PREMIERE "Western Union" and "Banca Transilvania" launch the service which allows transferring money via ATMs

• Starting next year, the service will also be available via Internet Banking

"Western Union" and "Banca Transilvania" (BT) yesterday premiered the service which allows transferring money via ATMs.

Thus, the bank"s customers will be able to receive money directly to their account, and they will be able to transfer it using any of the 800 ATMs of Banca Transilvania located all over Romania. The money transfer service using the ATMs will also allow sending money directly from the bank account, to over 386,000 locations in over 200 countries, that "Western Union" has agencies in.

In order to receive money via the ATM, the addressee needs to own a card in lei or in Euros issued by Banca Transilvania and know the following details of the Western Union transaction: the MTCN code (ed. note: Money Transfer Control Number), the amount which was sent (+/-10%), the currency in which the amount was denominated and the originating country.

In order to send money, the customers need to own a "gold!card" issued by Western Union and a card for individuals issued by Banca Transilvania, denominated in lei or in Euros.

"Ever since the beginning, we were open to this initiative (ed. note: the launch of the new project with Western Union) because Banca Transilvania will contribute its flexibility, adaptability as well the large network of branches and ATMs to this project", said Robert Rekkers, the CEO of Banca Transilvania.

According to Alexandru Bădulescu, Country Director for Romania and Bulgaria at Western Union, Romanians are increasingly using new technologies in their day-to-day activities, which is one of the reasons why the company has decided to launch here for the first time in the world the new money transfer service. "Thanks to our excellent cooperation with Banca Transilvania, we can now provide our customers with the new money transfer service directly from ATMs, thus providing an additional way of sending or receiving money", he said.

According to Leontin Toderici, executive director of Banca Transilvania, the new service will also become available via Internet Banking in the first half of 2011.

• Transfers of 300 billion dollars across the globe

"Western Union" handles transfers of 300 billion dollars across the globe, according to Declan Daly, the regional vice-president of Western Union for Central Europe.

Alexandru Bădulescu, country director at Western Union Romania and Bulgaria, said that the amounts that were transferred this year have decreased, but their frequency has increased: "In the first quarter, we have seen an 8% increase in transfers, 9% in the second quarter and 10% in the third quarter".