Erste Bank Hungary, has enlisted Diebold, Incorporated to implement an innovative payment solution for utility bills through its ATMs.
Today in Hungary, OCR-based utility bills are in use. Those can traditionally be paid at post offices or alternatively via wire transfer from home internet banking. However, for many uses a proof of payment is required. That is a detachable part of the bill, stamped by a post officer and returned to the customer.
Transaction amount, identification and other information are printed in the bottom part of the utility bill with OCR characters. Thanks to Diebold’s bulk-deposit Intelligent Deposit Module (IDMbd) technology, Diebold Opteva® ATMs can process these images, convert them to Hungarian Post-compatible format, copy transaction data and stamp images to the bill, forward it to the host, and print a copy of customer portion of the bill with the receipt printer.
“We are continuously committed to introduce innovative and convenient services for our customers,” said Zoltán Sipos, director, card management at Erste Bank Hungary. “This is the reason why we leverage innovation in our delivery channels and Diebold offers the most flexible ATM technology to assist us in renovating our ATM channel.”
The initial phase of the project entails Erste Bank to pilot the bill payment service on 12 Diebold Opteva ATMs equipped with IDMbd and Diebold Agilis® multi-vendor software application. Diebold’s solid relationship with Erste Bank includes maintenance and professional services for nearly 400 Opteva ATMs deployed across the country.
“Our direct services and Professional Services organizations in Hungary have been in operation for more than 10 years,” said Viktor Zala, sales manager, Diebold Hungary. “This is a very strong asset, providing Hungarian banks with innovative solutions to ensure optimum performance and end user availability.”
“This project confirms Diebold’s commitment to deliver banking innovation to customers by creating and implementing ideas that optimize convenience, efficiency and security,” said Danilo Rivalta, vice president and general manager, Diebold EMEA Southern and Central Regions. “For Erste Bank Hungary, we are providing a solution which opens its ATM channel to new, cutting edge services for consumers.”
About Erste Bank Hungary
ERSTE BANK HUNGARY NYRT is a member of the Erste Group Bank AG – a well-known name on the Central- and Eastern-European banking market with a 190 years history in Austria.
Erste Bank Hungary has grown to be the second largest retail bank in the Hungarian market according to its number of clients and the fifth biggest according to its total assets, securing strong positions in the area of investment services and leasing, as well. The financial institution serves nearly 900,000 customers in its nationwide network of 200 branch offices, and owns in addition more than 400 ATMs and about 5,000 POS terminals.
About Hungarian Post
Hungarian Post Co., Ltd. provides postal services to the individuals and businesses in the territory of the Republic of Hungary. The company operates in five business units: Letter, Financial Services, Newspapers, Logistics Services, and International. Its Letter business unit delivers letters and parcels. The Financial Services business unit engages in postal money transfer activities, postal cash transfer, and postal money order services, as well as engages in dealing as an intermediary in postal savings, home savings, retail banking, and personal loans. The Newspapers business unit distributes newspapers and magazines to subscribers, as well as sells newspapers and magazines at postal outlets. The Logistics Services business unit provides services in various categories comprising express mail services, forwarding services, and freight contracting. The International business unit delivers international letters and parcels, as well as engages in the consignment of bulk letter and parcel services. Hungarian Post Co., Ltd. was founded in 1867 and is based in Budapest, Hungary.
About Diebold
Diebold, Incorporated is a global leader in providing integrated self-service delivery and security systems and services. Diebold employs more than 16,000 associates with representation in nearly 90 countries worldwide and is headquartered in Canton, Ohio, USA. Diebold is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ‘DBD.’ For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.diebold.com, or visit www.diebold.com/150 to learn more about Diebold’s 150-year history.
