Tag: BPI

24/7 Banking Convenience with BPI

Posted on by jane

Online banking has really brought so much convenience to depositors these days.

I remember what it was like in the 80s. If you walked into a bank’s branch, the first thing you’d notice is that the area allocated to backroom operations was so much larger than the area for its depositors. Signature cards were contained in several, long metal file containers; deposit slips were filled out in duplicate or triplicate and different types of checks (on us, local, regional, out of town checks) would require different, color-coded deposit slips; and perhaps the biggest inconvenience was that you could only transact from Monday to Friday and oftentimes, only till 3:30 pm. Clearly, banking processes then were designed more for the banking institutions rather than for the depositing public.

Fast forward to today and we see all banks having some kind of online presence. But even then, not all banks are the same. More banks are better at bringing greater convenience to its depositors than others. In my personal experience, having banked with several banks over my lifetime, BPI’s 24/7 online banking channels are among the best, if not the best.

ATMs

Not many may know this but BPI was probably the first local commercial bank to introduce ATMs in the Philippines. I was then working in the Computer Audit Group of SGV and was a witness to this as I had a chance to look into BPI’s IT systems including ATMs (by saying this I am dating myself, haha). It was a challenge then. BPI not only had to ensure its ATM software and processes were airtight so that everything was balanced and accounted for daily but it also had the pioneering task of changing the mindsets of depositors who were quite reluctant to deal with a machine, especially when it came to dispensing money.

But look where we are today. ATMs are everywhere. And BPI’s ATMs can be found in any nook and cranny, within bank premises, in malls and even in some schools. An ATM’s 24-hour convenience has become part of the Pinoy’s daily life.

EXPRESS ONLINE BANKING

So far this is the one I use a lot. I never have to leave home because I can pay bills (immediate and scheduled), load my mobile phone (and that of my kids), check my investment and credit card accounts aside from my bank accounts, and even get a queue number before I go to the bank, all right from my laptop. Did you know that last one? It’s an option available inside BPI’s Express Online Banking website, right after you log in. Just identify which branch you’re heading for, choose date and time, and it gives you a queue number! This, to me, is a killer feature of BPI’s online banking as it saves me so much time.

Look for this button inside your BPI Express Online account
Screenshot of appointment page of BPI Express Assist Online

BPI Express Mobile App

The latest addition to BPI’s 24/7 banking channels is the BPI Express Mobile App for iOS and Android.

This is really a convenient alternative when I cannot go online on my laptop. On-the-road checking of my balances, being able to pay bills on the fly and even loading up our mobile phones is so easy. In fact, the mobile app allows you to transfer funds to any 3rd party account (as long as you have activated this feature) — something you can’t even do yet via the Expressonline account on the web.

Like me, you can enjoy the painless convenience of BPI’s 24/7 online banking channels. In these times of busyness and traffic, being able to do all these banking transactions from wherever you are truly cuts time, effort and cost for BPI depositors.

BPI Expressonline homepage: www.bpiexpressonline.com

Travel More with BPI’s Get Out More 2 promo

Posted on by jane

Be bitten by the travel and cultural bug! BPI will reward lucky clients who avail of its 24/7 Banking Channels (BPI Express Online, BPI Express Mobile, and BPI Express Phone) with dream vacations. You can be one of them.

Last year, BPI’s Get Out More promo gave away 7 all-expense paid trips for four to local tourist spots: Bohol, Davao, Boracay, Cebu, Legazpi, Iloilo, and Puerto Princesa. BPI 24/7 Banking gives you the chance to get farther away from your home, your city or your province. This year, the Get Out More 2 promo is even bigger because the lucky winners will be going Asian!

Up for grabs this time will be exciting places both here and abroad: Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur (KL), and Boracay. Every winner also gets pocket money worth PhP 24,700. If you’ve been dreaming of traveling and seeing the world, you now have the chance to cross that off your bucket list.

And why not? Aside from seeing our own beautiful Philippines, visiting our Asian neighbors lets us see the cultural diversity and beauty of nature and tourist attractions of our neighbors. I’ve visited at least half of the places covered by the promo and I certainly won’t mind visiting the remaining places (if I win, cross my fingers).

Marvel at the cosmopolitan air of Shanghai with its ultramodern architecture mixed in with traditional Chinese sights; eat your way around Hong Kong’s popular food spots and shop till you drop; visit the centuries-old Korean palaces dotting Seoul’s metro and maybe sneak in a visit to KPop sites; enjoy the hospitality of Kuala Lumpur and its rich cultural mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian races; and bask in the sun at our very own Boracay, world known for its white sand beaches and clear waters.

Watch this short, exciting video and see where and what you can do in these places.

It’s really very easy to earn raffle entries. From August 1 to November 30, 2013, all new and existing BPI, BPI Family Savings Bank and BPI Direct Accountholders who use the services of BPI 24/7 Banking are qualified to earn raffle entries. Just pay your bills (utility bills, telco bills, and other kinds of bills) using any of the 24/7 banking channels of BPI and you automatically earn raffle entries. Each payment must be at least P50 and above and must have a unique reference/account number within that month.

