Friday 6th October 2006
Internet bank First Direct is to offer a number of services via mobile phone.
Along with its parent company, HSBC, the bank will allow customers to make balance enquiries and receive mini-statements directly to their handset.
The development comes in response to the growing number of people who have mobile phones but no landline.
First Directs chief executive, Chris Pilling, noted that the bank were the first to introduce branchless banking.
"We are now the first to introduce this pioneering mobile phone banking service, which allows consumers to top up a mobile as well as check their account balance," he added.
The service is provided by the Monilink system, a new development from Link, the UKs cash machine network.
Link operates over 53,000 cash machines in the UK and has issued over 102 million bank cards bearing its logo.
The mobile banking service is available on java-enabled phones and requires a small software download.
First Direct began mobile services seven years ago with the availability of SMS balance updates. It now sends text messages at a rate of more than one every second.
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