Banks link customer accounts to e-zwich cards

Seven banks have completed the interoperability process that enables them to link their customers' traditional accounts to their e-zwich cards.

With this successful integration, it will now be possible for bank customers to transfer cash from their accounts onto their e-zwich cards and vice versa.

The seven banks are Cal Bank, Standard Chartered bank, Merchant bank, and Zenith Bank, the United Bank for Africa (UBA), International Commercial Bank and the Trust Bank.

The integration process, which was recently completed, has introduced flexibility in the use of the e-zwich cards, as customers can go to any Point of Sales (POS) device and transfer cash from their bank account onto their e-zwich cards and either use to shop or even transfer money to another cardholder.

The interoperability also known as e-zwich bank2card/Card2bank is expected to greatly enhance the use of e-zwich cards.

"All you need to do is to link your traditional bank account held at the same bank that issued you the card, and you can conveniently load money directly onto your card from your traditional bank account.

"Or push money from your card into your traditional bank account at any e-zwich point of sales terminal or e-zwich ATM where available in the country," the General Manager in charge of Project and Business Development at Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS) Archie Hesse said.

Mr Hesse said the remaining banks were working to complete the integration certification so they could also provide their customers with this service.

In another development, various banks have started paying good interest rates on monies kept on the e-zwich cards.

Mr Hesse explained that each e-zwich card has two wallets, one of which is the savings wallet which attracts interest.

Currently UT Bank pays the highest rate of 15 percent, followed by Cal Bank with 12.5 percent. Other banks paying equally handsome rates for the e-zwich cards include First Atlantic Merchant Bank 9.0 percent, Fidelity Bank 8.0 percent and Ecobank 6.5 percent.

The other rates are Guaranty Trust 5%, United Bank for Africa (UBA) 5.0 percent, Amalgamated Bank 3.0 percent, Stanbic bank 2.0 percent and Prudential Bank 2.0 percent.

These rates, according to Mr Hesse, are being used by the banks to mobilize deposits in addition to the increasing use of the biometric cards.

Mr Hess, therefore, urged people to take advantage of the good interest rates and get an e-zwich card.

He expressed the hope that the payment of attractive interest rates on the card in addition to the completion of the integration of the traditional bank accounts to the e-zwich card would significantly boost the use of the e-zwich card.

There are currently over 340,000 cardholders.

Source: GNA