First Bank accounts for 45% of industry ATM bill payment

A distinct leader  by total assets and gross earnings  in the Nigerian banking industry, First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, a subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc, is validating its leadership position yet again as it presently accounts for 45 percent of bills payment services on ATM in the nation’s banking industry as at December 2015.

As at December 2015, about 275,000 bill payments were made through the bank’s Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) while the value of airtime purchase on all its ATMs was about N3 billion.

The bills payment option is one of the features of First Bank’s ATMs, which also have other unique functional features which include cash transfer, air-time top-up, cash deposit among others.

The bills payment option is the non-cash transaction feature on the ATM that makes it easier for customers to pay for bills such as Cable TV subscription, post-paid phone bills, and pre- booked airline tickets.

These transactions can be executed through the Quickteller option on any of the bank’s ATMs.

The Transfer feature enables customers to transfer money from their accounts to both intra (within First Bank) and interbank (other banks) accounts, thereby reducing the queues in the banking hall, save time as well as provide a more convenient option for customers’ money transfer needs.

To reach out to more customers and in line with its strategy to drive ease of service in banking, First Bank is presently leading in the industry as the bank with the highest number of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) with about 2,700 ATMs deployed across the country, making it the nation’s financial institution with the widest retail footprint.

The bank is also currently responsible for over 40 percent of interbank transactions and 27 percent of airtime vending. As active mobile network users in Nigeria are over 151 million and the need to recharge is on the increase, the bank’s ATMs also provide the platform for easy top-up.

To further enhance convenience, First Bank’s ATMs also operate the Cash Deposit function which allows customers to deposit funds without customarily having to enter a banking hall for this transaction.

This is a direct testament to its value proposition of putting customers first.

Folake Ani-Mumuney, the bank’s spokesperson, said this distinct development was achieved as a result of the bank’s desire to reach out to more people in the country and as part of living true to putting customers at the heart of our business.

“First Bank is positioned to meet the needs of its customers and to reach out to the under banked and unbanked. Our mission is to make banking as convenient for our customers as is obtainable globally”, she said.

She said that to aid the use of its ATMs nationwide and for enhanced protection of customers’ funds, the Bank has, in particular, designed innovative and tailored-made financial services products to ease banking transactions. A major product is the First Bank Verve Debit card, a Naira denominated domestic payment card accepted for payment throughout Nigeria on all electronic channels, including the ATMs.

One of the outstanding and unique features of our debit card products is that it is issued in 15 minutes at First Bank branches. This distinctive feature stands the product out as it saves time and is very easy to obtain. Also, the card, which is accepted nationwide, aside withdrawing of cash, can be used to access value added services including bills payment, airtime recharge, flight and hotel booking among others.

First Bank has solidified itself as a brand of fortitude, strength and innovation in the Nigerian financial institution since 1894, sustaining its leadership of the market across all performance indices and channels. At the end of December 2015, First Bank had deployed a total of 2,749 active ATMs. The Bank’s ATMs dispensed over N2.1 trillion between January and December 2015.