The Multibanco System in Portugal

How to use Portugal's sophisticated network of ATMs where you can not only withdraw cash but also pay utility bills and buy mobile phone credit.

Portugal's Multibanco System is a sophisticated system of Automatic Teller Machines (ATM). SIBS (Sociedade Interbancária de Serviços SA), the company behind Multibanco, launched the network in September 1985 with the installation of 12 machines in Lisbon and Oporto. Now over 11,000 machines are available throughout Portugal, in banks, supermarkets, shopping malls, stations, museums and airports.

The SIBS website has information about the Multibanco services, useful information and news in English: Click here

The Multibanco system has more functionalities than ATMs in other countries, the services offered include:

Pay utility bills (electricity, gas and water)
Pay services and purchases
Buy tickets for concerts and shows
Buy cinema tickets
Make cash withdrawals
Deposit cheques (in some machines)
Order cheques (in some machines)
Deposit cash (in the new generation of machines due for launch in 2007/8)
Make inter-bank transfers
Make transfers from one account to another within the same bank
Get a balance statement
Get an instant statement of movements
Pay Social Security contributions
Pay Income Tax
Pay Value Added Tax
Recharge mobile phone credit
Make miscellaneous payments to the state

Paying Bills via the Multibanco System

Household bills (gas, telephone, electricity) can be paid for through the Multibanco ATMs. Each bill has a box with the payment details and references which need to be keyed in to specific fields on screen when at the ATM.

At the Multibanco ATM:

Select MB – Pagamento por Multibanco (MB – Payment by Multibanco)
Then key in the entidade, the company 5-digit Reference Number in the box on the bill
Then type the referência, the 9-digit bill and customer reference number
The montante, amount in Euros, key in the figures and press "Confirmar"

The MB machine will automatically issue a receipt which is proof of payment and contains the time, date, company reference details and amount paid. This should kept with the bill as proof of payment should a problem arise.

Security Features

There is a withdrawal limit of €400 per day and three attempts at the pin number before the card is retained by the machine.

Lost cards can be reported to Cartões Perdidos

Tel: 808 201 251 from Portugal
Tel: (+351) 217 813 080 from abroad

Glossary of Multibanco Terminology

Portuguese	English
Levantamento	Withdrawals
Consultas de Saldo	Balance enquiry
Movimentos	Transaction enquiry
Transferências de Segunda Conta a Primeira Conta	Transfers from second to first account
Transferências de Primeira Conta a Segunda Conta	Transfers from first account to second account
Transferência Interbancária	Inter-bank transfers
Pagamentos ao Sector Estado	Payments to the state sector
Pagamento ao Sector Publico	Payments to the public sector
Pagamentos a Segurança Social	Payments to social security
Pagamentos de Serviços e Compras	Paying for goods and services
recibo	receipt
Retirar O Seu Dinheiro	Please take your money
Em Actualização. Dirigir-se ao Multibanco mais Próximo	The machine is temporarily out of order, go to another Multibanco Machine