January 30, 2014 Muscat

For the first time in Oman, BankDhofar is offering its customers cash withdrawals without the use of a card at all ATM machines.

This service is part of BankDhofar's strategy to develop and implement banking solutions that allow customers to send money to their family and friends and for the other party to make a withdrawal with a secure code that is sent from BankDhofar to their mobile phones, without the need for a debit card. "At BankDhofar, we are all about taking a product or service and exploring how to derive maximum potential from it to benefit the customer.

Our new cardless cash withdrawals represent the quality of service we guarantee. We are not just providing a service; we are creating a lifestyle." And the award of the accolade naming us the 'Best Retail Bank - 2013' gave us the added impetus to upgrade and develop our service offering to better suit our customers" commented Faisal al Wahaibi, DGM of retail banking at BankDhofar. Customers who have downloaded BankDhofar's mobile banking app can now withdraw cash from BankDhofar ATMs without having to use a card.

Wahaibi called it a 'revolutionary process' that offers a certain degree of refinement, sophistication and ease of access. Once the mobile banking app is downloaded, customers should login and choose the 'Cardless Cash ' option, then choose 'Self ' ; select the account to be debited; create a four-digit PIN; select the amount and submit the transaction. Following this, the customer receives a confirmation where the transaction password is entered.

After this final step the customer will receive an SMS with a six-digit reference code. This simple procedure enables the customer to then go to an ATM, press Enter for Cardless Cash transaction enter the sixdigit code sent by the bank, enter the four-digit code that was created earlier; and the cash is dispensed. BankDhofar is also the first bank in Oman to offer mobile banking services for Research in Motion's (RIM) Blackberry 10 edition. The service is now available for download on the Blackberry Q10, Z10 ,Q5 and any Blackberry supported by RIM 10.

With the launch of this application comes new and improved features aimed at providing better services as BankDhofar expands its mobile banking customer base. Marwan Mohammed al Zadjali, head of eBanking at BankDhofar commented, "We promised our customers new services in mobile banking and we are delivering on that promise."

Marwan was referring to BankDhofar's revolutionary foray into the mobile banking sector when it launched its innovative app for Androids and iPhones last year. Highlighting the fact that mobile penetration in Oman exceeded 100 per cent, especially given the market's youthful demographic, he expected that "mobile banking will be the preferred channel for customers in Oman".

He added, "Our aim is to provide products and services that fit in seamlessly with the daily lives of our customers. But these services need to match and exceed their expectations; they need to adapt to the increasingly changing technological trends that have become part of modern- day living." Describing the new feature as an affirmation of the bank's commitment to guaranteeing a rewarding banking experience Marwan has added, "Every innovation and product enhancement is to establish better customerbank relationship.

This is what we seek to achieve on a macro level. Our rapid advancements in mobile banking is also transforming and touching lives by providing customers with quality services that are available to them anywhere, anytime. This reinforces our commitment to being the best bank for you."

A new feature called the 'beneficiary image upload' enables customers to upload beneficiaries' photos from their device. Following its award of the `Best Retail Bank in Oman, 2013', BankDhofar made headway into developing services that are quick, efficient and customerfriendly.

Central to this mission was its introduction last year of mobile banking, redefining the sector through a whole suite of customer-driven services. BankDhofar mobile banking offers accounts and card enquiries, third party and account transfers, statement checks, cheque book requisition, utility payment and mobile credit recharge.

© Muscat Daily 2014