First Bank takes it to WhatsApp with Clickatell
First Bank of Nigeria is launching chat banking on WhatsApp through its partnership with Clickatell, hoping to promote financial inclusion in the country.
This capability enables First Bank’s customers to manage their banking needs within their WhatsApp chat, by adding First Bank’s published WhatsApp phone number as a contact.
This service uses Clickatell Transact platform, which allows banks to deliver across channels. This launch marks the third large-scale deployment by Clickatell in the African market in the past month. The other two are with United Bank for Africa (UBA) and GTBank, to enable their customers to purchase Kwese Iflix (live streaming and on-demand sports and entertainment) subscriptions via USSD.
WhatsApp’s layers of encryption and authentication ensure a safe, and hassle-free transactional experience, the bank says.
Customers can realise balance checks, transfers, payments, as well as access digital products and services that can be purchased instantly.
“Customers’ expectations are constantly changing and it’s our duty as a customer-focused bank to ensure that our customers are provided with the means to initiate or carry out banking services through any channel they desire,” says Chuma Ezirim, group head, e-business, First Bank of Nigeria.
