Airtel launches mobile banking service in Ghana

Airtel Ghana has rebranded Zap Mobile Money to Airtel Money and added a mobile banking feature, which is the first in the country.
Zap was just a mobile money platform that allowed customers to transfer money to loved ones, and purchase or top-up Airtel credit, but Airtel Money creates a virtual mobile wallet that offers a full range of mobile commerce services including mobile banking and other financial services.
The all-new Airtel Money platform also allows customers to pay utility bills, DSTV subscription fees, to shop and pay with Airtel Money in designated shops, transfer money across mobile networks, and to undertake banking transactions including paying in-cash, and withdrawing cash from the bank and from the automated teller machines (ATM).
Mobile Commerce Director at Airtel Ghana, Kola Sonola said at the re-launch “Airtel is the first to launch mobile banking service in Ghana, and that is what separates Airtel Money from the rest.”
He said Airtel is already in partnership with Ecobank, GT Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Unibank, United Bank of Africa, Zenith Bank, Energy Bank and Databank as banks where Airtel Money customers can transact banking business.
“Airtel customers who are also customers of the designated banks could link their bank accounts to their Airtel Money accounts and be able to transfer money from Airtel Money wallet to the bank account and vice-a-versa.”
“Customer can also send money from the mobile wallet to the ATM and receive a special pin code, with which they could cash the money from the ATM without swiping an ATM card.”
Mr. Sonola said Airtel money is "safe, secure, fast and convenient", adding that in the event one loses his or her phone, the money in one’s mobile wallet is safe and secure because it can only be accessed with a pin code only known to the original owner of the phone.
“If you lose your mobile wallet on Airtel Money, you can always come back to Airtel and we will do a SIM card swap and return your wallet with the money intact,” he said.
Each transaction on the Airtel Money platform cost the customer 20Gp deductable from the mobile wallet.
Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Ghana, Philip Sowah said apart from the partner banks, there are more than 500 Airtel Money dealers across the country to make it easy for people to transfer and receive money transferred to them anywhere they are in the country.
He said Airtel seeks to deliver relevant and innovative mobile solutions to help customers overcome the daily challenges of handing large sums and attracting attention, and also joining long queues to either transfer or cash small amounts of money.
“Our goal as a company is to make communications, banking, payments, retail and infotainment affordable and accessible to all in Africa,” he said.
Head of Corporate Communications, Donald Dwira told Adom News that Airtel Money is a tool designed to provide the millions of unbanked Ghanaians with banking services at their convenience.
He said Airtel was also working with schools to allow students to receive Airtel Money transfers at designated points controlled by school authorities.
Deputy Minister of Communications, Atukwei Armah, who launched the product, called on telecom operators to assist government to monitor the country’s cyberspace in order to prevent fraud.
He also urged the telecom operators to keep on with the SIM registration exercise to make it easier for more Ghanaians to have safe and secure access to innovative mobile-based services like mobile money and others.