Cellular South and BancorpSouth, Inc. unveiled a mobile banking application that brings banking to wireless phones.
The free wireless application is being offered in collaboration with mobile payments provider Firethorn Holdings, LLC, a Qualcomm company, and allows Cellular South customers to view account balances and history, transfer funds and pay bills from their mobile handsets through a secure, PIN-protected gateway.
Mobile banking users will need to have an account with a participating bank, such as BancorpSouth, along with online access to their account, which is free at most banks.
After signing in, users can initiate the mobile banking process through a “mobile banking” link at the top of the online banking sign in page. The link will take them to a form requesting information including the wireless provider, phone model and phone type. Users can access and monitor multiple bank accounts from the same application and PIN.
The site will provide a secure initialization code once an applicant submits the finished form. To activate mobile banking, users must enter the code into the mobile banking section of their handsets and set up their secure PIN. Processing takes just a few seconds.
“Mobile banking is a convenient and secure method of managing money through your wireless handset,” said Cellular South President Hu Meena. “Whether you’re a college student or a busy business traveler, our mobile banking application gives you the flexibility to pay bills or transfer funds when you need to make financial decisions on the go.”
Cellular South will provide mobile banking through Firethorn, which offers a secure application with a simple and easy to use interface. Firethorn also allows users to access their accounts at different banks from a single PIN, making the process more convenient.
“Mobile banking is the first step in introducing mobile commerce to customers,” said Tripp Rackley, Firethorn’s chief executive officer. “Firethorn is collaborating with these two wireless and banking industry innovators to provide consumers the convenience of mobile banking, which will expand the market and further drive adoption.”
Cellular South has been a leader in wireless communications for 20 years. Offering exceptional service and a suite of m-commerce applications to customers across the Southeast, Cellular South continues to make the wireless lifestyle easily accessible. Mobile banking will provide yet another innovative m-commerce solution for Cellular South customers.