to customers, and taking an acknowledgement from the Customers in case they receive paper copies of any type of the following documents: Contract and its annexes, insurance policies, terms and conditions, fees and commissions schedule.
Rule no. (8)
The financial institution must not make any change by increasing the fees and commissions that the customers must pay after receiving the service or product or at signing the contract or agreement or the like, except for the fees and commissions related to another party, provided that they are related to the customer's benefit of the funded asset, and the customer must be notified of this at the time of concluding the contract.
Rule no. (9)
The financial institution must place the list of fees and commissions (including the fees of the other party) in a clear place inside its building and in the branches and list them on its websites.
Rule no. (10)
The financial institution must when the customers applt for receiving its services or products abide by the following:
- When accepting the claim in whole or in part: Settlement amount, explanation that includes the method of receiving the settlement amount, justification of reducing the settlement amount or partially accepting the claim.
- When the claim is rejected: Reason for rejection, support documents for the rejection decision if requested from the customer.
Rule no. (11)
The responsibility for protecting the information and data related to the customer falls on the financial organization, whether the information were preserved with it or with a third party, and the financial institution must abide by the following:
Rule no. (12)
: The financial institution must verify that all electronic channels are safely available, and in the event that customers suffer a direct loss as a result of hacking such channels and/or any vulnerability in security, they must be compensated for any losses resulting therefrom, and the following must be adhered to:
Rule no. (13)
The financial institution shall verify the continuity of the operation of its systems and services and ensure that they are ready to meet the needs of customers at all times. The financial institution shall not benefit from any refunds that may arise due to a technical error or malfunction and shall return them to the affected customer without delay, and other customers who have suffered the same error within (5) working days and without any delay for reasons related to application of a claim. The defect or malfunction must be fixed in accordance with the requirements of business continuity, and the affected customers must be contacted and informed of the error and the corrective actions taken through any of the documented channels, and this should be declared through all available channels.
Rule no. (14)
The financial institution must ensure the efficient and effective performance of the tasks of all employees and follow their conduct and ethics with high professionalism towards current or potential customers at all times, in addition to providing training for frontline employees who deal directly with customers and working to obtain the professional certificates necessary to familiarize themselves with the skills of dealing with customers, the products and services provided to customers and the relevant instructions issued by the Central Bank.
Rule no. (15)
Without prejudice to the relevant instructions, the financial institution shall follow up the performance of frontline employees through visits (periodic – confidential) to branches, call center and collection staff, including third party employees, to ensure that best practices are followed when dealing with customers, and familiarity with the instructions issued by the Central Bank and with the products and services provided by the financial institution, provided that semi-annual reports are submitted to the higher management to monitor the performance of employees.
Rule no. (16)
The financial institution must abide by continuously educating customers through all its channels, provided that it includes a minimum of: The products and the services and their involved risks, mechanism of dealing with the debts and the default, embezzelment cases, leading transactions with the unlicensed companies or the financial organizations or investors, savings, the financial education and planning.
Rule no. (17)
The financial institution must provide multiple channels to receive complaints, inquiries and requests so that customers can submit complaints according to their preferences easily and at their convenience and in line with the nature of the financial institution, provided that they include a minimum of: Free phone, branches and/or website, smartphone apps, email.
Rule no. (18)
The financial institution must set up a complaint handling mechanism in a clear place in the its building and in its branches and must be mentioned in all its websites and smart phone applications.
Rule no. (19)
The mechanism of handling complaints and inquiries should include the following:
Rule no. (20)
The financial institution must directly develop performance indicators to measure the processing of complaints received by the financial institution, including (measuring customer satisfaction, measuring the quality of complaint processing), and submit the results of the satisfaction indicators quarterly to the highest executive position in the financial institution.
Rule no. (21)
The Financial Institution shall provide within (5) working days the following documents at the Customer's request:
Rule no. (22)
The financial institution shall provide a free phone number that the customer segments can call from within the Kingdom by either a land line or a mobile phone, in addition to a phone number to call from outside the Kingdom (for banks and insurance companies) to submit complaints and request inquiries, provided that the free number is clearly mentioned on the main page of the website of the financial institution for the customer in addition to all other channels.
Rule no. (23)
The financial institution must consider humanitarian situations and its societal responsibilities when dealing with customers who have urgent financial difficulties and find appropriate solutions for them before starting to take legal measures against them.
Rule no. (24)
The financial institution and its employees must not discriminate against its customers (existing and prospect customers) by treating them unfairly based on race, sex, religion, color, age, disability, marital status or by any other form of discrimination through the different transactions.
Rule no. (25)
The financial institution should post the principles and rules for the protection of its customers on its website and in a clear place for the customer.
Rule no. (26)
: The financial institution shall place the working hours of the branch on the main entrance and on its website in addition to the working hours of the telephone services.
Section Four: Special Code of Conduct:
Rule no. (1)
The bank or the finance company must not caculate fees that exceed, commissions and costs of administrative services it receives from the customer, to an equivalent percentage of (1%) of the amount of the fund or (5000) five thousand riyals, whichever is less, and may not be deducted until after signing the contract, except for real estate appraisal fees, which may be deducted after the customer receives initial approval to grant real estate finance.
Rule no. (2)
Without prejudice to Rule No. (1) of this part, the bank or finance company when granting the mortgage must take an acknowledgement from the Customer (before commencing the contracting procedures) including its right not to refund the real estate valuation fees in the event that the financing granting procedures are not completed for a reason due to the Customer, and the real estate valuation fee must be refunded in the following cases:
Rule no. (3)
The bank and the finance company must issue a clearance letter and grant it to the customer through one of the documented channels immediately after payment of the due amount or full payment of the agreed settlement amount, and without the need to submit an application from the customer except in cases where judicial decisions have been issued.
Rule no. (4)
The bank or finance company shall inform the customer through documented channels of the results of his credit registery with the credit data companies in the event of a settlement by a forfeit process by the bank or the finance company of the remaining amounts not paid by the customer of the total due amount.
Rule no. (5)
The bank or finance company shall provide the customer, upon request, with a detailed debt statement free of charge within one working day including all fees, term costs and expenses, including any additional costs, for once in the event of a default or an in case of applying for an early repayment.
Rule no. (6)
Banks, payment companies and issuers of credit cards and monthly debit cards should confirm to their trading customers not to add and/or charge additional fees to holders of credit cards, debit cards and mada banking cards when paying through point-of-sale devices (Merchant Service charge) and the operations carried out through payment service providers and e-commerce sites and they have the responsibility to follow up on the trader's deposits to ensure their suitability to the nature of his activity and train shop workers to use POS devices and provide them with the operational controls to be adhered to.
Rule no. (7)
Banks, payment companies and issuers of credit card and monthly debit cards must include in the agreement concluded with their trading customers that they are not entitled to charge additional fees on the amount of the product or service if the customer uses credit cards, mada bank cards (Debit and Prepaid Card) and payment service providers when paying through POS terminals and e-commerce sites while completing a purchase process.
Rule no. (8)
Banks, payment companies and issuers of credit card and monthly debit cards must notify customers when debit or credit operations occur on their accounts as soon as they take place by sending text messages to the mobile phone in accordance with the relevant instructions.
Rule no. (9)
Banks and payment companies must set the maximum limit for the following: Transfers, daily withdrawals, POS operations, online purchases, and payment processes. Notify customers of such maximum limit when they receive the service, and review it annually on the minimum.
