/ 23 March 2011

FNB launches ATM cash withdrawal by cellphone

FNB’s latest offering, Cash Withdrawal, allows FNB cellphone banking customers to withdraw cash directly from their transactional accounts at an FNB ATM without using bank cards. And while that sounds like a neat magic trick, it’s actually FNB’s way of making cash available to customers even if they don’t have their bank cards with them.

Cellphone banking innovations are proliferating and this one makes it possible to withdraw cash using the familiar platform. You need to log-in on your cellphone, select the banking option, select “withdraw cash” and then choose the account from which to withdraw (cheque, savings and so on). Once you’ve completed the transaction, you’ll receive an SMS with a temporary ATM PIN to use at the ATM. The PIN expires within 30 minutes and can be used only once, for obvious security reasons.

If you’ve ever had your card swallowed at an ATM, you’ll appreciate the advantage of not having to use it at all. If you forget your bank card at home, you don’t need to go without cash — and the same holds true if you actually lose your bank card.

Until it’s replaced, you can withdraw cash as and when you need it, which ups the convenience factor. But that doesn’t mean you should be cavalier about your bank card — keep it safe and ensure nobody else can get their hands on it (or on your PIN).

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