Bid to boost use of online banking

HSBC Bank Malta yesterday launched its internet banking service together with its revamped www.hsbc.com.mt website.

The new service, available to all HSBC Malta customers, operates on the HSBC Group's internet banking system used worldwide by about 11 million customers.

The new service, which was inaugurated at HSBC's Valletta area office by IT and Investment Minister Austin Gatt, includes several features which are unique to internet banking in Malta thus making it easy and convenient to use.

All HSBC customers need to do is access the bank's website and register online using either their Quikcash card or their PhoneBanking card by inputting the number.

Once on-line registration is concluded, customers can begin benefiting from the wide range of services available such as viewing online balances and transaction details for accounts and credit cards, inter account transfers, bill payments and overseas third party transfers.

Unique to HSBC's internet banking service is the ability to open new savings, fixed and current accounts online, the bank said.

HSBC's internet banking service, which is currently free of charge to all HSBC account holders, is highly secure, using 128 bit SSL encryption to ensure maximum confidentiality and security, the bank added.

"HSBC Malta is committed to giving its customers the best possible service and today's launch of the internet banking service, which offers a uniquely wide range of facilities to our customers is testament to this. HSBC customers can now benefit from this user friendly system to conduct most of their everyday banking with HSBC," HSBC Bank Malta's chief executive officer, Chris Hothersall, said.

The service includes other new facilities for Malta. Most important among these is the fact that the service can be used by the visually impaired, using speech software such as Window Eyes.

This service and the new HSBC Bank Malta website have both been given a clean audit certificate from the Foundation for Information Technology Accessibility which were consulted during the design and development stage.

Dr Gatt said there was much more room for take-up in internet banking. To date only 10 per cent of Maltese citizens and only 37 per cent of enterprises use online banking services. "We will partner with banks to improve these to 50 per cent and 75 per cent respectively by end 2004," Dr Gatt said.

He announced that there will be more eGovernment services launched in the next few months. These include services for the application and renewal of passports, taxation services and social security services.