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Bison App

Here you can find frequently asked questions for our partner Bison App. Before you start looking for an answer here, we suggest you consult Bison App’s own customer support first.

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About Solaris

Who is Solaris?

Solaris is Europe's leading Banking-as-a-Service platform. As a technology company with a full German banking license, Solaris enables other companies to offer their own financial services. Via APIs, partners integrate Solaris’ modular banking services directly into their own product offering. The platform offers digital bank accounts and payment cards, identification and lending services, digital asset custody as well as services provided by integrated third-party providers. Solaris is regulated by the European Central Bank and the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority, BaFin.

Is Solaris subject to banking supervision by BaFin?

Yes, Solaris has a full German banking license and is therefore subject to the supervision of the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht, BaFin).

Will I receive unsolicited e-mails from Solaris?

You will not receive any advertising from Solaris. All communication towards you will typically take place via our partner or directly within the App of our partner. Due to the contractual relationship between Solaris and the partner, you may however receive notifications from both parties in the course of using this product. 

I want to collaborate with Solaris, how can I do this?

Please answer a few short questions here so we can evaluate your needs. We will respond to your enquiry as soon as possible.

I have heard about the BGH ruling on AGB changes - can I successfully reclaim fees already paid?

In its ruling of 27 April 2021, the German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) ruled that clauses in general terms and conditions ("GTC") may be invalid if they simulate the customer's consent to changes in the GTC in the absence of an objection within a certain period of time. Solaris also used a corresponding clause in its GTC.

Since the publication of the ruling, Solaris will only make material changes to the contract, which include changes to our list of prices and services, with your express consent. For this purpose, Solaris will send you a notification of the planned change and its background via cooperation partners. You have the option of accepting or rejecting this change. In the absence of a response within two months, Solaris must assume that you are not actively using the account and will restrict your access to Online Banking until you have provided a response.

Another consequence of the ruling is that bank customers can reclaim the overcharges they have paid on the basis of unlawful increases. These can be, for example, account management fees or other fees for payment services. The refund obligation applies to all claims for refund that are not yet time-barred. Please note that Solaris has only introduced or increased isolated fees by means of an amendment to the GTC during the relevant period. If you are of the opinion that a fee adjustment should have been inadmissible, please contact Solaris’ Customer Support via e-mail to support@solarisgroup.com.

Account closings and blocks

Why was my account blocked immediately after I had completed my identity verification and opened my account?

Solaris is required by law to assess each new customer before they can make transactions with their account. For the majority of cases, this assessment takes just a fraction of second. In some instances, however, an additional review is required, which is performed by Solaris’ employees. Therefore, accounts of customers who couldn’t be assessed automatically need to be temporarily blocked by Solaris. This additional review can be necessary for different reasons, all of which are intended to ensure the secure and compliant use of your account. Due to compliance requirements, Solaris cannot always inform you about the reason for the account blocking until the assessment is complete.

Why was my account not opened after completing my identity verification?

As a licensed Bank regulated by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority, Solaris is required to follow national and international requirements for financial institutions as well as internally established compliance procedures. If an account could not be opened for you, it means that, at least at for the time being, Solaris is unable to provide banking services to you.

Why was my account suddenly blocked without warning?

For the majority of the time, you can use Solaris’ services without interruption. However, on occasion, it is possible that your account has to be temporarily blocked. This can be necessary for different reasons, all of which are intended to ensure the secure and compliant use of your account. In most cases, the reason for the temporary blocking of an account is when Solaris identifies that someone with criminal intent is attempting to highjack your account or Solaris is alerted by an extremely unusual activity on your account. In rarer cases, an account may also be seized as per order from authorities or stopped due to other technical reasons. If an account is blocked, you can expect Solaris to reach out with additional questions. Solaris cannot always inform you about the reason for the account blocking until the assessment is complete. 

My account has been blocked but I have not received any information. What do I do?

Solaris may need up to 2 business days to collect all the information needed for a manual evaluation of an individual account and find a resolution to unblock the account or ask additional questions. However, in most cases you will be informed by our partner on the same day the account was blocked.  If you do not receive any updates within two business days, please reach out to our partners customer service above. 

Why was the transaction I sent put on hold / Why has the transaction I’ve been sent not arrived yet?

Solaris uses automated systems that help to detect unauthorised or fraudulent transactions to keep the your funds safe. If an inbound or outbound transaction is put on hold, it is likely that it is currently being reviewed by Solaris. This typically takes no longer than one business day. If Solaris determines that the transaction is authentic, it will be released immediately; if not, you will be asked to answer some basic security questions that same business day. If the transaction does not meet Solaris’ internal security requirements or you fail to provide sufficient answers to Solaris’ questions, Solaris reserves the right to cancel the transaction or send it back to sender. In some rare cases there might be a technical issue/maintenance of Solaris’ banking system that may cause payment processing to be delayed.  Solaris cannot always inform you about the reason for the halted transaction until the assessment is complete.

Why was my account suddenly closed without warning?