For Boracay, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai, BPI will pick one (1) winner for each place who will get a free trip for two which includes roundtrip airfare, accommodations and pocket money. For Hong Kong, three (3) winners will be chosen, each one getting also a free trip for two (roundtrip airfare, accommodations and pocket money).

For more details on promo mechanics, click HERE.
To enroll in BPI Express Online, click HERE.

BPI Team behind Get Out More 2

BPI eCredit - a credit card for internet payments

BPI eCredit – a credit card for internet payments

Posted on by jane

Are you paranoid like me about disclosing your credit card number when purchasing stuff online? 

If you are, you should be rightly so. There are so many horror stories out there on the internet about syndicates who are able to get hold of your credit card number and max out its credit limit with illegal purchases. Most times, when my kids want to purchase games online, I use PayPal and decline their requests if the merchant site requires a credit card number instead of PayPal.

Now my kids will be a lot happier. Here is something I just recently got in the mail from my bank, BPI (important card info were blurred out).

 
In the flyer that came with the card, the BPI eCredit card was described as “a companion card to your existing BPI Express Credit Mastercard. This card is for virtual and internet payments only…”
Continue reading “BPI eCredit – a credit card for internet payments” →

Happyplus Card: Jollibee’s customer loyalty program and BPI’s cashless payment combined

Posted on by jane

Do you sometimes wish that paying at fastfood outlets would be more convenient? It is now!

The popularity of the country’s largest restaurant chain, Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), and the cashless payment innovation of the country’s leading commercial bank, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), saw the birth of a unique customer loyalty program – the happyplus card — that not only rewards customers of its participating food establishments but also makes payments painless through cashless payment. In addition, customers get a chance to win monthly raffle cash prizes.

JFC Chairman and CEO Tony Tan Caktiong and BPI President Aurelio Montinola inked the agreement between the two corporations and introduced the card to the public.

What is the Happyplus Card and how does it work?

It is a customer loyalty program card. In a few words, LOAD UP, BUY, TAP TO PAY. That simple!

This is how it works.

1. Buy the membership kit from the cashier counter in any Jollibee, Greenwich, Chowking, Red Ribbon and soon, Mang Inasal.
2. Top up (load) the card. Minimum load is P100 and can be increased in increments of P100 up to a maximum of P10,000.
3. Use your happyplus card in any of the establishments above. You earn one (1) happyplus point for every P50 purchase. Each happyplus point is equal to P1 which you can accumulate and use down the road to buy even more food.
4. Pay for your purchase just by tapping the card (magnetic strip facing device) on the cashless payment card reader (see photo below).

Cashless payment card reader

This same card reader can display your purse and point balance every time you load, make a purchase or just make an inquiry.
BPI’s Montinola making a purchase using the Happyplus Card
Monthly Raffle Prizes
You also earn raffle entries when you load up the card. Each time you load, you earn entries as follows:
P100 = 1 raffle entry
P300 = 5 raffle entries
P500 = 10 raffle entries
P1,000 = 25 raffle entries
The happyplus card is valid for three (3) years from date of application and can be easily renewed at any of the JFC-affiliated establishments. 

To register online for the happyplus card, go to www.happyplus.com.ph

BPI's Limited Edition 160th Commemorative Tattoo (winner posted) Stick + a Giveaway

BPI’s Limited Edition 160th Commemorative Tattoo (winner posted) Stick + a Giveaway

Posted on by jane

 (UPDATE: I asked a BPI branch manager and her staff to select the winner. So firstly, thank you to Ms. Helena Tiu of BPI-Wilson branch!!! And *drumroll*, the winner who gets the BPI 160th commemorative Tattoo stick is — Joyce Rivera Mauricio! Congratulations, Joyce. I will be contacting you directly.)

Last Thursday, an intimate gathering of bloggers at Cafe Mary Grace in Greenbelt 2 met up with BPI and Globe people for the launching of the BPI 160th Commemorative Tattoo Stick to mark 160 years of the Bank of the Philippine Islands’ existence as a financial institution.

bpi-160th-tattoo-stick
(photo courtesy of Globe Tattoo website)

Continue reading “BPI’s Limited Edition 160th Commemorative Tattoo (winner posted) Stick + a Giveaway” →

McDo is now on your mobile phone

Posted on by jane

It became such a big convenience when many fastfood outlets and restaurants allowed online ordering and payments. In this age when everyone seems to lead such hectic lives and Metro Manila traffic is horrendous, the advantages of being able to go online in your own home and order lunch, dinner or merienda delivered to your doorstep was obvious.

McDonald’s was one of those fastfood outlets known for online ordering. My kids have ordered online not just from McDo but from other outlets several times already and you know what? It beats having to place your order via phone because sometimes, the one taking down the order can make mistakes.

McDo has moved online ordering up one step. It has partnered with Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) to allow ordering via mobile phone to BPI, BPI Family Savings Bank and BPI Direct clients.

Here’s how to do it.

First, you need to register at www.bpiexpressonline.com. I got these screencaps from My BPI Magazine.

And here’s how to order and pay:

And to register, here are the requirements:

Shhhhhh! Don’t even tell my youngest son about this! He is such a McDo fan!