Opening a Bank Account in RCBC With Only One ID

Opening a bank account is admittedly an ordeal here in the Philippines especially if you’re like me who only has one valid ID. If you’re wondering why, it’s only because I am too lazy to process all the other IDs to further validate that my already valid government ID is valid. Those who get it, get it.

When we were looking for a bank to start this new account, we made enquiries to a few banks who ”advertise” on their websites that they only need one valid ID only to end up with the response that we need more documents other than the ID. We even went in line to a bank only to get rejected in the end. It was incredibly frustrating.

We were about to throw in the towel when we decided to give RCBC a shot. They do post on their website that they only require one valid ID and they have a list of IDs that they accept. I couldn’t contact their landline at that time so we had to take a risk and visit the branch.

The branch we went to was the RCBC in Banawa, across Paseo Arcenas since it has the higher rating on Google maps for the branches near our area. 

Opening a bank account with only one ID

Unlike other banks, RCBC does stay true to the information they have on their website. Only one valid ID per individual is needed to open an account. We presented our passports as our valid IDs, filled out some forms and gave our initial deposit. You can check the options for their savings account here. We had to wait for around 30 minutes to finish all the processing. 

You can also check for the valid IDs accepted by the bank here.

Banking experience 

Their requirement is true to what they have on their website. Their service is also very commendable. Even the security personnel who opened the doors for us were very friendly. We were assisted by a nice lady named Gladine and she was very helpful in all aspects of opening the account. There was no line for the new account opening desk but I don’t know if this is the same for all days. We went there on a Friday afternoon.

Mobile app

RCBC has a very good mobile application. You can make check deposits online and even forward your OTP to Viber if you are travelling abroad. There is also a cashless withdrawal option using the app if you have not gotten your debit card yet. This only works for RCBC machines.

You can ask for assistance in setting up the mobile banking account at the branch or opt to do it yourself at home. We had a problem initially with creating an mobile banking log-in because our mobile number was not recognised. Turned out, there was a delay in the uploading of our information in their system. If you chose to set it up at home and experience the same thing, I suggest trying again after 24 hours or contacting the branch.

Debit card

There are two options for the debit card, the generic one without your name which takes only around three days to process and the other which is a personalised card with your name which takes two to three weeks. They suggest to go for the personalised one if you’re not in a hurry.

If you’re looking for a bank to start a new account or your very first banking account, I highly recommend RCBC especially the branch in Paseo Arcenas. It has been the smoothest banking experience so far.

So far, we don't have any negative experience with the bank but we've only been with them for a few weeks. We will surely update if anything changes but RCBC has been in the banking industry for so long now that I am not worried so much. Hope this helps!

Read blog disclaimer here