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The 8572 branch of the Bank of Credit and Commerce (Bandec) in Guantánamo has begun operating a digital waiting area for cash withdrawals, making it the first institution of its kind in Cuba to implement such a mechanism in a service affected by a liquidity crisis.
The system operates through the Ticket application, developed by the state-owned company Xetid, which allows users to book appointments in advance and receive notifications via the application and text message
Additionally, up to three people can be included per account, an option designed for those who do not have direct access to a mobile phone, reported the provincial newspaper Venceremos.
Miguel Ernesto Gutiérrez Alejo, a specialist in Communication and Marketing at the Provincial Directorate of Bandec, explained that the measure arose in response to a critical situation characterized by endless lines, people sleeping in front of the bank, health issues, and the illegal resale of appointments that reached prices of up to 400 pesos.
In its first week of operation, which began on December 3, the bank served approximately 150 customers through digital channels, averaging 30 people per day, while 468 are currently on the virtual waiting list.
Assistance for those accessing through this modality begins at 11:00 in the morning.
The entity simultaneously maintains an in-person queue and allocates cash availability between both options each day, arguing that it ensures "inclusion" for clients who still do not have mobile devices or stable access to technology.
Bandec noted that the project is currently in a second phase of testing, limited to one branch and a single service, with plans to expand it to the other offices in the municipality and, subsequently, to the entire province, as well as to incorporate other procedures that currently cause congestion.
Although presented as an initiative to improve organization and customer comfort, the implementation of virtual queues for cash withdrawal reveals a fundamental contradiction by introducing technology to manage a resource that the banking system cannot guarantee.
The measure does not solve the shortage of cash in circulation, but rather organizes its distribution in a context where cash remains insufficient to meet demand.
The initiative also highlights the tension between the banking policy promoted by the State and the daily reality of customers.
While the mandatory use of electronic accounts and payments is encouraged, access to cash—still essential for large sectors of the population—is restricted by appointment schedules, waiting lists, and limited quotas.
Although presented as an inclusive mechanism, the digital queue introduces new forms of inequality.
Preferred access for those with smartphones and connectivity coexists with the enduring presence of in-person queues for those excluded from the digital environment, solidifying a two-speed service approach.
Beyond the organization of the service, the virtual queue serves a function of social containment, as it aims to reduce visible crowds and conflicts in front of the branches, but displaces discontent without eliminating its cause.
In that sense, technology acts as a buffer against discontent, not as a structural solution.
Overall, the measure helps to normalize an irregular situation, which is that of turning the withdrawal of cash into an exceptional, regulated, and limited process.
The digitalization of waiting ultimately becomes a symptom of a financial system that manages scarcity rather than guaranteeing a basic service.
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