BARCLAYS BANK TANZANIA LIMITED LAUNCHES UNION PAY

Barclays Bank Tanzania (BBT) Managing Director, Abdi Mohamed (4th right), shakes hands with Chinese Embassy Cultural Councellor, Gao Wei, during the official launching ceremony of China Union Pay International Acquiring service as part of the bank’s effort to offer better convenience to the Union Pay cardholders in the market. The brief occasion was held in Dar es Salaam over the weekend.

Dar es Salaam, – Barclays Bank Tanzania

Barclays Bank Tanzania has today officially launched Union Pay International Acquiring service as part of the bank’s effort to offer better convenience to the Union Pay cardholders in the market.

The Bank’s Managing Director, Abdi Mohamed said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the bank has introduced the service in the market that will allow the Union Pay cardholders to access their funds through Barclays ATMs and Point of Sale (POS) machine across the country. It is also an opportunity for merchants such as Hotels, Tour Operators and Retail stores to serve and do business with Union Pay cardholders that visit Tanzania for leisure or business.

“Union Pay has extended to 160 countries and regions, basically covering countries and regions that Chinese people often visit for travel, and Tanzania being one of them, we saw the opportunity and felt the need of offering this service to businesses and individuals that are constantly struggling to locate ATMs and or Point of Sale Machines (POS) that could cater for their needs. 

With our chain of more than 500 POS and 52 ATMs across the country, the service is expected to significantly benefit the customers. This is a milestone for our Bank and one that will see to benefit all clients that are holding our POS as well as the Union Pay cardholders across the world” he said.

Union Pay International, also known as Union Pay is a Chinese financial services corporation headquartered in Shanghai, China. It provides bank card services and a major card scheme in mainland China. Founded on March 26, 2002, China UnionPay is an association for China's banking card industry, operating under the approval of the People's Bank of China (PBOC, central bank of China).

It is also the only interbank network in China that links all the ATMs of all banks throughout the country. It is also an EFTPOS (Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale) network.

For further information please contact:

Aron Luhanga

Head, Marketing & Corporate Relations

Barclays Bank Tanzania

+255 768 221 717

aron.luhanga@barclayscorp.com

About Barclays Bank Tanzania

Barclays Bank Tanzania has been operating in Tanzania for the past 10 years and currently boasts a network of 15 branches, 52 ATMs strategically located countrywide.

Barclays Bank Tanzania Limited first opened its doors in Tanzania in 1925 and continued to operate in the country until 1967 when its Tanzania operations were nationalized to become National Bank of Commerce. With the liberalization of the economy in 1990s, Barclays Bank Plc made a decision to re-enter the Tanzania market and re-opened its doors in the year 2000. Barclays Bank Tanzania now has 15 branches, 52ATMs strategically located countrywide, over 400 employees and over 110,000 customers.

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About Barclays Africa Group Limited  

Barclays Africa Group Limited (Barclays Africa Group or the Group) is 62.3% owned by Barclays Bank PLC (Barclays) and is listed on the JSE Limited. The Group is one of Africa’s major financial services providers offering personal and business banking, credit cards, corporate and investment banking, wealth and investment management as well as bancassurance. 

We combine our global product knowledge with regional expertise and have an extensive, well established local presence.

The Group was formed through combining Absa Group Limited and Barclays’ African operations on 31 July 2013. Reflecting the enlarged group’s pan-African focus, our name changed from Absa Group Limited to Barclays Africa Group Limited on 2 August 2013.