On March 28, 2007, the first non-cash transaction in the trading network was made through a cellular phone

For the first time on the Ukrainian market the client’s cellular phone was used as a means of access to the client’s current account in the bank. By sending an SMS-order the client makes payment from its account to a merchant.

The introduced technology allows the client to pay for the services in restaurants, hotels, pay for the goods in shops or settle accounts with any other merchant using a usual cellular phone. In this technology the cellular phone plays the role of a payment instrument like a payment card.

The non-cash payment system using a cellular phone was realized and implemented by Ukrgasbank JSB, OJSC on the basis of a single-emission payment system “Energy”. This technology is a unique one in Ukraine and is aimed at facilitating the account management for the clients. S.G. Naumenko, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Ukrgasbank JSB, OJSC, has commented: “The goal of Ukrgasbank is to simplify to the maximum the use of the bank account by the clients through implementing innovative services. From now on, mobile payments will allow Ukrgasbank JSB, OJSC clients to make payments from their bank account very simply: being at home, in the office, at work, in the Internet-cafe or simply on the way to the office”.

Introduction of the new mobile payment service is a logical result of the bank’s consistent strategy, which goal is to increase the client service level. “Mobile payment service is not the first innovative project of the bank. Ukrgasbank JSB, OJSC was among the first ones to issue and serve the chip cards of two payment systems, it was the first to introduce the technology of placing two applications on the bank card chip. All these projects were realized for the purpose of passing to a higher quality and up-to–date level of banking”, pointed out S.G. Naumenko, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Ukrgasbank JSB, OJSC. 

Mobile payment service has been introduced on the cards of the national cellular service provider Golden Telecom and starting from the second half of 2007 it is planned to increase the number of the cellular service providers and the merchants, which accept mobile payments.