Online banking in Uganda is beginning to take off. Banks are responding to innovation from mobile telecoms who are cannibalizing on the market previously monopolized by banks. More so, customers are simply tired of the never-ending long queues in the bank which is one of the punchlines mobile telecoms use for winning customers over.
Stanbic bank is the largest commercial bank in Uganda, by assets, with an estimated asset valuation of over US$1.3 billion, accounting for approximately 20.5% of the total bank assets in Uganda, as of December 2013.
What you can do with Stanbic bank Internet banking
Internet banking enables Stanbic bank users to access their account information, effect payments for bills such as Umeme power bill, Water and DSTV Pay TV services. They can also transfer funds to another account withing Stanbic bank for free, make payments to beneficiaries of other banks in Uganda, buy airtime, view account mini statement balance, the client is also able to extract free account statements for the last three (3) months. In summary you can;
- Effect transfers in and out of the country
- Pay Umeme and NWSC bills
- Check balance, Print statements for the last six months
- Airtime purchase
- MTN mobile wallet – you can transfer funds from your account to your mobile money account.
- Make bank transfers from your Stanbic account to another Stanbic account – free of charge.
Stanbic bank Uganda says Internet banking is free of charge for all the above. However, Charges would be incurred if you are transferring funds to another bank; RTGS is Ugx 20,000 while EFT is 3,000.
How to register for Stanbic bank internet banking
Registration for Internet banking is free. To register for Stanbic bank Internet banking, first you must have a Stanbic bank account. If you already have one, you have to visit any nearby Stanbic branch with your valid identification and fill a form. They will then give you a username and password that you can use to login to their internet banking portal at https://ibanking.stanbicbank.co.ug.
Internet banking security tips
Now internet banking will save you long queues in the bank, but you are on your own — with other people who might want a piece of your money — for free.
- For starters, make sure there’s no one physically eavesdropping you unless they are trusted people while you enter you login details.
- Use strong passwords. Most likely the bank will give you a default strong password you can use to access your account, but am sure they have an option of letting you choose your own password. A secure password is one that has alphanumeric characters and special symbols. “12345678” or “davidokwii” is not a secure password. “d@ve1sK00l” is a secure password.
- Do not use a public computer like the one at internet cafe, even a desktop at work or a borrowed laptop unless you really have to.
- Always look out for the padlock symbol in the website URL. Symbols like an unbroken lock or key and a URL that begins with https:// mean that no one but you and the merchant can view your payment information.
- This can seem trivial, but remember to logout from your account once you are done. If you don’t, it’s like walking out of your own house and leaving it wide open for anyone to freely enter.
Convenience is good. But it comes at a cost. The cost is more caution on your part. If you have done internet banking at Stanbic bank, please share with us your experiences in the comments.
Image: Stanbic Bank Uganda Facebook page