Rule no. (10)
Banks and issuers of credit card and monthly debit cards must provide a toll-free phone number around the clock that customers can call from within the Kingdom via landline and mobile phone, in addition to a phone number to call from abroad, provided that it includes a minimum of:
Rule no. (11)
Banks must provide a new ATM card to the customer free of charge at the request of the customer through a reliable channel or at the request of a person authorized by the system, and must be reissued within thirty days at least before the expiry of the validity period, unless the customer wishes otherwise, and ensure that the card has been issued and delivered to the customer or to the person authorized by the system with a mechanism to verify such transaction with the customer.
Rule no. (12)
Banks should verify that all ATMs, POS and other electronic services meet the needs of customers and facilitate the completion of transactions in accordance with updated methods, and the following must be adhered to:
Rule no. (13)
Banks must process claims associated with erroneous and incomplete transactions made through mada bank cards for all services (ATM, POS, e-commerce operations) within two business days from the date of the transaction.
Rule no. (14)
Issuers of credit and debit cards must comply with the following:
The Fifth Section: Closing Provisions
The First Section: Introduction, Purpose and Definitions
Introduction
The Central Bank is the body that monitors and supervises the financial institutions licensed by it, and it has regulatory powers, including framing and regulating what is related to the rights of the customers of these financial institutions, based on the system of the Saudi Central Bank issued by Royal Decree No. (M/36) dated 11/04/1442H and its amendments, and pursuant to Article (4) thereof, which stipulates that "The Bank shall perform its tasks in accordance with the provisions of the system, the regulations and policies issued by the Council, and in accordance with the best international standards and practices, and has all the powers necessary to achieve its objectives, and for this purpose, it may exercise the following roles, powers and competencies: 9. Establish the directives and procedures necessary for the protection of customers of financial institutions. In addition to the Banking Control System issued by Royal Decree No. (م/5) dated 22/2/1386H and its amendments, which gave the Central Bank the authority to determine the procedures and conditions that the Bank must follow when dealing with customers, in addition to what was included in the Cooperative Insurance Companies Control System issued by Royal Decree No. (م/32) dated 2/6/1424H and its amendments regarding the competencies of the Central Bank, in order to establishing the rules and controls that guarantee the rights of the beneficiaries. The Finance Companies Control Law issued by Royal Decree No. (م/51) dated 13/8/1433H and its amendments that included the necessary rules to protect transactions and their fairness as well as the rights of customers, in addition to the credit information system issued by Royal Decree No. (م/37) dated 5/7/1429H and its regulations, which regulated the rights of customer in the credit information sector, and finally the payments law and its services issued by Royal Decree No. (م/26) dated
22/3/1443H, which aims to enhance the protection of the rights of parties dealing in the payments systems and Payments service providers Payments.
The Purpose:
1- Establishing the principle of protecting the customers of the financial institutions and pursuant to the directives issued internationally to protect the customers of the financial institutions "HIGH- LEVEL PRINCIPLES ON FINANCIAL CONSUMER PROTECTION "
2- Guarantee that customers dealing with the financial institutions subject to the supervision of the Central Bank receive fair treatment with transparency, honesty and integrity.
3- Providing easy access to services and products for customers at a reasonable cost and with high quality.
Definitions
Unless the context requires otherwise, the sentences and definitions in these principles and rules shall have the meanings ascribed to them as follows:
The Kingdom |
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia |
The Central Bank |
Saudi Central Bank |
The financial organization |
The entity subject to the supervision and control of the Central Bank in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations. |
Bank. |
Any natural or legal person who mainly carries out any banking business in the Kingdom. Licensee in pursuant to the provisions of the Banking Control Law. |
Finance Company |
The shareholding company that has obtained a license to practice the financing activity in accordance with the control system of the financث companies. |
Insurance company |
The joint stock company that carries out insurance or reinsurance services or both in accordance with the Insurance Companies Control Law. |
Payments companies |
Payment Services companies licensed by the Central Bank as per the Payment Services Provider. |
Financial Transfers Performers |
The financial organization which provides the service of money transfer reconciled as per the license awarded to it by the Central Bank. |
Monthly deductions and issuers of credit and debit card |
The financial organization in the Kingdom that has the license to issue credit cards and monthly deduction. |
Credit Information Companies |
Companies licensed to collect and maintain consumer credit information and provide members with such information upon request in accordance with the credit information law. |
Credit Registry |
A report issued by credit information companies containing credit information about the customer. |
Conflict of Interests |
The situation in which the objectivity and independence of the financial institution or any of its employees is affected during the performance of tasks in pursuit of its own interests or that of its employees, which violates justice, fairness, integrity and responsibility towards customers. |
The Customer |
The natural person to whom the services and products are directed or obtained from licensed financial institutions. |
Complaint |
Every expression of dissatisfaction related to the provided service whether justified or unjustified, in writing or verbally submitted. |
Handling of complaint |
The financial institution reaches a final conclusion regarding the customer's complaint by following the necessary measures and procedures to address the complaint fairly and effectively within a specified period of time. |
Inquiry |
Query by the customer about the services or products provided by any financial institution. |
Request |
A motion submitted by the customer for a product or service provided by any financial institution. |
Clearance letter |
An official statement issued by the financial institution confirming that there are no financial obligations on the customer towards a product or service previously obtained by the customer. |
Employees |
Persons concerned with providing services and products at a financial institution, including all employees directly contracted or assigned with tasks. |
Error |
Any action that results in a violation of the documented policy of work procedures that entails financial consequences and/or a violation of the statutory or regulatory rights of one or more customers. |
Outsourcing |
An arrangement with a third party contracted by the financial institution in order to provide a service on its behalf. |
Documented Channels |
A documented, verifiable and retrievable means of communication in paper or in an electronic form. |
Day |
A calendar day, including weekends and official holidays. |
Workday |
A calendar day that does not include weekends and official holidays. |
Third Party |
An entity entrusted with an activity to perform on behalf of the financial institution. |
The Second Section: Customer Protection Principles
These principles are considered to be the general framework for the protection of financial institutions customers, which financial institutions must take into account in all their dealings with customers, as follows:
Principle 1: The treatment as per rules of justice and fairness
The financial organization has to handle the transactions of its customers with fairness and integrity through all stages the relationship between them, in a manner that constitute an integral part of the culture upon which the financial insitution was founded with special care for the customers who have limited resources of income and education senior citizens and special needs citizens from both genders.
Principle 2: Disclosure and transparency
The financial institution shall verify easiness and clarity of the information of the services and products provided to customers si that it is easy to understand and up to date, clear, concise, accurate and not misleading, and can be accessed effortlessly, especially the main conditions and advantages of such services. It should also include clarification of the entitlements and liabilities of each party, details of the prices and commissions charged by the financial institution, the incurred taxes, exclusions, fines, types of major risks and benefits, the mechanism of ending the relationship and its consequences, in addition to providing information on alternative products and services provided by the financial institution.
Principle 3: Education and awareness-raising
The financial institution should develop appropriate programs and mechanisms to develop the knowledge and skills of customers, raise their level of awareness and guidance, enable them to understand the basic risks, help them make informed decisions, and assist customers know the appropriate entity to obtain information in case they need it.
Principle 4: Business conduct and Ethics
The financial institution must work in a highly professional manner that is reflected on the best interest of customers and throughout the relationship between them, so that the financial institution is primarily responsible for protecting the interests of customers. The financial institution must also provide the necessary human resources to achieve the above and implement its work and serve its customers in all regions of the Kingdom and provide suitable centers for customer service and the recorded channels to communicate with them.
Principle 5: Protection against fraudulence and misuse
The financial institution shall protect the assets of its customers from fraudulence and develop technical and supervisory systems with a high level of efficiency and effectiveness to reduce and detect fraudulence, embezzlement or misuse and take the necessary action when they occur, in accordance with the relevant regulations and directives.
