After 120 years of existence, the Mouvement Desjardins cash book will cease to exist next fall. The approximately 300,000 members who still use it will be accompanied to online services or at the ATM, assures the spokesperson for Desjardins.
The deadline has been set for November 19. From that moment, people who were still using the Desjardins Group bankbook will no longer be able to do so.
The decision was made after the supplier of the booklets informed Desjardins Group that it would cease production. “We had two choices. It was either necessary to find a new supplier, or to cease [the use] of the booklets, explains at the end of the line Jean-Benoît Turcotti, spokesperson for the Desjardins movement. Faced with the decreasing number of people who used them, it was decided to end. »
Already, since 2021, it was no longer possible to obtain a bankbook when opening a new account with Desjardins.
About 6% of Desjardins Group customers still use passbooks, which represents about 300,000 members, according to Turcotti. These people are on average over 70 years old.
“It is a lack of sensitivity towards our senior citizens. It is a clientele that has been there for a very long time, which is very loyal, ”denounces Pierre Lynch, president of the Quebec Association for the Defense of the Rights of Retired and Pre-Retired Persons (AQDR).
In his view, seniors who still use their bankbooks are vulnerable. “They put all their money in the Caisses Populaires. For them, the question of the booklet is like security, to know that their money is there. »
Desjardins spokesperson Turcotti says the Movement is aware that this decision will lead to “habit changes”.
Letters will be sent to affected customers in the coming weeks, he said. For members who need more support, help at the Caisses populaires will be offered.
“Our employees at the Caisse will be able to explain to customers [their options], says Mr. Turcotti. They will be able to have their support at ATMs. »
Receipts printed at ATMs will continue to be able to provide account balances and latest transactions, for example, says Turcotti.
Customers will also be able to receive their paper transaction statements by mail each month. In addition, a third of passbook users already use Desjardins’ Acces D online services, he reports.
According to Mr. Lynch, Desjardins must make sure to properly support the members affected by this decision. “They need to find a way to reassure them, and let them know the particular reason why [they’re ending the booklets]. »
