New Mobile Banking Text Service Launched by MBNA

MBNA has launched a new mobile phone service that helps U.K. customers to text for their credit card information.  

Within seconds, customers, with the help of the new Mobile Banking Text service, can use their mobile phone to get credit card account information, such as balance, payments and transactions, by simply texting to a dedicated mobile short-code number - 83838.

Ian Craig, Sales, Service and Operations executive for Bank of America Europe Card Services, which operates the MBNA brand, said: "Our customers' needs and expectations are changing - they want greater control and choice in managing their finances, and they want to do so in a way that fits their lifestyles.

"Newer technology, including mobile phone functionality, SMS, the Internet and voice recognition systems are transforming the way our customers expect us to interact with them. The Mobile Banking Text service is one of a number of exciting new improvements we will be making to our services.

"With this service, we are able to provide our customers with another way to bank that is simple, straightforward and puts their credit card information at their fingertips whenever they need it."

For more than five million customers, the Mobile Banking Text service is available.

Customers with mobile phone numbers registered to their accounts can simply send Bal, Trans or Bill to 83838 and can get the latest information on their accounts with the help of this new service.

The service is absolutely free for the customers and will work with any SMS-enabled UK mobile phone operated from within the U.K.

For customers signing up new Internet accounts, MBNA has also launched paperless statements.

The service is now available across all MBNA core and affinity products. Furthermore, to activate the customers' new credit cards online, MBNA has also opened up the choice for customers.

In related news, MBNA has announced that from 31st March, it will stop issuing all new promotional cheques, standard credit card cheques and replacement cheques.