Principle 6: Protection of Information and Data Confidentiality
The financial institution shall establish appropriate mechanisms in accordance with the relevant valid rules, regulations and policies to protect the financial, credit, insurance and/or personal information and data of customers and to maintain their confidentiality, including all rights mentioned in the Personal Data Protection Law, and shall establish high-level regulatory systems that include appropriate mechanisms that determine the purposes for which the data were collected.
Principle 7: Handling of complaints
The financial institution must provide an appropriate mechanism for customers to submit complaints so that the mechanism is clear and effective, and the complaint must be studied and the necessary measures and procedures to address it fairly and effectively must be followed, and the best and most appropriate solutions must be provided without delay in accordance with the relevant regulations and directives.
Principle 8: Comptition
The financial institution shall provide customers with the ability to search and compare the best services and products with ease and clarity, and the financial institution shall provide the best products, services and prices to meet the needs and desires of the customer, promote innovation and maintain the quality of services and products.
Principle 9: Outsourcing Services
When the financial institution outsources any of its services to a third party it must confirm full compliance of that third party with the such rules and regulations – where applicable - and confirm that such third party works for the best interest of its customers and shall handle their protection, and the financial institution shall be responsible for non-compliance of the third party outsourcing the services of such financial organization as per the concerned directives from the central bank.
Principle 10: Conflict of Interests
The financial institution must have a written policy regarding conflict of interest and must ensure the policies that assist in detecting potential conflicts of interest are applicable and in place. When a potential conflict of interest arises between the financial institution and any other party, it must be disclosed to the responsible authority.
Third Section: General code of conduct:
Rule no. (1)
The financial institution must urge customers to read the contracts and their annexes, the initial disclosure form, terms and conditions, documents and any other document that requires the customer's approval or signature, and verify that they are aware of what is stated therein, in addition to providing the updated terms and conditions through the electronic channels of the financial institution.
Rule no. (2)
The financial institution shall provide information and/or documents to customers in a clear and accurate manner, and avoid misinformation, fraud and embezzelment.
Rule no. (3)
Financial institutions must include all terms and conditions in the application form for the product or service, provided that the precautionary statements include the potential risks invloved when using the product or service in a way that contradict the agreement.
All terms and conditions shall be drafted in Arabic in a simplified, clear and non-misleading manner, with an English version provided upon request by the Customer.
Rule no. (4)
Without prejudice to Rule No. (8) of this part, the financial institution shall inform the customer by text message to his/her mobile phone approved by the financial institution in addition to other documented channels of any change in the terms and conditions (if the agreement and related directives give permit to such change) at least (30) days before the commencement of such change. The financial institution shall also provide the possibility of objecting in case the customer refuses such change after receiving the notification through one of the documented channels.
Rule no. (5)
The financial institution must provide the customer with the initial disclosure form that contains the information about the products and services and the details of the calculation of fees, commissions and the cost of the term, if any, when concluding the contract or agreement and taking a statement from the customer to read, understand and approve its content, and the disclosure form must be in an easy and clear language and in a simple format.
Rule no. (6)
The financial institution must standardize the size of the font used (a minimum size of 14) and it should be clear and legible in the contracts and their annexes, which include, the initial disclosure forms, terms and conditions, documents, exceptions and exclusions, and any other document that requires the customer's signature or access to it, and the customer's signature (whatever the form of signature) must not be requested on any blank document or a document that has incomplete data, and the financial institution must protect and preserve the customers' documents and signatures.
Rule no. (7)
The financial institution must provide the customer with a paper copy or electronic copy - according to preference of the Customer - of all documents related to the products and services as soon as they performed to customers, and taking an acknowledgement from the Customers in case they receive paper copies of any type of the following documents: Contract and its annexes, insurance policies, terms and conditions, fees and commissions schedule.
Rule no. (8)
The financial institution must not make any change by increasing the fees and commissions that the customers must pay after receiving the service or product or at signing the contract or agreement or the like, except for the fees and commissions related to another party, provided that they are related to the customer's benefit of the funded asset, and the customer must be notified of this at the time of concluding the contract.
Rule no. (9)
The financial institution must place the list of fees and commissions (including the fees of the other party) in a clear place inside its building and in the branches and list them on its websites.
Rule no. (10)
The financial institution must when the customers applt for receiving its services or products abide by the following:
- When accepting the claim in whole or in part: Settlement amount, explanation that includes the method of receiving the settlement amount, justification of reducing the settlement amount or partially accepting the claim.
- When the claim is rejected: Reason for rejection, support documents for the rejection decision if requested from the customer.
Rule no. (11)
The responsibility for protecting the information and data related to the customer falls on the financial organization, whether the information were preserved with it or with a third party, and the financial institution must abide by the following:
Rule no. (12)
: The financial institution must verify that all electronic channels are safely available, and in the event that customers suffer a direct loss as a result of hacking such channels and/or any vulnerability in security, they must be compensated for any losses resulting therefrom, and the following must be adhered to:
Rule no. (13)
The financial institution shall verify the continuity of the operation of its systems and services and ensure that they are ready to meet the needs of customers at all times. The financial institution shall not benefit from any refunds that may arise due to a technical error or malfunction and shall return them to the affected customer without delay, and other customers who have suffered the same error within (5) working days and without any delay for reasons related to application of a claim. The defect or malfunction must be fixed in accordance with the requirements of business continuity, and the affected customers must be contacted and informed of the error and the corrective actions taken through any of the documented channels, and this should be declared through all available channels.
Rule no. (14)
The financial institution must ensure the efficient and effective performance of the tasks of all employees and follow their conduct and ethics with high professionalism towards current or potential customers at all times, in addition to providing training for frontline employees who deal directly with customers and working to obtain the professional certificates necessary to familiarize themselves with the skills of dealing with customers, the products and services provided to customers and the relevant instructions issued by the Central Bank.
Rule no. (15)
Without prejudice to the relevant instructions, the financial institution shall follow up the performance of frontline employees through visits (periodic – confidential) to branches, call center and collection staff, including third party employees, to ensure that best practices are followed when dealing with customers, and familiarity with the instructions issued by the Central Bank and with the products and services provided by the financial institution, provided that semi-annual reports are submitted to the higher management to monitor the performance of employees.
Rule no. (16)
The financial institution must abide by continuously educating customers through all its channels, provided that it includes a minimum of: The products and the services and their involved risks, mechanism of dealing with the debts and the default, embezzelment cases, leading transactions with the unlicensed companies or the financial organizations or investors, savings, the financial education and planning.
Rule no. (17)
The financial institution must provide multiple channels to receive complaints, inquiries and requests so that customers can submit complaints according to their preferences easily and at their convenience and in line with the nature of the financial institution, provided that they include a minimum of: Free phone, branches and/or website, smartphone apps, email.
Rule no. (18)
The financial institution must set up a complaint handling mechanism in a clear place in the its building and in its branches and must be mentioned in all its websites and smart phone applications.
Rule no. (19)
The mechanism of handling complaints and inquiries should include the following:
Rule no. (20)
The financial institution must directly develop performance indicators to measure the processing of complaints received by the financial institution, including (measuring customer satisfaction, measuring the quality of complaint processing), and submit the results of the satisfaction indicators quarterly to the highest executive position in the financial institution.
Rule no. (21)
The Financial Institution shall provide within (5) working days the following documents at the Customer's request:
Rule no. (22)
The financial institution shall provide a free phone number that the customer segments can call from within the Kingdom by either a land line or a mobile phone, in addition to a phone number to call from outside the Kingdom (for banks and insurance companies) to submit complaints and request inquiries, provided that the free number is clearly mentioned on the main page of the website of the financial institution for the customer in addition to all other channels.
