Banking in Romania as a foreigner

Tough process. Bring cash! Why do you need a card? To avoid carrying cash, to pay the rent, insure there are no purchasing issues.

It will take at least few trips to each bank. All before 1700 while most people work. Saturdays and Sundays are closed. 

Apparently they have a process but it depends on their employees to implement it; and many don't know that procedure. Otherwise, you receive the unpleasant answer: "we don't do that".

For instance, BCR has huge flags about managing accounts, and when walking in a bank makes one wonder if they should have brought a book to read, a sweater to knit, or a computer to work on while waiting. My patience runs low when incoming customers are not even acknowledged, the ticket system has no logic, and the information of each client is performed in the presence of others. But unfortunately, clients are hooked into having an account, and have no choice but to stick with it. Going through the same process makes things extremely painful for those who value time. 

Transylvania Bank, another attempt. No good news for foreigners.

Raiffeisen Bank; it depends to what bank you attempt to open an account. Usually the answer is negative but this one was a winner except for the multiple visits to the location that has no parking spaces; it's normal to walk for few blocks away to park unless arriving by taxi. A friend of mine opened an account in four hours while sitting there signing papers. I signed papers in Romanian, then, in English, all in various visits on annual leave or lunch breaks. The young lady was nice, and definitely more knowledgeable than all others I met along the way.

First cards were sent to a hybrid address between the Romanian and the American one, a sure sign of no-show. I had to cancel it but it eventually arrived to the bank where the account was opened. 

Another aspect that I observed at the ATM has to do with elders who can't manage the new technology. Nobody is teaching them about their rights, options, and solutions to their problems. In America there are laws intended to protect elders, and a system that punishes those who attempt fraud, cheating, intimidation, slander, libel, or any other demeaning activities towards the golden generation. Respect and pride of both the elders, as well as companies who aim to do business with them, could be earned in many ways; this is the easiest gift that a brand could bring to their clients of any age. 

Romanians like cash, Visa and Master Card (MC), so, don't rely on American Express or other cards like Discover. 

The other thing is that the merchants keep asking for the personal identification number (PIN) of the card; if it's an account opened in Romania, the PIN is issued similar to that of a debit card disregarding the fact that there is a MC or a Visa logo on it. They don't understand that American credit cards don't have a PIN.

Bottom line: As of today one of two cards arrived. Unknowingly to me, both cancelled due to the address error. Embarrassing moment at the gas station until the contingent American credit card was out of the wallet. Tip well! They remember good tippers. Two attempts for delivery before it happened for me to be home - day in which there was no delivery. Another trip to the mail carrier which lists on the SMS a different schedule than that in reality. At least a card arrived. And it works.