Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Services typically offered by banks

Although the basic type of services offered by a bank depends upon the type of bank and the country, services provided usually include:

  • Taking deposits from their customers and issuing current (UK) or checking (US) accounts and savings accounts to individuals and businesses
  • Extending loans to individuals and businesses
  • Cashing cheques
  • Facilitating money transactions such as wire transfers and cashiers checks
  • Issuing credit cards, ATM cards, and debit cards
  • Storing valuables, particularly in a safe deposit box
  • Cashing and distributing bank rolls
  • Consumer & commercial financial advisory services
  • Pension & retirement planning

Financial transactions can be performed through many different channels:

  • A branch, banking centre or financial centre is a retail location where a bank or financial institution offers a wide array of face to face service to its customers
  • ATM is a computerised telecommunications device that provides a financial institution's customers a method of financial transactions in a public space without the need for a human clerk or bank teller
  • Mail is part of the postal system which itself is a system wherein written documents typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages containing other matter, are delivered to destinations around the world
  • Telephone banking is a service provided by a financial institution which allows its customers to perform transactions over the telephone
  • Online banking is a term used for performing transactions, payments etc. over the Internet through a bank, credit union or building society's secure website

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