Rule no. (23)
The financial institution must consider humanitarian situations and its societal responsibilities when dealing with customers who have urgent financial difficulties and find appropriate solutions for them before starting to take legal measures against them.
Rule no. (24)
The financial institution and its employees must not discriminate against its customers (existing and prospect customers) by treating them unfairly based on race, sex, religion, color, age, disability, marital status or by any other form of discrimination through the different transactions.
Rule no. (25)
The financial institution should post the principles and rules for the protection of its customers on its website and in a clear place for the customer.
Rule no. (26)
: The financial institution shall place the working hours of the branch on the main entrance and on its website in addition to the working hours of the telephone services.
Section Four: Special Code of Conduct:
Rule no. (1)
The bank or the finance company must not caculate fees that exceed, commissions and costs of administrative services it receives from the customer, to an equivalent percentage of (1%) of the amount of the fund or (5000) five thousand riyals, whichever is less, and may not be deducted until after signing the contract, except for real estate appraisal fees, which may be deducted after the customer receives initial approval to grant real estate finance.
Rule no. (2)
Without prejudice to Rule No. (1) of this part, the bank or finance company when granting the mortgage must take an acknowledgement from the Customer (before commencing the contracting procedures) including its right not to refund the real estate valuation fees in the event that the financing granting procedures are not completed for a reason due to the Customer, and the real estate valuation fee must be refunded in the following cases:
Rule no. (3)
The bank and the finance company must issue a clearance letter and grant it to the customer through one of the documented channels immediately after payment of the due amount or full payment of the agreed settlement amount, and without the need to submit an application from the customer except in cases where judicial decisions have been issued.
Rule no. (4)
The bank or finance company shall inform the customer through documented channels of the results of his credit registery with the credit data companies in the event of a settlement by a forfeit process by the bank or the finance company of the remaining amounts not paid by the customer of the total due amount.
Rule no. (5)
The bank or finance company shall provide the customer, upon request, with a detailed debt statement free of charge within one working day including all fees, term costs and expenses, including any additional costs, for once in the event of a default or an in case of applying for an early repayment.
Rule no. (6)
Banks, payment companies and issuers of credit cards and monthly debit cards should confirm to their trading customers not to add and/or charge additional fees to holders of credit cards, debit cards and mada banking cards when paying through point-of-sale devices (Merchant Service charge) and the operations carried out through payment service providers and e-commerce sites and they have the responsibility to follow up on the trader's deposits to ensure their suitability to the nature of his activity and train shop workers to use POS devices and provide them with the operational controls to be adhered to.
Rule no. (7)
Banks, payment companies and issuers of credit card and monthly debit cards must include in the agreement concluded with their trading customers that they are not entitled to charge additional fees on the amount of the product or service if the customer uses credit cards, mada bank cards (Debit and Prepaid Card) and payment service providers when paying through POS terminals and e-commerce sites while completing a purchase process.
Rule no. (8)
Banks, payment companies and issuers of credit card and monthly debit cards must notify customers when debit or credit operations occur on their accounts as soon as they take place by sending text messages to the mobile phone in accordance with the relevant instructions.
Rule no. (9)
Banks and payment companies must set the maximum limit for the following: Transfers, daily withdrawals, POS operations, online purchases, and payment processes. Notify customers of such maximum limit when they receive the service, and review it annually on the minimum.
Rule no. (10)
Banks and issuers of credit card and monthly debit cards must provide a toll-free phone number around the clock that customers can call from within the Kingdom via landline and mobile phone, in addition to a phone number to call from abroad, provided that it includes a minimum of:
Rule no. (11)
Banks must provide a new ATM card to the customer free of charge at the request of the customer through a reliable channel or at the request of a person authorized by the system, and must be reissued within thirty days at least before the expiry of the validity period, unless the customer wishes otherwise, and ensure that the card has been issued and delivered to the customer or to the person authorized by the system with a mechanism to verify such transaction with the customer.
Rule no. (12)
Banks should verify that all ATMs, POS and other electronic services meet the needs of customers and facilitate the completion of transactions in accordance with updated methods, and the following must be adhered to:
Rule no. (13)
Banks must process claims associated with erroneous and incomplete transactions made through mada bank cards for all services (ATM, POS, e-commerce operations) within two business days from the date of the transaction.
Rule no. (14)
Issuers of credit and debit cards must comply with the following:
The Fifth Section: Closing Provisions
القسم الأول : المقدمة و الغرض و التعاريف
المقدمة
يعد البنك المركزي الجهة التي تراقب وتشرف على المؤسسات المالية المرخص لها من قبله، وله في ذلك صلاحيات تنظيمية بما يشمل تأطير وتنظيم ما يتصل بحقوق عملاء تلك المؤسسات المالية، وذلك استناداً إلى نظام البنك المركزي السعودي الصادر بموجب المرسوم الملكي رقم م/36 وتاريخ 11-04-1442 هـ وتعديلاته وما تضمنته المادة (الرابعة) منه والتي نصت على أنه "يؤدي البنك مهماته وفقاً لأحكام النظام، وما يصدره المجلس من لوائح وسياسات، ووفق أفضل المعايير والممارسات الدولية، وله جميع الصلاحيات اللازمة لتحقيق أهدافه، وله – في سبيل ذلك- ممارسة المهمات والصلاحيات والاختصاصات الآتية: 9- وضع التعليمات والإجراءات الكفيلة بحماية عملاء المؤسسات المالية". بالإضافة إلى نظام مراقبة البنوك الصادر بالمرسوم الملكي م/5 وتاريخ 22-2-1386 هـ وتعديلاته، والذي أعطى البنك المركزي الصلاحية لتحديد الإجراءات والشروط التي يجب على البنك اتباعها عند تعامله مع العملاء، بالإضافة إلى ما تضمنه نظام مراقبة شركات التأمين التعاوني الصادر بالمرسوم الملكي رقم م/32 وتاريخ 2-6-1424 هـ وتعديلاته بشأن اختصاصات البنك المركزي وذلك وضع القواعد والضوابط التي تكفل حقوق المستفيدين، كما تضمن نظام مراقبة شركات التمويل الصادر بالمرسوم الملكي رقم م/51 وتاريخ 13-8-1433 هـ وتعديلاته ولائحته الضوابط اللازمة لحماية التعاملات وعدالتها و كذلك حقوق المستهلكين، علاوة على ما جاء في نظام المعلومات الائتمانية الصادر بالمرسوم الملكي م/37 وتاريخ 5-7-1429 هـ ولائحته والتي نظمت حقوق المستهلك في قطاع المعلومات الائتمانية ، وأخيراً نظام المدفوعات وخدماتها الصادر بالمرسوم الملكي م/26 وتاريخ
1443-3-22 المدفوعات هـ والذي من أهدافه تعزيز حماية حقوق الاطراف الذي تعاملون مع نظم المدفوعات ومقدمي خدمات
الغرض
1 - ترسيخ مبدأ حماية عملاء المؤسسات المالية ومواكبة للتعليمات الصادرة دولياً لحماية عملاء المؤسسات المالية " HIGH- "LEVEL PRINCIPLES ON FINANCIAL CONSUMER PROTECTION "
2 - ضمان حصول العملاء الذين يتعاملون مع المؤسسات المالية الخاضعة لإشراف البنك المركزي على معاملة عادلة بشفافية وصدق وأمانة.
3 - حصول العملاء على الخدمات والمنتجات بكل يسر وسهولة وبتكلفة مناسبة وجودة عالية.
