Some traders and customers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have lauded the establishments of Point of Sale (PoS) agent banking operations in business and densely populated areas in Abuja.
Some of them, who spoke in Abuja Municipal Area Council on Tuesday, said the development had contributed to their brisk businesses and increased patronage.
Mr Anthony Idike, a business man along Mararaba, said the idea was a welcomed development which had made money transfers easier and better for their businesses.
He noted that the move had encouraged `cashless policy’ among citizens.
“Before the introduction of these agents in the markets and business areas, people will ask you if you have PoS machine and if you do not have, they will go to another shop with the machine.
“But since some banks set up their agents here, we direct them to the agents to withdraw money and come back to buy whatever they want.
“This has improved patronage of our businesses because it has made it easier for customers to make purchases with ease,’’ he said.
Mrs Lilian Oko, a dealer in baby wares at the Nyanya market, commended the quick money operations in the market.
Oko noted that the quick money operations came as a relief to many sellers in the market.
“I accept bank transfers only for customers I am familiar with.
“Most times, I do not accept money transfers from customers I do not know anymore because after purchase, the bank will not send the alert to you immediately and when the customer goes away with your wares, you might not get the alert from your bank.
“If you tell many of them to wait until you get the transfer alert from your bank, they become irritated.
“This quick money agents came as a relief to me especially because if a customer suggests bank transfer now, I will plead with the person to use the agents and this does not take time at all,’’ she said.
A customer and user of the service said the operation had made shopping easier for her and the family.
“I am very happy about the introduction of this service.
“I am one person that hates standing on Automated Teller Machine (ATM) queues but since these people started operating, I cannot remember the last time I visited my bank.
“They even do both deposit and withdrawal and their services are genuine and reliable.
A banker in one of the banks’ who preferred anonymity, said the move was to make banking easier, better and promote financial inclusion among citizens.
The banker noted that the services would keep improving to make banking easier for the common man.
A correspondent visited some of the agents’ stand, reports that the users of the service were charged between N100 and N500 depending on the amount withdrawn or deposited.
Customers were charged between N100 and N200 for every N10, 000 deposited or withdrawn and between N250 and N400 for every N20, 000 and N50, 000 withdrawn or deposited.
