Business News of Tuesday, 3 February 2009

Source: GNA

Prudential Bank Launches SMS Banking and Website

Accra, Feb. 3, GNA - Prudential Bank on Tuesday launched its SMS Banking and Website in a bid to increase delivery channels and to provide easy access of customers to banking information. The new services being introduced would complement the traditional banking services that the bank had, over the years offered to its numerous customers.

Dubbed; textWise, the SMS service will give customers convenient access to their account information and other banking needs. Customers would be able through the service make balance enquiries in real time, account transfers, get mini bank statement and also be able to block their ATM cards when lost. Mr Frank Afari Ankamah, Head of e-Banking, said the textWise service was employing advanced push and pull messaging technology to enable the processing of messages, bank transactions and notifications accurately and without delay.

He explained that the 'push' services allowed customers to be informed automatically on credits to and payments from their accounts while the pull services allow customers to make balance enquiries and conduct different transactions. Mr. Ankamah said with the introduction of the service, customers did not need to be physically present at the banking halls to get basic banking information.

Mr. Joseph Okine-Afrane, Deputy Managing Director Finance and Credit Administration said the launch of the website and SMS banking was part of the banks quest to make banking convenient, expedient and timely. He said Prudential Bank was committed to improving customer service and it was in this direction that the bank would soon introduce Visa Master Card and Internet Banking. Launching the products, Mrs. Mary Brown, Deputy Managing Director, Banking Operations, urged customers to take full advantage of the services and through the website, interact and learn more about the bank.