التعاريف
يقصد بالألفاظ والعبارات الواردة في هذه المبادئ والقواعد المعاني المبينة أمام كل منها، ما لم يقتض السياق خلاف ذلك:
المملكة |
المملكة العربية السعودية. |
البنك المركزي |
البنك المركزي السعودي. |
المؤسسة المالية |
الجهة الخاضعة لإشراف ورقابة البنك المركزي طبقاً للأنظمة السارية. |
البنك |
أي شخص طبيعي أو اعتباري يزاول في المملكة أي عمل من الأعمال المصرفية بصفة أساسية المرخص له وفقاً لأحكام لنظام مراقبة البنوك. |
شركة التمويل |
الشركة المساهمة الحاصلة على ترخيص لممارسة نشاط التمويل وفقا لنظام مراقبة شركات التمويل. |
شركة التأمين |
الشركة المساهمة التي تزاول التأمين أو إعادة التأمين أو كليهما وفقاً لنظام مراقبة شركات التأمين. |
شركات المدفوعات |
شركات خدمات المدفوعات المرخصة من البنك المركزي وفقاً لنظام المدفوعات وخدماتها. |
منفذي الحوالات المالية |
المؤسسة المالية التي تقديم خدمة تحويل الأموال وفق ترخيصها الصادر عن البنك المركزي. |
مصدري بطاقات الائتمان والحسم الشهري |
المؤسسة المالية المرخص لها في المملكة بإصدار بطاقات الائتمان والحسم الشهري. |
شركات المعلومات الائتمانية |
الشركات المرخص لها بجمع المعلومات الائتمانية عن المستهلكين وحفظها، وتزويد الأعضاء بتلك المعلومات عند طلبها وفقاً لنظام المعلومات الائتمانية. |
السجل الائتماني |
تقرير تصدره شركات المعلومات الائتمانية يحتوي على معلومات ائتمانية عن العميل. |
تضارب المصالح |
الموقف الذي تتأثر فيه موضوعية واستقلالية المؤسسة المالية أو أي من منسوبيها أثناء أداء المهام سعياً لمصالح خاصة بها أو بأحد منسوبيها والتي تخل بالعدل والانصاف والنزاهة والمسؤولية تجاه العملاء. |
العميل |
الشخص ذو الصفة الطبيعية الموجه له الخدمات والمنتجات أو الحاصل عليها من المؤسسات المالية المرخصة. |
الشكوى |
كل تعبير عن عدم الرضا ذي علاقة بالخدمة المقدمة، سواء كان مبرر أو غير مبرر، كتابة أو شفاهه. |
معالجة الشكوى |
وصول المؤسسة المالية إلى نتيجة نهائية بشأن شكوى العميل من خلال اتباع التدابير والإجراءات اللازمة لمعالجة الشكوى بشكل عادل وفعال خلال المدة الزمنية المحددة. |
الاستفسار |
استعلام العميل عن الخدمات أو المنتجات المقدمة من المؤسسات المالية. |
الطلب |
طلب مقدم من العميل للحصول على منتج أو خدمة تقدم من المؤسسة المالية. |
خطاب مخالصة |
إفادة رسمية تصدر عن المؤسسة المالية تؤكد فيها على عدم وجود التزامات مالية على العميل تجاه منتج أو خدمة سبق وأن حصل عليها العميل. |
الموظفين |
الأشخاص المعنيين بتقديم الخدمات والمنتجات المقدمة من المؤسسة المالية، ويشمل ذلك كافة الموظفين المتعاقد معهم مباشرة أو المتعاقد معهم عن طريق الإسناد. |
الخطأ |
كل تصرف ينتج عنه مخالفة للسياسة الموثقة لإجراءات العمل يترتب عليه تبعات مالية و/أو مخالفة الحقوق النظامية أو التنظيمية لعميل واحد أو أكثر. |
الإسناد |
ترتيب يتم مع طرف ثالث تتعاقد معه المؤسسة المالية لتقديم خدمة نيابة عنها. |
القنوات الموثقة |
وسيلة تواصل موثقة يمكن التحقق منها وقابلة للاسترجاع بشكل ورقي أو إلكتروني. |
يوم |
يوم تقويمي ويشمل إجازة نهاية الأسبوع والعطل الرسمية. |
يوم عمل |
يوم تقويمي لا يشمل إجازة نهاية الأسبوع والعطل الرسمية. |
الطرف الثالث |
کیان مسند إليه نشاط لتأديته نيابة عن المؤسسة المالية. |
القسم الثاني: مبادئ حماية العملاء
تعتبر هذه المبادئ الإطار العام لحماية عملاء المؤسسات المالية والذي يجب على المؤسسات المالية مراعاتها في كافة تعاملاتها مع العملاء، وهي على النحو التالي:
المبدأ الأول : المعاملة بعدل وإنصاف
يجب على المؤسسة المالية التعامل بعدل وأمانة وإنصاف مع العملاء في جميع مراحل العلاقة بينهما، بحيث يكون ذلك جزءاً لا يتجزأ من ثقافة المؤسسة المالية، كما يجب بذل العناية والاهتمام الخاص للعملاء محدودي الدخل والتعليم وكبار السن والأشخاص ذوي الإعاقة من الجنسين.
المبدأ الثاني : الإفصاح و الشفافية
على المؤسسة المالية التأكد من وضوح وسهولة فهم معلومات الخدمات والمنتجات الُمقدمة للعملاء، بحيث تكون مٌحدثة وواضحة ومُختصرة ودقيقة وغير مضللة، ويمكن الوصول لها دون عناء خصوصاً شروطها ومميزاتها الرئيسة، كما يجب أن تشمل إيضاح حقوق ومسؤوليات كل طرف وتفاصيل الأسعار والعمولات التي تتقاضاها المؤسسة المالية والضرائب المترتبة عليها والاستثناءات والغرامات وأنواع المخاطر والمنافع الرئيسية وآلية إنهاء العلاقة وما يترتب عليها، إضافةً إلى توفير معلومات عن المنتجات والخدمات البديلة المقدمة من المؤسسة المالية.
المبدأ الثالث : التثقيف و التوعية
يتعين على المؤسسة المالية وضع برامج وآليات مُناسبة لتطوير معارف ومهارات العملاء ورفع مستوى الوعي والإرشاد لديهم وتمكينهم من فهم المخاطر الأساسية ومساعدتهم في اتخاذ قرارات مدروسة وقعّالة، ومساعدتهم في معرفة الجهة الُمناسبة للحصول على المعلومات في حال حاجتهم لذلك.
المبدأ الرابع : سلوكيات وأخلاقيات العمل
يتوّجب على المؤسسة المالية العمل بطريقة مهنية عالية بما ينعكس على مصلحة العملاء وعلى امتداد العلاقة بينهما، بحيث تُتعتبر المؤسسة المالية المسؤول الأول عن حماية مصالح العملاء. كما يجب على المؤسسة المالية توفير المواد البشرية اللازمة لتحقيق ما سبق وتنفيذ أعمالها وخدمة عملاءها في كافة مناطق المملكة المتواجدة بها وتوفير مراكز مناسبة لخدمة عملاءها والقنوات الموثقة للتواصل معهم.
المبدأ الخامس : الحماية ضد عمليات الاحتيال وسوء الاستخدام
يجب على المؤسسة المالية حماية أصول عملاءها من الاحتيال ووضع أنضمة تقنية ورقابية ذات مستوى عالي من الكفاءة والفعالية للحد من عمليات الاحتيال والاختلاس أو إساءة الاستخدام واكتشافها واتخاذ الاجراء اللازم حال وقوعها، وفقاً للأنظمة والتعليمات ذات العلاقة.
