OREANDA-NEWS. November 20, 2008. Halyk Bank of Kazakhstan jointly with Visa international payment system started the first in the world the international money transfer service via mobile phone. “Mobile transfer” service can be provided with four currencies of the world - the Kazakhstani tenge, Euro, USD and the Russian rubles, reported the press-centre of Halyk Bank.

“Mobile transfer” service is a logic continuation of “Visa card to card money transfer” service via ATMs which was started in Kazakhstan on 30 March 2007 and was very popular among Visa cardholders. According to Halyk Bank’s data as of 1 October 2008 about 230 thousand persons took advantage of cash transfers by Visa cards via Halyk Bank ATMs and they made more than 600 000 transfers, the total amount of transfers comprised more than KZT 14.7 billion (approximately USD 123 million). Use of mobile phones for money transfers is a step forward proved by requirements of modern life and necessity to conform to consumer needs.

Service of money sending to each other by means of sms-messages has become available to Bank employees since 5 November; presently there is a process of connection of other client types which will be finished by 17 November.

In order to make transfer, the client chooses “Transfers” option in Halyk Bank menu on the phone, further chooses any payment card for money writing off and indicates a card number of the recipient of any bank, as well as currency and amount of transfer.

Having checked the entered information, he confirms transfer by entering a personal password. For more details how to take advantage of the service, please visit http://www.visapromo.com.kz/money_transfers.php.

When introducing “Mobile transfer” service Halyk Bank closely cooperated with Intervale and OpenWay companies in order to provide security of money transfers. Regardless of the fact that for transfer it is only necessary to activate mobile banking service in the phone and enter card number of the recipient, the data transfer process is completely protected.

The client receives a personal password which is blocked in case of three wrong attempts of entering. All the messages received during money transfer are coded and signed by electronic signature of the client. Nowadays the bank applet is installed in SIM-cards of LLP “Kar-Tel” (Beeline) and in the first quarter of 2009 will be available for consumers of LLP “GSM Kazakhstan” (K-cell, Activ). Every consumer of Beeline can exchange his SIM-card for SIM-card with banking menu at any branch of operator.

Mr. Grigoriy Marchenko, Chairman of the Management Board of JSC “Halyk Bank of Kazakhstan” mentioned: “Mobile Transfer” Service- is other confirmation for intention of our Bank to move with the times. We are the first in Kazakhstan market who started mobile banking service in 2005 and came to market two years later with money transfer service between Visa cardholders via ATMs. Today already 273 thousand customers of Halyk Bank subscribed to mobile banking service, and we have great confidence that “Mobile transfer” service will be also in demand”.

Mr Aleksandr Kalita, regional manager of Visa in CIS countries added: “One of the main directions of Visa company is development of innovative services based on safe and high technologies. “Mobile transfer” service is unique both in Kazakhstan market and worldwide”.

Mr Kalita has also imparted projected plans, that "our next step will be closer cooperation with mobile operators and advancement of transborder money transfer via mobile phones to other countries. Visa has accumulated experience in similar projects, one of which is “Money transfer to Visa card. The service was started as pilot project in 2003 in Ukraine and today is well-known throughout the world. Now there are 46 similar programs in 13 countries including France, Georgia, Greece, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Russia and others”.