Buying groceries? Now you can pay in more lanes!

You can now swipe your BancNet ATM card in all checkout counters of Rustans Supermarket - Rockwell and Pioneer Center Supermarket.

This means faster checkout time, convenience and security!

Available soon at more BancNet affiliated merchants.

BancNet extends e-banking to the countryside!

BancNet, the country’s largest ATM consortium recently added two banks to its roster of members bringing the total to 33 banks.  The new members are Allied Savings Bank and Producers Bank, both thrift banks.

Allied Savings is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Allied Bank and has 18 branches mostly located in Southern Luzon.  In some island towns like Puerto Galera, Bongabong, Naiyan and Victoria in Oriental Mindoro; Boac in Marinduque; and Odiongan in Romblon, it is the only savings bank, if not the only bank.

Producers Bank, on the other hand, is a rural bank with a network of 39 branches located in Northern and Central Luzon and in the Bicol region.  Some of its remote branches are those in Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan: Llanera, Nueva Ecija; and Baao, Calabanga and Canaman, Camarines Sur.

BancNet earlier also linked up Nationlink, a network of rural banks and cooperatives, as an affiliate network.  It currently has 6 members with 13 ATMs: 3 rural banks,  a development bank and 2 cooperatives including the National Confederation of Cooperatives and Metro Ormoc Community Cooperative.  A rural bank member recently launched the first ATM in Malasiqui, Pangasinan. Other unique ATM installations are in Manaoag, Pangasinan and in Dapitan, Zamboanga.

The ATM cardholders of these banks and cooperatives will be able to get cash and know their account balances wherever there are BancNet, ExpressNet and Megalink ATMs which now number over 7,400 nationwide.  However, they can pay their bills and purchases using their ATM card only in BancNet ATMs and payment terminals.  BancNet being a multi-channel network, these cardholders can also transact through www.bancnetonline.com and BancNet mobile banking.

On the other hand, the ATMs of these banks represent additional cash access points for over 16 million cardholders of the 3 ATM consortia when they are in remote areas of the country.

According to BancNet Chairman Angelito M. Villanueva, these alliances are in line with the consortium’s thrust to bring electronic banking to the countryside.  “Our network is in the best position to fill the payment and settlement needs of banks in the countryside,” he said.  “We will continue to reach out as telecommunication facilities and technology becomes affordable in these areas.  We would like to bring modern banking services within reach of farmers, fishermen, agri-entrepreneurs and OFW beneficiaries.  This is our contribution to economic development”.

As of the end of 2007, BancNet had 5.5 million cardholders and 2,621 ATMs.

BancNet ATM cardholders can now pay their SSS contributions through the Internet!

Self-employed, OFWs and other voluntary members of SSS who are ATM cardholders of a participating BancNet member bank can now pay their SSS contributions through BancNet Online at www.bancnetonline.com. Soon they will also be able to pay their loan amortizations through the same electronic channel.

Favila seeks private sector partnership for improved revenue generation

Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila recently urged the private sector, in particular companies or groups with electronic payment and collection systems in place, to partner with the government in implementing Republic Act No. 8792 or the E-Commerce Act.  In his speech at an Executive Forum organized by BancNet, the country’s largest ATM and payments network, Favila said, “Our goal is to enable our clients transacting with the government to have access to different modes or channels of payment – be it through ATMs, debit cards, stored-value cards, mobile wallets, kiosk and credit cards, whether at point-of-sale or through the Internet”.

The Department of Finance (DOF) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) issued Joint Department Administrative Order No. 2 on October 25, 2006.  The order prescribes the guidelines implementing the E-Commerce Act pertaining to electronic payment and collection systems in government.  Favila said the guidelines are expected to bring about more efficient and effective payment and collection of fees, charges, assessments and revenues for government offices through authorized electronic payment and collection systems.  Such system are expected to minimize face-to-face transactions, facilitate and simplify procedures, and thereby, reduce corruption and red tape.  “This will allow government to better monitor and manage its financial resources, thereby, improve its revenue generation capability,” he stressed.

Favila, a former banker, co-chairs with the Finance Secretary an inter-agency team tasked to evaluate and accredit the e-payment and collection systems of the various government agencies. 

The Executive Forum, held at the Dusit Hotel in Makati, was attended by some 300 bank and IT executives.  Aside from Favila, the other speakers were Melissa Tan, Director for Outsourcing Solutions, Asia of Logica CMG based in Singapore and Albert Lip Khen Lim, Head of Global ATM and Shared Distribution at Standard Chartered Bank, Malaysia both of whom spoke on business process outsourcing in electronic banking.

BancNet is already in partnership with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for the latter’s Electronic Filing and Tax Payment System and with the Social Security System (SSS) for the electronic  collection of members’ monthly contributions and loan amortizations.

PLDT Payments now accepted in BancNet Online!

BancNet offers faster and convenient ways of paying PLDT phone bills. In addition to the ATMs, PLDT subscribers with ATM cards of participating BancNet member banks can also pay their phone bills in the comforts of their home or office by logging onto www.bancnetonline.com

The service is free and more importantly - No enrollment needed!

To transact, proceed to the homepage and click on your bank.