Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 10
By Anvar Mammadov – Trend:
Corporate sector was the priority for Azer Turk Bank since the first day of its activity, and today the bank continues paying attention to its corporate clients and SME sector, serves its management and employees, Leyla Mammadova, the director of the bank’s strategic development and marketing department, said in an interview with Trend.
At the same time, the bank develops its services for the individual customers, she added. Mammadova also paid attention to the novelties for the retail businesses.
Bank starts offering consumer loans
The bank now offers consumer loans to the clients with low monthly income.
“Now people earning 200 manats can apply and get a loan,” Mammadova said. “For us it is enough if a customer can prove his creditworthiness. Of course, loan liabilities towards other banks can create obstacles, but ideally a person with salary of 200 manats, can get a loan up to 2,000 manats. The clients of the bank, depending on their income, can lend up to 15,000 manats.”
One of the major benefits is that the bank dispenses its customers from insurance expenses on loans, she added.
“As you know, often customer should pay fees for cash withdrawal and insurance to receive a loan. By applying them, banks try to minimize their risks. We try to put the same thing from a different angle and take these risks upon ourselves. The interest rate is starting from 26 percent, what is lower than average market rates. Another advantage is that our customer can apply for a loan online.”
New opportunities for card holders
Azer Turk Bank offered new services for plastic card holders, as well, Mammadova said.
Clients of Azer Turk Bank are able to make loan payments through MilliOn payment terminals.
“The process of implementing new projects never stops. Although our service network is wide enough, and we offer the opportunity to withdraw cash from any bank’s ATMs without paying any commission, the bank decided to expand card business and offered new service in order to provide benefits to its customers. According to the partnership agreement with MilliOn, clients of Azer Turk Bank are able now to make loan payments through MilliOn payment terminals. They also can use any of MilliOn payment terminals as the bank’s cash-in ATM and cash deposits to their card accounts,” she said.
Renovated Nakhchivan branch
Azer Turk Bank is preparing to reopen its Nakhchivan branch in the new office building, Mammadova said. The two-year-old branch will transfer to the new two-story building.
“Our current office cannot provide necessary service level for our customers, as it covers not only Nakhchivan city, but the whole territory of Autonomous Republic. So the branch is in high demand. The new office will be twice the size of the current one,” she said.
Bank goes digital
Azer Turk Bank will launch new version of internet banking for legal entities till the end of this year, Mammadova added. The bank also plans to present the new version of mobile banking software for individual customers.
This software supports handling different types of transactions – to track current, card and loan accounts, hold card-to-card transfers, and etc.
“We are very ambitious, and aim at being number one in the field of internet banking in Azerbaijan. At the moment the bank serves about 40,000 plastic cards held by individuals, with the largest share in salary cards. This explains our intensions to develop connections with retail businesses along with corporate segment,” she noted.
The bank also plans to launch online service for legal entities, enabling them to hold all banking transactions distantly.
“These types of services are provided by Russian banks "Tinkoff" and "Tochka". So we are always in a process of visiting different countries and learning the best international practices,” Mammadova said.