UBA flags off new era of digital banking with self-printing debit card machine
United Bank for Africa, the institution that gave Nigeria’s financial sector its first banking chatbot, has kicked off another era of digital payments with a self-printing debit card machine.
Victor Osadolor, the chief executive officer, UBA Africa made this known during the flag-off ceremony of the 2019 Lagos International Trade Fair (LITF), in which the bank was a headline sponsor.
The self-printing is unlike the instant debit card issue option which a few Nigerian banks already have. While the instant debit card issue system requires a bank official to function, the UBA selfprinting debit card machine gives the customers control of the process.
It should be noted that the self-printing debit card machine is part of a larger selfservice strategy UBA recently launched. Dubbed the Self
Service Mobile Kiosk, customers can initiate and complete actions such as requests and transactions with little or no interaction with bank officials.
UBA said it is bringing the innovation because it has seen the number of customers accessing non-traditional banking channels for day to day transactions grow steadily every year. Customers now rely on their cards rather than cash, making them eager to maintain the validity of their cards always.
“We are creating superior value for all our customers because we believe they are key to our everyday operations,” said Osadolor at the unveiling of the innovation on the opening day of the Lagos International Trade Fair.
Self- service debit card printing allows customers to obtain personalised debit cards at their convenience with turnaround time. These hands control over to the customers to enjoy this service at any time of the day. It also allows customers to block their existing cards in case of theft or misplacement.
An objective of instant card issuance is the reduction of the time expended in furnishing the customer with a debit and credit card. The self- service solution takes this further by ceding the responsibility of the CSO to the customer who initiates the process and follows it through until a card is produced.
To access the service, the customer needs to type in an account number or BVN number and selects card type at the kiosk, the information is validated through the biometrics or OTP. the OTP is then generated and sent to the registered phone number, which the customer enters to be authenticated by the kiosk. If authentication is successful, the card personalisation process begins.