RBL, RBC, First Citizens give out polymer bills

Republic Bank Ltd (RBL), Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and First Citizens have calibrated their automated teller machines (ATMs) to dispense the new $100 polymer bills.

There was a free flow of customers accessing the bills from RBC’s ATMs on Park Street, PoS yesterday and an even smoother operation at the ATMs of First Citizens and RBL in Port of Spain.

However, Scotiabank’s ATMs are yet to be calibrated to dispensethe polymer bills.

While there were no lines outside the banks on Park Street, inside, all of them were crowded, as they were also exchanging and delivering polymer bills over the counter.

Inside Scotia, all customers were seated, asked to take a chit, then attended to whentheir numbers were called, in the normal way. Some customers were there out of sheer curiosity, eager to see what the new polymer bill looks like.

At RBL, extra seating was put in place for the elderly and the sick. They too came in droves. A supervisor at the branch said the volume of people had certainly increased from Tuesday with all lines inside the bank tripling, but the staff were coping.

Some customers were a little peeved that they couldn’t make deposits at the ATMs in RBL.

First Citizens security officers were busy guiding people to various spaces from the moment they opened the door to the bank.

Changes in opening hours

Banks have extended their hours to facilitate customers exchanging their $100 bills for the new notes.

Scotiabank: Monday-Thursday 8am-3pm, Fridays 8am-5pm and mall branches 10am-5pm.

Christmas Eve 8am-1pm, Old Year's day 8am-3pm and mall branches 10am-3pm.

RBL: Monday-Thursday 8am-4pm, Fridays 8am-5pm.

Saturdays 9am-1pm to December 31 at Ellerslie Plaza, West Mall, Long Circular, Glencoe, Diego Martin, South Park, Gulf City, Princes Town, Point Fortin, Cencre City, Couva, Arima, Valpark, Grand Bazaar, Trincity (Trinidad) and the Auckenskeoch branch, Tobago.

RBC: Monday-Thursday8 am-4pm, Friday 8am - 5pm

Mall branches: Monday-Thursday 10 am-5pm, Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 9am-3pm.

First Citizens: Monday-Thursday 8am-4pm, Friday 8am-5pm

Mall branches: 10am-5pm

Saturdays 9am-1pm (Maraval Road, One Woodbrook Place, Arima, Sangre Grande, San Juan, Chaguanas, Marabella, Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Princes Town.

Scarborough and Roxborough (14 and 28), Scarborough and Canaan (21)

Christmas Eve: non-mall branches 8am-1pm, mall branches 10am-1pm

Old Year's Day: non-mall branches 8am-4pm, mall branches 10am-4pm

To deposit old $100 notes, customers require a source of funds declaration. That can be done over the counters.

Deposits cannot be made at ATMs till after December 31, when cotton bills will cease to be legal tender.