About 1,000 ATMs hooked to gh-link

Customers of banks that are connected to the gh-link platform can access 996 ATMs across the country with their local cards. This is because these ATMs belong to 17 banks that are connected to gh-link and therefore share a common electronic platform.

Gh-link was launched in November last year by Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS) to enable the banks to interconnect. The interconnectivity makes it possible for their customers to use each other’s bank ATM.

The service is currently available to customers who use the local cards of their various banks, as GhIPSS is still in talks with Visa and MasterCard to enable their branded cards to also be hooked-on to the platform.

Speaking in an interview, the Manager in charge of Projects and Communications at GhIPSS, Kwaku Tettey, said the intention of the initiative is to make more ATMs available and accessible to bank customers. “Hitherto, customers with local cards could only use their own bank’s ATM -- and we all know the frustration when your bank’s ATM is down.

Today, you have almost 1,000 ATMs and counting at your disposal”.  Mr. Tettey therefore encouraged the public to enjoy the “new freedom powered by gh-link” by using the ATMs of any of the 17 banks, which include most major banks operating in the country.

Between 1,500 and 1,700 people are using other bank’s ATM every week, according data available to GhIPSS and the figure is expected to increase in the coming week, Mr. Tettey indicated. He said three additional banks, including Fidelity, are almost through with the processes and will soon be connected to increase the number of banks on the gh-link platform to 20.

The Project and Communications Manager said the data also showed that customers of bigger banks are using ATMs of banks considered to be relatively small, possibly because of the strategic location of their ATMs.

Mr. Tettey added that GhIPSS has begun discussions with Savings and Loans Companies with ATM cards, to enable them be connected to the platform so their customers can also access ATMs of the commercial banks.

It is anticipated that all banks issuing ATM cards will be on gh-link by the end of the first quarter, which will mean that all cards work in all ATMs. GhIPSS is also hopeful that Visa and MasterCard branded ATMs will also come on board shortly.

The 17 banks on the platform are Ghana Commercial Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Barclays Bank, Zenith Bank, Agriculture Development Bank and UT Bank. The others are Ecobank, Stanbic Bank, Access Bank, SG-SSB, Unibank and HFC Bank. The rest are Prudential Bank, United Bank for Africa, Guaranty Trust Bank, Bank of Africa, and Energy Bank.

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