المبدأ السادس : حماية خصوصية المعلومات والبيانات
تلتزم المؤسسة المالية بوضع الآليات المناسبة وفقاً للأنظمة والتعليمات والسياسات السارية ذات العلاقة لحماية معلومات وبيانات العملاء المالية و/أو الائتمانية و/أو التأمينية و/أو الشخصية والحفاظ على خصوصيتها على أن تشمل جميع الحقوق الوارد ذكرها في نظام حماية البيانات الشخصية، ووضع أنظمة رقابية على مستوى عالي تشتمل على آليات مناسبة تحدد الأغراض التي من أجلها تم جمع البيانات.
المبدأ السابع : معالجة الشكاوى
يجب على المؤسسة المالية توفير آلية مناسبة للعملاء لتقديم الشكاوى بحيث تكون الآلية واضحة وفعّالة، ويجب دراسة الشكوى واتباع التدابير والإجراءات اللازمة لمعالجتها بشكل عادل وفعال، وتقديم أفضل الحلول وأنسبها دون تأخير وفقاً للأنظمة والتعليمات ذات العلاقة.
المبدأ الثامن : المنافسة
يجب على المؤسسة المالية أن تتيح للعملاء القدرة على البحث والمقارنة بين أفضل الخدمات والمنتجات ومقدميها بسهولة ووضوح، وعلى المؤسسة المالية تقديم أفضل المنتجات والخدمات والأسعار بما يلبي احتياجات العميل ورغباته،وتعزيز الابتكار والحفاظ على جودة الخدمات والمنتجات.
المبدأ التاسع : خدمات الإسناد
عند القيام بالإسناد لأي من الخدمات التي تتضمن تعامل مع العملاء، على المؤسسة المالية التأكد من التزام الطرف الثالث بمتطلبات هذه المبادئ والقواعد – حيثما انطبقت - ، وأنها تعمل لما فيه مصلحة عملائها وتتحمل مسؤولية حمايتهم، وتتحمل المؤسسة المالية المسؤولية في حال عدم التزام الطرف الثالث الُمسندة إليه المهام بالأنظمة واللوائح والتعليمات السارية في أي من العمليات والمهام المسندة إليه وفقاً لما ورد في التعليمات ذات العلاقة الصادرة من البنك المركزي.
المبدأ العاشر : تضارب المصالح
يجب أن يكون لدى المؤسسة المالية سياسية مكتوبة بشأن تضارب المصالح، وعليها التأكد من أن السياسات التي تساعد في كشف العمليات الُمحتملة لتضارب المصالح موجودة ومُطبقة، وعندما تنشأ إمكانية تضارب مصالح بين المؤسسة المالية وأي طرف آخر فيجب الإفصاح عنها للجهة المسئولة.
القسم الثالث : القواعد السلوكية العامة :
القاعدة رقم (1)
يجب على المؤسسة المالية تشجيع العملاء على قراءة العقود وملحقاتها ونموذج الإفضاح الأولي والشروط والأحكام والوثائق وأي مستند آخر يتطلب موافقة العميل أو توقيعة، والتحقق من اطلاعهم وإدراكهم لما جاء فيها، بالإضافة إلى توفير الشروط والأحكام الُمحدثة عبر القنوات الإلكترونية للمؤسسة المالية.
القاعدة رقم (1)
يجب على المؤسسة المالية تقديم المعلومات و/أو المستندات للعملاء بشكل واضح ودقيق، وتجنب التضليل والغش و التدليس.
القاعدة رقم (2)
يجب على المؤسسات المالية إدراج كافة الشروط والأحكام في نموذج تقديم طلب الحصول على المنتج أو الخدمة، على أن تتضمن البيانات التحذيرية المخاطر الُمحتملة عند استخدام المنتج أو الخدمة خلاف المتفق عليه.
القاعدة رقم (3)
كما يجب صياغة كافة الشروط والأحكام باللغة العربية بشكل مبسّط وواضح وغير مضلل، مع توفير نسخة باللغة الإنجليزية عند طلب العميل ذلك.
القاعدة رقم (4)
دون الإخلال بالقاعدة رقم (8) من هذا القسم، يجب على المؤسسة المالية إبلاغ العميل من خلال رسالة نصية إلى هاتفه المحمول الُمعتمد لدى المؤسسة المالية إضافة إلى القنوات الموثقة الأخرى بأي تغيير يطرأ على الشروط والأحكام (إذا كانت الاتفاقية والتعليمات ذات العلاقة تجيز هذا التغيير) قبل بدء سريان ذلك التغيير بدة لا تقل عن (30) يوم، كما يجب أن تُتيح المؤسسة المالية إمكانية الاعتراض في حال عدم موافقة العميل بعد استلام الإشعار عن طريق إحدى القنوات الموثقة.
القاعدة رقم (5)
يجب على المؤسسة المالية تزويد العميل بنموذج الإفصاح الأولي الذي يحتوي على المعلومات الخاصة بالمنتجات والخدمات وتفاصيل احتساب الرسوم والعمولات وكلفة الأجل -إن وجدت- وذلك عند إبرام العقد أو الاتفاقية وأخذ إقرار من العميل بقراءتها وفهمها والموافقة على محتواها، ويجب أن يكون نموذج الإفصاح بلغة سهلة و واضحة وبطريقة مبسطة.
القاعدة رقم (6)
يجب على المؤسسة المالية توحيد حجم الخط المستخدم (حجم 14 كحد أدنى) وأن يكون واضح ومقروء في العقود وملحقاتها، التي بينها، نماذج الإفصاح الأولية، الشروط والأحكام، الوثائق، الاستثناءات، وأي مستند آخر يتطلب توقيع العميل أو اطلاعه عليه، كما يجب عدم طلب توقيع العميل (أياً كان شكل التوقيع) على أي مستند فارغ أو لم يتم استكمال كامل بياناته، وعلى المؤسسة المالية حماية مستندات وتواقيع العملاء وحفظها.
القاعدة رقم (7)
يجب على المؤسسة المالية تزويد العميل بنسخة ورقية أو إلكترونية حسب مايفضله العميل- من جميع المستندات ذا العلاقة بالمنتجات أو الخدمات فور حصوله عليها، وأخذ إقرار من العملاء بالاستلام في حال تزويدهم بها ورقياً، على سبيل المثال لا الحصر: العقد وملحقاته، الوثائق التأمينية، الشروط والاحكام، جدول الرسوم والعمولات.
القاعدة رقم (8)
يجب على المؤسسة المالية عدم إجراء أي تغيير بالزيادة في الرسوم والعمولات التي يتعيّن على العملاء سدادها بعد الحصول على الخدمة أو المنتج وتوقيع العقد أو الاتفاقية أو ما في حكمها، ويستثنى من ذلك الرسوم والعمولات المتعلقة بطرف آخر بشرط أن تكون مرتبطة بانتفاع العميل بالأصل الممول، ويلزم إشعار العميل بذلك عند ابرام العقد.
القاعدة رقم (9)
يجب على المؤسسة المالية وضع قائمة الرسوم والعمولات (بما في ذلك رسوم الطرف الآخر) في مكان واضح بمبناها وفروعها وإدراجها في مواقعها الإلكترونية.
القاعدة رقم (10)
:يجب على المؤسسة المالية عند تقدم العملاء بطلب الحصول على خدمة أو منتج الإلتزام بالآتي
ج. استثناءً من القرة (ب)، يتم الإشعار للمطالبات التأمينة كتابياً وتُحدد فتره وفقاً للمُدد المحددة في التعليمات ذات العلاقة ، ويجب أن يتضمن الإشعار بحد أدنى مايلي:
- عند قبول المطالبة بشكل كامل أو جزئي: مبلغ التسوية، توضيح كيفية الوصول لمبلغ التسوية، التبرير عند تخفيض مبلغ التسوية او قبول المطالبة جزئياً.
