If you're tempted by a Cuenta Cero or other special online/cash machine operated accounts or you can't be bothered to go into the bank every couple of months to beg them to get rid of the commission which you were charged then you might as well go for a proper online bank instead, e.g...

ING Direct
Uno-e (belongs to BBVA)
Openbank (belongs to Santander)
Selfbank (belongs to La Caixa)
e-Bankinter (belongs to Bankinter)
iBanesto (belongs to Banesto)

... and at least that way you won't be limited to things like one free transfer a month.

E.g. with ING or Uno-e (don't know enough about the rest to say) you can send up to 50,000 euros back to the UK without paying any commission apart from the interbank rate and what the bank at the other end may charge you.

A British friend with a Spanish wife on this information went in to their branch of La Caixa and were told only Spanish pensioners could have this facility not foreigners!

Foreigners as in non-residents, presumably - otherwise that would be illegal, surely? EU citizens have the same rights as Spanish.

Let me put it another way only open to Spanish pensions not UK pensions.

The cuenta cero with Unicaja is available for all pensioners as long as you meet the criteria (which is a pretty normal one nothing extreme)

back in May there was a full page advert in euroweeklynews advertising

this was with La Caixa, providing you opened an account with Currencies Direct and all money movements (in both directions) were through them

I did speak to them but was told I wasnt eligible as I already had an account with La Caixa

Perhaps this is of interest, although I don't know if it is still running

that is NOT what my local branch is telling me
although I am fully legally living in Spain, not some part-timer
and take part in village festivities

I will find out in a couple of weeks time when I go in to change my standard account
to a pensionista account, at their request

Please report back.

We have Currencies Direct to our La Caixa account and don´t pay commission on that transaction but do get service charges.

Went to the Bank.. La Caixa.. today and asked why they took 4.75€ out of my account on the first of each month and was told this is service charges.. so thats me paying them around €60 a year to keep my money..

British banks are looking seriously at going back to charges

But they seem to have lost the battle to stop cheque books

oh yes I will, even if it is embarrassing for me

thing is, as I have said, I already have a standard account, so there must be something in this...............

didn't you ask them if there was any way of avoiding these charges - such as regular deposits, perhaps of your pension, as I suggested?

Do you have to pay for your debit cards on top of that?

I dont want to put any pension into a bank here..if i kick the bucket my wife will go back to UK.. i only want to pay my phone + internet bill by derect debit.. as thats the way the phone company wants it..