Panama’s banking regulator adopted Agreement 7-2026 on August 25, with the changes due to take effect on January 4, 2027. Banks will no longer be permitted to charge for in-person cash withdrawals or ordinary cash deposits, changing account beneficiaries, SWIFT confirmations, balance letters, bank references or one annual payment history. Deposits exceeding $10,000 per month and coin deposits above $5,000 are excluded from the cash-deposit protection.
For customers current on installment loans, any payment above the scheduled installment must be applied directly to outstanding principal rather than interest or future installments. The regulation also removes certain early-payment and loan-transfer fees, including for consumer and agricultural loans and preferential-interest mortgages.
Source: Official Superintendency of Banks / Prensa