- عند رفضل المطالبة: سبب الرفض، المستندات الداعمة لقرار الرفض في حال طلبها من العميل.
القاعدة رقم (11)
تقع مسؤولية حماية معلومات وبيانات العميل والحفاظ على سريتها على المؤسسة المالية، سواء المعلومات والبيانات المحفوظة لديها أو لدى طرف ثالث، ويجب على المؤسسة المالية الاتزام بالتالي
ج. الُمحافظة على سرية بيانات العميل وفقاً لما تقتضي به الأنظمة والتعليمات ذات العلاقة.
القاعدة رقم (12)
يجب على المؤسسة المالية التأكد من أن كافة القنوات الإلكترونية متوافرة بشكل آمن، وفي حال تكبد العملاء خسارة مباشرة نتيجة اختراق هذه القنوات و/أو ضعفها الأمني فيجب تعويضهم عن أي خسائر ناتجة عن ذلك، كما يجب الإلتزام بالتالي:
القاعدة رقم (13)
يجب على المؤسسة المالية التحقق من استمرارية عمل أنظمتها وخدماتها والتأكد من جاهزيتها في تلبية احتياجات العملاء في كافة الأوقات، وعلى المؤسسة المالية عدم الاستفادة من أي مبالغ مالية مُعادة قد تنشأ بسبب خطا أو عطل فني وعليها إعادتها إلى العميل الُمتضرر دون تأخير، والعملاء الآخرين الذين تعرضوا لنفس الخطأ في غضون (5) أيام عمل ودون انتظار المُطالبة بها، ويجب إصلاح الخلل أو العطل وفقاً لمتطلبات استمرارية الأعمال، كما يجب التواصل مع العملاء المتأثرين وإحاطتهم بالخطأ وبالإجراءات التصحيحية التي تم اتخاذها من خلال إحدة القنوات الموثقة، وإعلان ذلك من خلال جميع القنوات الُمتاحة.
القاعدة رقم (14)
يجب على المؤسسة المالية ضمان أداء مهام جميع الموظفين بكفاءة وفعالية واتباع السلوكيات والأخلاقيات بمهنية عالية تجاه العملاء الحاليين أو العملاء الٌمحتملين في جميع الأوقات، إضافةً إلى تدريب موظفي الصفوف الأمامية الذين يتعاملون بشكل مباشر مع العملاء بشكل دوري والعمل على حصولهم على الشهادات المهنية اللازمة للإلمام بمهارات التعامل مع العملاء وبالمنتجات والخدمات المقدمة للعملاء وبالتعليمات ذات العلاقة الصادرة من البنك المركزي.
القاعدة رقم (15)
دون الإخلال بالتعليمات ذات العلاقة، يجب على المؤسسة المالية متابعة أداء موظفي الصفوف الأمامية من خلال الزيارات (الدورية – السرية) للفروع ومركز الاتصال وموظفي التحصيل، بما فيهم موظفي الطرف الثالث للتأكد من اتباع أفضل الممارسات عند التعامل مع العملاء، والإلمام بالتعليمات الصادرة عن البنك المركزي وبالمنتجات والخدمات المقدمة من المؤسسة المالية، على أن تُرفع تقارير نصف سنوية إلى الإدارة العُليا لمراقبة أداء الموظفين.
القاعدة رقم (16)
يجب على المؤسسة المالية الالتزام بتوعية العملاء بشكل مستمر عبر كافة قنواتها، على أن تشمل بحد أدنى: المنتجات والخدمات ومخاطرها، آلية التعامل مع الديون والتعثر، عمليات الاحتيال، التعامل مع الشركات أو المؤسسات المالية أو الاستثمارية الغير مرخصة، الادخار، التثقيف والتخطيط المالي.
القاعدة رقم (17)
يجب على المؤسسة المالية توفير قنوات متعددة لاستقبال الشكاوى والاستفسارات والطلبات بحيث تُمكّن العملاء من تقديم الشكاوي حسب مايفضّلونه بكل يسر وسُهولة وفي الأوقات الُمناسبة لهم وبما ينسجم مع طبيعة المؤسسة المالية، على أن تتضمن بحد أدنى: الهاتف المجاني، الفروع و/أو الموقع الإلكتروني، تطبيقات الهواتف الذكية، البريد الإلكتروني.
القاعدة رقم (18)
يجب على المؤسسة المالية وضع آلية معالجة الشكاوى في مكان واضح بمبنى المؤسسة المالية وفروعها وكافة موقعها الإلكتروني وتطبيقات الهواتف الذكية.
القاعدة رقم (19)
يجب أن تتضمن آلية معالجة الشكاوى والاستفسارات الآتي:
ج. تزويد العميل بالإدارة المختصة بمعالجة الشكاوى و/أو الاستفسار الذي من خلاله يمكن للعميل التواصل مع المؤسسة المالية عند الحاجة لمتابعة الشكاوى و/أو الاستفسار.
د. توثيق القناه المستخدمة في التواصل مع العميل والاحتفاظ بسجلاتها بحد أدنى خمس سنوات.
هـ. معالجة الشكاوى و/أو الاستفسار الوارد مباشرة للمؤسسة المالية وفقاً لما يصدر من تعليمات من البنك المركزي.
و. تزويد العميل بنتائج معالجة الشكوى و/أو الاستفسار بشكل مفصل وبالمستندات اللازمة التي تؤيد صحة المعالجة من خلال أحد القنوات الموثقة، بالإضافة إلى الرد على استفساراتهم بشكل واضح وبجودة عالية.
ز. في حال عدم رضا العميل عن نتيجة معالجة شكواه ورغبته بتصعيدها، يجب تزويده بالآلية الُمتبعة للتصعيد لمستوى أعلى داخل المؤسسة المالية أو توجيهه إلى الجهة الُمختصة بحسب ما يفضله.
القاعدة رقم (20)
يجب على المؤسسة المالية تطوير مؤشرات أداء لقياس معالجة الشكاوى الواردة إلى المؤسسة المالية بشكل مباشر ومنها (قياس رضا العملاء، قياس جودة معالجة الشكاوى)، ورفع نتائج المؤشرات بشكل ربع سنوي إلى أعلى منصب تنفيذي في المؤسسة المالية.
القاعدة رقم (21)
يجب أن توفر المؤسسة المالية خلال (5) أيام عمل المستندات التالية بناءً على طلب العميل:
ج. نسخة من عقود المبرمة مع العميل، بما في ذلك مستندات الضمانات والكفالات.
د. نسخة من وثيقة التأمين إن وجدت في التعامل.
القاعدة رقم (22)
يجب على المؤسسة المالية إتاحة رقم هاتف مجاني يمكّن شرائح العملاء الاتصال به من داخل المملكة عن طريق الهاتف الثابت والمحمول، إضافة إلى رقم هاتف للاتصال من خارج المملكة (للبنوك وشركات التأمين) لتقديم الشكاوى والاستفسارات، على أن يتم نشر الرقم المجاني في الصفحة الرئيسية للموقع الإلكتروني الخاص بالمؤسسة المالية بشكل واضح للعميل بالإضافة إلى كافة القنوات الأخرى.
القاعدة رقم (23)
يجب على المؤسسة المالية الأخذ في الاعتبار الحالات الإنسانية ومسئولياتها المجتمعية عند التعامل مع العملاء الذين لديهم صعوبات مالية طارئة وإيجاد الحلول المناسبة لهم قبل البدء في اتخاذ الإجراءات النظامية بحقهم.
