Just received my internet banking details from FCMB

Posted by Felix Okoli on Friday September 26, 2014 at 16:44:20:

I recently tried opening an FCMB savings account online without going to the bank and it worked. Since I had an internet connection, email address and a scanned passport on my computer, I just used it to open a basic FCMB account online. Yes, nowadays, one can open a small online savings account in Nigeria but it does come with some limits such as maximum savings of N200k and a deposit limit of N20k per transaction. The good thing is that it only requires minimum documentation adn so anyone can open it as long as you are above 18 years old.

I opened for it online at onlineaccount.fcmb.com some days ago and today, I just got my internet banking password in my email box.

I simply used the password I was sent together with username which I chose during registration to log into my FCMB online account at firstcitygrouponline.com. After entering my password, the next thing I needed to provide was some secret questions. I answered 5 security questions and submitted and it was activated.

Opening a bank account online with FCMB is easy and you don't even need to make an initial deposit since you can start with zero Naira.

Anyway, afterwards, you may want to deposit some money into the account like a regular savings account and you can do this by going to the bank to deposit or doing an online bank transfer from the ATM or the internet. I did a transfer on the internet and was immediately credited. I didn't receive any sms alerts after the money was sent since I have not yet requested the bank fro the service but I was able to confirm that the account was credited when I rechecked my online bank account balance.

Once there is money in one's account, he can then make requestes like for an ATM card and I did that by clicking on Manage Requests > Card requests and it worked. I guess the ATM card would be ready in about a week or so and for that, I may have to visit the bank for the first time to collect it.

Well, I love the way online banking is beginning to work in Nigeria. More and more people are getting tired of going to the banks even if it's just to meet customer service. People like me who live in busy cities like Lagos tend to avoid going to banks during peak hours. One may end up wasting more than 2 hrs at the bank just to apply for a service. With online banking accounts that can be opened and managed easily, I think this is the way to go.

The online e-savings account by FCMB works like a normal savings account except that it comes with a deposit limit and a maximum savings limit. I guess it comes with those limits so that people may not use it to carry on criminal activities. One would just need to visit his bank physically and they'll get to know him more before the account can be upgraded to a normal savings account with unlimited funding and transactions.

Well, I'm ok with this for now since I can actually bank with a Nigerian bank without having to go to the bank. It's awesome!