Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions we found were asked quite regularly.
You may contact us by completing our Customer Contact Form , Contacting a Customer Service Representative, or using the contact information below.
Name: Global Bank of Commerce, Ltd.
Street Address: Global Commerce Centre, P.O.Box W1803
City: Old Parham Road, St. John's
Country: Antigua West Indies
Telephone No: (268) 480-2240
Fax No: (268) 462-1831
E-Mail: customer.service@gbc.ag
To obtain an online banking relationship you must first provide the relevant customer information to establish a bank account. Online banking is only available to our account holders and if you did not complete the application at the time of opening the account, our customer service will assist you to obtain online access. The form should only take about 5 minutes of your time, and access can be opened in one business day. To register for access to your accounts online all you need to do is go to the Application Centre and fill out the Internet Banking form.
Our speed to open your account is dependent on the satisfactory documentation provided with your application. We provide a checklist for the account opening documentation. With complete documentation and a face to face meeting the account can be immediately processed. Non face to face submissions with complete documentation, notarized as required, will be usually processed in three working days. We may request further supporting information from you regarding the verification of your identity and can require telephone or in-person contact with you prior to opening an account. In such cases we will contact shortly after receiving your account registration documents.
Deposits
Your account can receive deposits by wire transfers via our correspondent banks located in Europe and the USA. Funds can be transferred in Euros, Sterling, USD and CAD. Funds wired to your account may take two days to arrive at out correspondent bank and then be credited to your account. These funds are immediately available after receipt into your account. Please contact the Bank to get our wiring details.
Alternatively, you may deposit Bank drafts, Cashier's cheques or Personal cheques into your account. Please bear in mind that there is not immediate credit for cheques as we will have to send them for clearance to the issuing banks. At this time, please allow a hold of twenty-one (21) business days for all personal cheques whilst the drafts/money orders will clear within ten (10) business days. During this period the amount will be recorded but blocked on your account.
In accordance with our Cash Deposit and Withdrawal Policy, cash deposits are not permitted into your account. Deposits may only be made via financial instruments that verify the remitter and source of funds.
Withdrawals
You may transfer your funds to other banks via our wire transfer service. You may access your funds by sending us your written authorization, addressed to the Bank, requesting either a wire transfer in USD, EURO, GBP or CAD, or a bank draft in USD, EURO or GBP currencies. This instruction should bear details of the beneficiary's bank account, the name and address of the beneficiary, and be signed by the authorized signature (s).
Your instructions may be faxed to facsimile number: - 1-268-462-1831, scanned and emailed to customer.service@gbc.ag, sent securely via your online banking email option, or mailed to the Bank's address at Global Commerce Centre, Old Parham Road, P.O. Box W1803, St. John's, Antigua. Clients may also withdraw funds via the Bank's debit and credit cards.
You cannot apply for a bank account online, but you can obtain all the banking documents that need to be completed and submitted to us. To apply for a new account, you must complete the appropriate forms on the Application Forms Page marked "Apply for An Account", print and sign, include supporting documents as stated in the checklist, and forward these documents to our Bank Offices in Antigua. You will be automatically signed up for online Banking services if you request it and once your account has been approved. If you wish to expedite the account opening you may also scan all signed documents and submit by email to customer.service@gbc.ag and indicate the original signed documents are following by courier.
Antigua is highly regulated and international banks, such as ours, are supervised by the Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC) and are required to be compliant with international banking standards. GBC is the "grandfather" of international banking in Antigua and is committed to maintaining high standards of risk management as it relates to banking. The bank is audited by PKF, a highly ranked auditing firm represented in around 120 countries (www.pkf.com). To ensure its compliance with all local regulations governing banking and the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing, the Bank was most supportive of its Government's decision to have Antigua become the first financial center to prohibit deposits in cash or with bearer negotiable instruments. This has been applied since early 1999 and has eliminated the possibility of anonymous cash deposits and, therefore, closed the door on any money laundering or terrorist financing originating at this institution and then subsequently laundered through its correspondent banking relationships. All funds deposited with the Bank originate from instruments or transfers issued by other banks, thus providing a transparent record of the transaction. As further support to its risk management program, Global Bank of Commerce, Ltd. has become the first bank in the Eastern Caribbean to invest in modern monitoring software to track transactional activity. The product is produced by Experian, and it effectively manages suspicious account activity as required by the regulatory authorities in the area of BSA, Anti-Money Laundering, Combating Terrorist Financing, and KYC Suspicious Activity. The product is also compliant with the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), and provides updates on OFAC Files including OFAC Specially Designated Nationals, Specially Designated Terrorists, Specially Designated Narcotics and Commerce Department Denial Orders. At GBC, we are committed to providing you with a safe and secure banking relationship.
This is a very simple process. Once we receive your signed instructions, we will organize for your money to be exchanged into the currency of your choice. We can execute transfers in US Dollars, Euro, Sterling, and other major currencies via our correspondent banking relations. Once the exchange has been completed, we will wire transfer your money to the beneficiary and destination bank of your choice.
For safety requirement, our site is secured with 128 Bit encryption. We recommend the following minimum system requirements:
PC users
- Windows® 2000 or higher
- A modem with a minimum speed of 28.8kbps or
- A browser, we recommend Microsoft® Internet Explorer version 6 or higher if you intend to Sign into Online Services
Apple Macintosh® users
- A PowerPC® processor, or higher
- A browser, we only recommend Microsoft® Internet Explorer version 6.
- A modem with a minimum speed of 28.8kbps or faster