OREANDA-NEWS. September 24, 2012. Since January this year, ICBC continues expanding and improving online services through deployment of physical outlets and electronic channels in tandem and complementary to each other. Electronic banking of ICBC has been growing at a respectable clip as a channel of convenience for service. ICBC electronic banking in the first half of 2012 recorded a year-on-year rise of nearly 20% in turnover to RMB 160 trillion. 17.1 billion online transactions in the period represented a 21.9% jump on the same period a year ago. Today, ICBC has over 73% retail transaction volume ran through its online banking platform. This means online transactions in ICBC accounted for 73 in every 100 transactions, reported the press-centre of ICBC.  

ICBC is the earliest commercial bank in China to launch large-scale electronic banking implementation, said an executive with the Bank. At a time of information society leading to the rising demand of diversified financial services from the customers, ICBC consistently employs cutting-edge IT system to add innovation and convenience across its electronic banking channels (Internet Banking, Mobile Banking, Telephone Banking, SMS Banking, Self-service Banking). New products are launched to meet client needs in the shortest span. More services are easily accessible through various electronic channels. When it comes to online banking, ICBC remains the house to beat. At the end of June, 2012, ICBC had 130 million online customers using Personal Internet Banking, up 21.19% when compared to the same period last year. Turnover of ICBC online banking transactions grew by 23.9%. In Mobile Banking, the exponential growth was illustrated by over 61 million users as of end of first half 2012, a nearly 60% jump on the same period a year ago. Turnover of ICBC mobile banking transactions surged 665.4% which reinforced the market dominance of ICBC in this field.

Supported by strong innovation and sharp market response, ICBC launches over a hundred new electronic banking products every year. Just in Personal Internet Banking, ICBC offers 400+ services under 23 categories covering account management, transfer/remittance, bill payment, personal wealth management, buying/selling of FX/ stocks/funds, precious metal investment, online loan, ICBC Messenging. To customers, they can easily conduct most of their banking business from home. In terms of convenience, ICBC is truly moving from "A Bank around You" to "A Bank at your Home". On top of this, ICBC has developed a full spectrum of exclusive online products with discounted fees compared with those offered in counter in a bid to attract customers to go online. Online banking services of ICBC play an important role in saving the time of customers, travelling expense to go/from bank and "green services".

With the prevalence of mobile communication and wireless network, ICBC actively promotes banking services for all mobile phone and online banking users. An example, ICBC is the first bank in the country to roll out "ICBC Mobile Banking" services, which represent a wide range of ICBC mobile financial products: SMS Banking, Mobile Banking (WAP), iPhone Banking, Android Banking, WindowsPhone Banking, iPad Banking, Personal Internet Banking for Apple computer users, and Corporate Mobile Banking. Apart from the comprehensive, convenient and fast financial services available to customers through mobile phones, ICBC uses the GPS (Global Positioning System) function of mobile phones to deliver useful information and navigation directions such as location of nearest bank outlets, banking hours. The mobile terminals combined with gravity sensor and multi-touch let customers experience faster and trendy mobile services. ICBC mobile banking users warmly welcome these services which place mobile phones at the center of users' financial lives as a banking and payment device.

While spending efforts on electronic banking services and functions, ICBC places equal emphasis on the quality and details of services so that customers feel more convenient, more comfortable banking at ICBC. In Telephone Banking, ICBC assigns more staff to attend customer calls in order to shorten the waiting time of customers. At present, ICBC has over 6,000 call desk staff who attend more than 300,000 incoming calls every day on average. Over 95% calls answered within 20 seconds allows ICBC edging ahead all other banks in China. Meanwhile, the newly launched SMS Banking which has been warmly received allows customers to ask for further information by simply sending a SMS to 95588. At the end of June, 2012, ICBC SMS Banking has attracted over 8.6 million users, more than 15 million SMS replies have been sent. On average, customers only waited for 1 minute for the reply. During the first half of 2012, ICBC announced higher limit for one cash withdrawal: RMB 3,000 at ATM and RMB 5,000 at CRS (Cash Recycling System). Service interfaces and service details have been upgraded so that customers can enjoy the ease-of-use, user-friendly and convenient services.