Solaris reserves the right to terminate the business relationship with you under certain circumstances according to Section 19 (3) of our Terms & Conditions. Examples of these certain circumstances include in particular, but are not limited to, wrong information obtained by the customer, serious and continuous breaches of contractual obligations by the customer, severe changes in the customer’s creditworthiness and evidence that the Account has been highjacked and/or is being used for illegal purposes. Accounts may also be closed if, after opening the account, we made the internal decision that acceptance of a customer was not in line with our policies and procedures, but due to technical reasons the Account was opened regardless. Closure of the Account does not necessarily imply that there was any wrongdoing by you yourself. 

Why can’t I receive a detailed explanation for why my account was blocked/closed or transactions were put on hold?

As a licensed Bank regulated by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority, Solaris is subject to banking regulations which, in certain scenarios, impose legal restrictions on the disclosure of details about specific restrictive measures being taken on your account. Solaris also has internal compliance procedures that define account blockings, account closures or the halting of transactions. Due to compliance requirements, Solaris is not always able to provide a detailed explanation on these internal procedures to you, in an effort to prevent fraudsters with criminal intent from abusing this information and attempting to exploit it. Whenever the reason for Solaris’ restriction of your account is related to something within your control (e.g. you failed to answer questions or forgot to send requested documents), Solaris will share this information with you.

Why did I receive a notification that my account will be closed in 60 days?

Either the usage of your account was not in line with Solaris policies and procedures or you failed to sufficiently answer Solaris’ questions regarding your account activity. Within the timespan of 60 days your account can still be used to its full extent. Please withdraw all of your balance from your account before the closure date.

Data protection & privacy

Where is my personal data being stored?

Compliance with data protection regulations is of great importance to Solaris. Your data will be handled confidentially and will not be transmitted to third parties, apart from the third parties we inform the customer about in out Information on Data processing. For further information please check here and here.

How do I find out what Solaris knows about me and my personal data?

In accordance with GDPR, Solaris provides transparency about storage of personal data upon request. Please reach out to the customer support of our partner above.

What does Solaris do with my tax information?

As a bank we are required by law to collect your Tax ID and report it to the regulatory authorities.

How does Solaris protect my customer data?

As a processor of personal data, Solaris is subject to data protection policies as per the present regulations. Due to this, it operates with secured servers and encrypted Internet connections. 

Fraud cases

I was scammed / became a victim of a fraud. What can I do?

If you believe to have become a victim of fraud, you should immediately reach out to our partner or Solaris directly and initiate a payment recall. There is no guarantee that the funds will be recovered but if the fraudster is still holding the funds in the account, they may be requested to be returned. You should always file a criminal complaint at the police if you suspect to have been a victim of fraud.

I have been scammed into transferring money to a customer of Solaris and want to get my money back. What can I do?

First, please reach out to Solaris directly as soon as possible. Please provide all evidence (screenshots, emails, chat screenshots, invoices, etc.) that support your claim. Solaris takes each such request seriously, carefully investigates each case and takes all legally required actions. You should always file a criminal complaint at the police and initiate payment recall with your own bank.

Identification

Why do I need to identify and how does this process work?

For regulatory reasons, you must identify yourself to use this product. Currently, you can identify yourself through a video ident process, from home or mobile. A connection will be established between you and our video ident provider, IDNow, to check your ID card/passport.

How long does the identification process take?

The VideoIdent process is completely digital and is typically completed in fewer than 10 minutes.

Can I also identify personally in a branch of Solaris?

Solaris is a purely digital bank. Hence, we do not have any branches. Please use the identification method provided to you by our partner.

Why did the identification fail?

It is possible that the identification was interrupted due to instability in your internet connection. It can also be that the lighting conditions or your camera resolution were insufficient to detect and document all the security features of your ID document.

Is the VideoIdent process secure?

The VideoIdent process always meets the highest technical security standards and is approved by the regulatory authorities. All your data is subject to applicable privacy policies.

What is an identification / legitimation?

For new customers, the law requires Solaris to perform a unique identity verification (legitimacy). These are carried out by our service provider IDnow.

How does the identification (legitimation) process work?

In order to identify our customers, we use IDnow as a service provider for identification processes. You will need internet access, a computer with a webcam or a smartphone or tablet and a valid identification document. The identification takes place via a live video connection to an IDnow agent. Experience has shown that the customer needs a stable internet connection. It is therefore advisable to conduct the identification from a WiFi network to avoid the process being aborted.

Sign up and registration

Can Solaris exclude some passports or regions from registration?

General exclusion of passports or regions can only be made due to the non-fulfillment of security measures during the identification process. In addition, Solaris may reject a customer due to compliance policies.

Why is it important whether I am taxable in the USA?

Due to the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), we can only accept customers that are not taxable in the USA.

You need to speak to our customer support team directly?

Solaris Customer Support Team
Monday-Friday, 13:00 to 15:00

Phone: +49 30 837 97775

- or -

Submit your request here