ComBank’s milestone 800th ATM installed at relocated Giriulla branch
Commercial Bank of Ceylon’s ATM network, an indispensable facilitator of the daily lives of millions of Sri Lankans, reached another milestone this week with the commissioning of its 800th terminal in Giriulla, on the Negombo – Kurunegala Road.
The event coincided with the relocation of the Bank’s Giriulla branch to No 105, Kurunegala Road, Giriulla to better serve customers in the area as well as those passing through this busy town. The relocated branch ceremonially declared open by Commercial Bank’s Deputy General Manager – Personal Banking Mrs Sandra Walgama now offers three ATM machines, in addition to other facilities.
The largest ATM network owned by a private bank in Sri Lanka, Commercial Bank’s ATM network has grown by 100 terminals in one year, after the 700thATM opened at MAS Intimates Vidiyal in Kilinochchi in November 2017.
The network has set and rewritten many records over the years for cash dispensed during times of national celebrations such as the Sinhala and Tamil New Year and Christmas. Between 1stand 13th April this year for example, the Commercial Bank ATM network dispensed Rs 27.373 billion, at an average of Rs 2.1 billion per day, reaffirming the essential role it plays in the everyday lives of Sri Lankans, as well as the reliability and robustness of the network.
Commercial Bank was the first bank in Sri Lanka to upgrade its entire ATM network to EMV Chip capability, significantly enhancing security against fraud by conforming to the EMV standards of the various card brands that it accepts. As a result, every Commercial Bank ATM now accepts and processes transactions based on Smart Card Integrated Circuit (IC) data as well as magnetic strip data.
About a fifth of Commercial Bank’s ATM network is located outside the precincts of its branches, with terminals installed in places such as industrial zones, railway stations, central bus stands, apartment complexes, shopping malls and large scale factories, enhancing access for customers and non-customers alike.
The only Sri Lankan Bank to be ranked among the world’s top 1000 banks for eight years consecutively, Commercial Bank now operates a network of 263 branches and 800 ATMs in Sri Lanka. The Bank has won more than 30 international and local awards in 2016 and 2017 and 20 international awards in the first eight months of 2018.
Commercial Bank’s overseas operations encompass Bangladesh, where the Bank operates 19 outlets; Myanmar, where it has a Representative Office in Yangon and a Microfinance company in Nay PyiTaw; the Maldives, where the Bank has a fully-fledged Tier I Bank with a majority stake; and Italy, where the Bank operates its own money transfer service.
