First National Bank (FNB) says it has issued 425 980 smart IDs and passports applied for via the eHomeAffairs online portal, to date.
FNB reveals it has issued 192 954 smart IDs and 233 026 passports across branches, since the inception of the partnership with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA).
Lee-Anne van Zyl, chief executive of FNB Points of Presence, says: “We are humbled by how our customers have continued to embrace this service by collecting their IDs and passports at our branches. This collaboration provides a great framework to improve access to essential services, which have a fundamental social and economic impact.
“An identity document is key to accessing economic opportunities, such as employment, financial services and even mobile telecommunications. We also want to take this opportunity to remind our customers that the booking process for ID and passport documents is facilitated through e-channel, a home affairs online booking portal that captures the applicant’s personal details.”
FNB is one of the DHA's partners in the rollout of smart IDs. The department has also partnered with other major banks, including Absa, Nedbank and Standard Bank, to replace 38 million green-barcoded ID booklets.
Using the DHA’s e-channel booking site, citizens are able to apply for their smart IDs and passports online and finalise the application process at certain bank branches.
Once the application has been processed online, the customer can schedule a time to visit their chosen branch for fingerprint verification. The final stage is an SMS confirmation notifying the applicant that the document is ready for collection.
FNB customers can finalise capturing of their biometrics at any one of its participating branches in Gauteng, Western Cape, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal.
“Our ambition is to continue working with the department to expand this important service to more sites or branches across our footprint. This is also based on our appreciation that our branches are there to serve communities, and where possible, it is vital for us to use our infrastructure to make services beyond banking easily accessible,” concludes Van Zyl.
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