Nets Betalingsservice is the Danish banks’ and savings banks’ payment service provider. Betalingsservice is an electronic payment solution (direct debit service) provided by Nets. Nets is owned jointly by the banks and savings banks and the Danish National Bank. By signing up bills from creditors, who use Betalingsservice, the payments will be debited automatically from your selected account on the date each payment is due.

More information about Betalingsservice is available in English on Nets’ website, www.nets.eu.

It is advisable to make an appointment with the bank of your choice when you want to open a bank account. This will allow the bank to ensure that your advisor speaks English and conversant with international banking legislation. At the meeting you can discuss with your advisor your needs, wishes and expectations. Remember to take with you your CPR number, passport and employment contract or documentation for educational programme if you are a student.

You can designate your basic bank account as your Easy Account for the receipt of public-sector payments such as child benefits.

When opening a bank account tell the bank advisor that you would like to receive information in English, otherwise you will automatically receive information in Danish.

If you sign up e.g. your mobile phone bills with Betalingsservice, the phone company will send all relevant invoice information – the amount you are to pay and the due date, etc. – to Nets.

Betalingsservice will list the invoice information in a payment pre-notification, in which all your Betalingsservice payments are listed. The Betalingsservice pre-notification will be sent to you - either on paper or electronically via your online banking system. As long as you do not refuse any of the payments, the payments will be transferred automatically from your account to your phone company’s account on the due date.

If you want to deposit cash exceeding €1,000 you must be able to prove where the money came from. International anti-laundering regulations require banks to ensure that cash deposited is legitimate. We advise that in order to avoid complications to take a statement along with you from your home bank.

Most ATMs (automated teller machines) in accept Eurocard, Visa, Cirrus and MasterCard. When you use a foreign credit card the text on the screen of the ATMs is often in English and other languages. When using a Danish credit card, however, the text is usually in Danish. You will find ATMs at most banks. Note that a charge is usually made for transactions with foreign credit cards as well as Danish credit cards.

In supermarkets and shops you will frequently hear people use the phrase "på beløbet”. What they mean is that they want the precise amount of the transaction charged to, or withdrawn from, their account.

One alternative to this is to ask for cash in connection with a purchase. This may involve one or two hundred kroner over the amount of the purchase, or having the amount rounded up to the next full hundred, sometimes more. Doing this avoids, for instance, having to withdraw cash from an ATM, for which a charge is made.

To sign up with Betalingsservice you must have a Danish bank account. You may choose to have your different payments debited from different accounts if you have more than one Danish bank account.

There are different ways of signing up payments with Betalingsservice:

• You can sign up payments by contacting your bank. The bank will request a Nets number, a debtor group number and your membership-, customer- or policy number. You can usually find the information needed on a payment slip or an invoice from the relevant company.

• Some companies offer to sign your payments to Betalingsservice when you become a customer.

• In your online banking system, you can sign up bills to Betalingsservice. If you have any questions, contact your bank.

• On some companies’ website you can sign up your payments to the company with Betalingsservice.

There are many banks in Denmark, large as well as small. Not all banks offer online banking in English, so we would advise you to enquire whether the bank of your choice offers such  service, as it will make daily life much easier.

Remember to ask your advisor about the various fees for the services offered by the bank.

To find the bank with the lowest fees, you can use www.pengepriser.dk. The site is in Danish only. On the front page you can click on the family situation applicable to you - single, have a family or are a senior citizen (single or couple). Based upon your family situation and whether you rent (lejer) or own (ejer) your home, and your annual income before tax, the website will compare banks and suggest the cheapest bank that matches your selection.

Stores and other service providers have the right to impose a surcharge for transactions involving foreign credit cards. This surcharge varies between 2% and 5% and is determined by the individual store or chain. This decision is often based on how much of the store’s turnover is derived from international credit cards. Before you pay with a foreign credit card ask the service assistant whether the store charges for the transaction.

Banks are open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10.00 to 16.00 and on Thursdays 10.00 to 17.30 or 18.00. Many public sector offices also stay open longer on Thursdays. Weekends: closed.

Online banking is generally available between 06.00 and 02.00.

The currency in Denmark is Danish Kroner (DKK). Most prices in Denmark are given in DKK, and it is also the only currency accepted by most shops. Some stores, especially those in tourist areas, do accept Euro. You should, however, be aware of that the exchange rate can be poor and that you will often get Danish Kroner in return.

You can find a list of current exchange rates on the website of the Danish National Bank, Danmarks Nationalbank .

Credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted in Denmark. American Express and Diners Club are also accepted, but not as often. Make sure to check whether an extra fee will be charged, Supermarkets in particular charge a fee when you pay with a credit card issued by a foreign bank.

You can unsubscribe your different Betalingsservice payments by contacting your bank. When you unsubscribe a payment, no future payments to the company will be executed via Betalingsservice. If you want to stop payments that have already been notified, you must unsubscribe the payment no later than two banking days prior to the due date.

If you need further information regarding Betalingsservice, contact your bank.

You will find cash machines inside or outside most banks, which allow you to withdraw cash on Visa and MasterCard credit cards. You will get a good rate when withdrawing money directly from a Danish ATM, but bear in mind that your home bank may charge you a fee for international transactions or for using another bank’s ATM – check before you leave as this will help you avoid unpleasant surprises.

Most Danish bills have pre-printed payment slips attached. You can pay your bill at your bank, with online banking or at a post office. Note that post offices and the banks charge a service fee of no less than DKK 20 per over-the-counter payment.

A two-digit code on a payment slip indicates the type of payment involved. The two digits are followed by a two groups of numbers separated by a ‘+’ sign. These are the giro account number or payment ID and/or a supplier code.

If you will be paying more bills from the same supplier in future, you may want to opt for direct debit via Nets (a Nordic provider of payments, card and information services). Bills will be paid automatically once they have been registered by the system. You will have to make manual payments until registration has fallen into place. Read more about Nets under the heading Betalingsservice from Nets.