القاعدة رقم (24)
يجب على المؤسسة المالية وموظفيها عدم التمييز في التعامل بين عملائها (الحاليين والمستقبليين) بشكل مجحف وغير عادل بناءً على العرق، الجنس، أو الدين، أو اللون أو السنّ أو الإعاقة أو الحالة الاجتماعية أو أي شكل من أشكل التمييز الأخرى وذلك في مختلف التعاملات.
القاعدة رقم (25)
يجب على المؤسسة المالية نشر مبادئ وقواعد حماية عملاء المؤسسات المالية على موقعها الإلكتروني وفي مكان واضح للعميل.
القاعدة رقم (26)
يجب على المؤسسة المالية وضع ساعات عمل الفرع في المدخل الرئيس للفرع وفي موقعه الإلكتروني إضافة إلى ساعات عمل تقديم الخدمات الهاتفية.
القسم الرابع: القواعد السلوكية الخاصة:
القاعدة رقم (1)
يجب على البنك أو شركة التمويل ألا تتجاوز الرسوم والعمولات وتكاليف الخدمات الإدارية التي تحصل عليها من العميل مايعادل (1%) من مبلغ التمويل أو (5000) خمسة الاف ريال، أيهما أقل، ولا يجوز حسمها إلا بعد توقيع العقد باستثناء رسوم التقييم العقاري فيجوز حسمها بعد حصول العميل على الموافقة الأولية لمنح التمويل العقاري.
القاعدة رقم (2)
مع عدم الإخلال بالقاعدة رقم (1) من هذا القسم، يجب على البنك أو شركة التمويل عند منح التمويل العقاري أخذ إقرار من العميل (قبل البدء في إجراءات التعاقد) يتضمن حقها في عدم استرجاع رسوم التقييم العقاري في حال عدم إتمام إجراءات منح التمويل لسبب يعود إليه، كما يجب إعادة رسوم التقييم العقاري في الحالات التالية:
القاعدة رقم (3)
يجب على البنك وشركة التمويل إصدار خطاب مُخالصة وتزويد العميل به عبر إحدى القنوات الموثقة مباشرة بعد سداد مستحقات المديونية أو سداد مبلغ التسوية الُمتفق عليه، ودون الحاجة لتقديم طلب من العميل ما عدا الحالات الصادر بشأنها قرارات قضائية.
القاعدة رقم (4)
يجب على البنك أو شركة التمويل إبلاغ العميل عبر القنوات الموثقة النتائج الُمترتبة على سجله الائتماني لدى شركات المعلومات الائتمانية في حال الوصول لتسوية بإسقاط البنك أو شركة التمويل للمبالغ الُمتبقية التي لم يُسددها العميل من إجمالي المديونية.
القاعدة رقم (5)
يجب على البنك أو شركة التمويل تزويد العميل بناء على طلبه، بكشف حساب المديونية مفصل مجاناً خلال يوم عمل يشمل جميع الرسوم وكلفة الأجل والتكاليف بما في ذلك أي تكاليف إضافية وذلك لمرة واحدة في حال حدوث تعثر أو طلب سداد مبكر للتمويل.
القاعدة رقم (6)
يجب على البنوك وشركات المدفوعات ومصدري بطاقات الائتمان وبطاقات الحسم الشهري التأكيد على عملائهم التجار عدم تمريرو/أو فرض رسوم إضافية على حاملي بطاقات الائتمان ( Credit Card ) وبطاقات الحسم (Debit Card ) وبطاقات مدى البنكية عند الدفع عبر أجهزة نقاط البيع ( Merchant Service Charge ) والعمليات التي تتم من خلال مقدمي خدمات المدفوعات والمواقع التجارية الإلكترونية وعليهم مسؤولية متابعة إيداعات التاجر للتأكد من ملاءمتها لطبيعة نشاطه وتدريب العاملين في المحلات التجارية على استخدام أجهزة نقاط البيع وتزويدهم بالضوابط التشغيلية المطلوب الالتزام بها.
القاعدة رقم (7)
يجب على البنوك وشركات المدفوعات ومصدري بطاقات الائتمان وبطاقات الحسم الشهري تضمين الاتفاقية المبرمة مع عملائهم التجار عدم أحقيتهم في فرض رسوم إضافية على مبلغ المنتج أو الخدمة في حال استخدم العميل بطاقات الائتمان ( Credit Card ) وبطاقات مدى البنكية ( Debit and Prepaid Card ) ومقدمي خدمات المدفوعات عند الدفع عبر أجهزة نقاط البيع والمواقع التجارية الإلكترونية لإتمام عملية الشراء.
القاعدة رقم (8)
يجب على البنوك وشركات المدفوعات ومصدري بطاقات الائتمان وبطاقات الحسم الشهري إشعار العملاء عند حدوث عمليات مدينة أو دائنة على حساباتهم فور حدوثها عن طريق إرسال رسائل نصية إلى الهاتف المحمول وفقاً للتعليمات ذات العلاقة.
القاعدة رقم (9)
يجب على البنوك وشركات المدفوعات تحديد الحد الأعلى لما يلي: التحويل، والسحب اليومي، وعمليات نقاط البيع، والشراء عبر الانترنت، وعمليات السداد. وإشعار العملاء بهذا الحد عند حصولهم على الخدمة، ومراجعته بشكل سنوي كحد أدنى.
القاعدة رقم (10)
يجب على البنوك ومصدري بطاقات الائتمان وبطافات الحسم الشهري إتاحة رقم هاتف مجاني على مدار الساعة يمكّن شرائح العملاء الاتصال به من داخل المملكة عن طريق الهاتف الثابت والمحمول، إضافة إلى رقم هاتف للاتصال من خارج المملكة، على أن يتضمن بحد أدنى على:
ج. الاعتراض على عمليات البطاقة الائتمانية.
القاعدة رقم (11)
يجب على البنوك توفير بطاقة صرف آلي جديدة للعميل مجاناً بناءً على طلب مقدم منه عبر قناة موثوقة أو بناء على طلب شخص مخول نظاماً، ويجب إعادة إصدارها قبل انتهاء فترة الصلاحية بثلاثين يوم كحد أدنى، إلا في حال رغب العميل خلاف ذلك، والتأكد من أن البطاقة تم إصدارها وتسليمها إلى العميل أو إلى الشخص المخول نظاماً مع وضع آلية للتحقق من العميل.
القاعدة رقم (12)
يجب على البنوك التحقق من تلبية كافة أجهزة الصرف الآلي ونقاط البيع والخدمات الإلكترونية الأخرى لاحتياجات العملاء وتؤدي إلى تسهيل إنجاز التعاملات وفق أحدث السُبل، وعلى أن يتم الالتزام بالتالي:
ج. تداول النقد السليم واستبدال التالف وسحبة من التداول في جميع الأوقات.
القاعدة رقم (13)
يجب على البنوك معالجة المطالبات الُمرتبطة بالعمليات الخاطئة وغير المكتملة بشكل صحيح التي تمت من خلال بطاقات مدى البنكية على جميع الخدمات (الصرف الآلي، نقاط البيع، عمليات التجارية الإلكترونية) خلال يومي عمل من تاريخ العملية.
القاعدة رقم (14)
يجب على مصدري بطاقات الائتمان وبطاقات الحسم الشهري الالتزام بالآتي:
ج. عدم احتساب الرسوم السنوية لبطاقات الائتمان أو الحسم الشهري إلا بعد تفعيلها من العميل، وللجهة مصدرة البطاقة إلغاء البطاقة في حال عدم تفعيلها خلال 90 يوماً من تاريخ الإصدار.
القسم الخامس : أحكام ختامية