Romanian BCR, first to launch money wire via mobile phone based on phone number only

Romanian lender BCR has launched the first person-to-person payment service in Romania based only on the person's mobile number. BCR clients need to know the receiver's phone number – with no other extra financial details, and can send the sums anytime and anywhere, explained Bogdan Marin, director of the Retail Channels Management division with BCR. The service can be activated on demand, for free, by any BCR customers with a current account in RON. To use the service, clients dial 183# on their phones and then follow a menu which will appear on screen. The transfer can only be made to other users of the same service from BCR. Romania's largest lender by assets, BCR widened its loss to EUR 172 million in the first nine months of this year, after a profit of EUR 16.1 million in the same period of last year. The group's total assets declined by 0.5 percent, to some EUR 16.8 billion, but still cover some 20 percent of the Romanian banking market. BCR representatives have recently said that they expect the bank to return to profitability in 2013. editor@romania-insider.com (photo source: sxc.hu)*