FNB is expanding the roll-out of contactless ‘Tap & PIN’ functionality to 600 more ATMs across South Africa in the next 12 months. This is in addition to over 100 FNB ATMs which have been equipped with the functionality since 2018.
The ‘Tap and PIN’ functionality lets FNB customers with contactless enabled debit and credit cards to perform ATM transactions without having to insert their card into the machine. At launch, FNB was the first bank in South Africa to announce the availability of contactless enabled ATMs.
Raj Makanjee, CEO of FNB Retail says, “This roll-out is part of our journey to consistently empower customers with tools to perform transactions in a convenient and secure manner. We have been issuing contactless enabled debit and credit cards to help customers take full advantage of the growing contactless ecosystem. Our customers also have the option of making contactless payments using FNB Pay on our App, or any of our supported ‘Pay’ wallets (Samsung, Fitbit, and Garmin). In addition, the new Scan to Pay feature on the FNB App enables our customers to perform digital payments by scanning almost any QR Code in SA.”
Lee-Anne van Zyl, CEO of FNB Points of Presence explains that ‘Tap & PIN’ capability uses Near Field Communication (NFC) to allow FNB customers to tap their contactless cards against the NFC reader before entering a PIN. After tapping the card, the transaction continues without the card ever leaving the customer’s hand and this reduces the risk of related fraud, she adds.
“An NFC device has a 15-second average time saving per transaction, a significant reduction from the traditional ATM transaction. We are excited by the positive response from our customers and we believe that expand ‘Tap & PIN’ to more ATMs will significantly improve customer experience,” says van Zyl.
Currently, Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal, and the Western Cape have the largest device footprint of FNB ATMs that are contactless enabled. However, the planned expansion will cover most parts of the country and the key sites will be announced in due course.
