Purchasing direct airtime has become the new phenomenon taking place between banks and mobile service providers, Access Bank joined the fray while depoying ‘Easy-top-up’ as its customers can now buy airtime directly.

‘Easy-top-up,’ is a quick, convenient airtime recharge service which discards use of physical recharge cards or PINS. With the product, account holders can buy airtime from any network by dialing a dedicated code *901*Amount#.

It could be recalled that in the early days of GSM, subscribers had to struggle to buy recharge cards from vendors, who sometimes are not within reach.

Although different steps have been taken to resolve the challenge especially with the introduction of online recharge whereby one needs to go through the steps to log onto an internet banking platform just to buy airtime.

The bank said when a customer’s airtime runs low, a quick way to recharge is by dialing the code, within seconds the customer’s airtime is credited even when the customer has zero Naira in his or her phone. In keeping with its commitment to inclusive banking services and channels,the bank said it had ensured that its products and services appeal to every sector of the Nigerian economy as well as the retail segment, from the young and elderly, to the student and the professional.

However, the bank the service is restricted to only its account holders with daily transaction limit of N5,000. Regardless of time and location, customers can recharge at their convenience as long as the customer has a phone and Access Bank account. The top up amount is debited directly from the Customer’s account. The service is instant, available 24/7, 365 days a year and compatible with all mobile networks in the country, the bank stated.

As part of its continued growth strategy, Access Bank said its focused on mainstreaming sustainable business practices into its operations. The Bank strives to deliver sustainable economic growth that is profitable, environmentally responsible and socially relevant it noted. Group Managing Director/CEO of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe said, “our primary inspiration in developing these products is our increasingly technology savvy customer base;

a customer base that wants to be empowered with self-service options that enable them take charge of the way they live, work and play. By creating and disseminating these products we not only spread financial services to an ever increasing proportion of the population but also wake up dead capital.” Speaking of the product, Head of Product Management & Innovation, Olugbenga Agboola, said, the bank has flair for creating technology driven-services that are sustainable, scalable that can meet local needs adequately.

“Access Bank’s ‘Easy-top-up’ is an example of such service with a strong focus on creating “moments of pure delights” for our customers. This launch phase is a data-gathering period to know the response of our customers to this convenience and we would continuously tweak the service to respond to customer needs & feedback,” he stated.

According to Agboola, “the product supports all mobile devices including low end phones, Smart phones and tablets just as customers are able to get instant value for airtime purchased.” Agboola explains that ‘Easy-top-up’ would help to improve the life of Nigerians because airtime value is credited instantly without any hassle.