How to Bank with a Cell Phone

The electronic wallet is getting closer to reality every day. And with 35 percent of Americans already banking online, banks, led by CitiBank, are in the process of rolling out cellphone-based services that let customers pay bills, check their account balances and transfer funds from their phones. While some of the banks, such as Wachovia, are partnering with telephone companies like AT&T – and will have their icon prominently displayed on the phone desktop when you buy your phone from them – Citibank decided to do it alone. Their customers can access its service, Citi Mobile, from any carrier on over 100 handsets ranging from the BlackBerry to the RAZR. The only downside to the Citi Mobile service is that users have to download an application, but a few simple steps will get you up and ready in no time.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Got to CitiBank’s Web site and sign in to you CitiBank account online. A link is provided in the Resources box. (If you have a CitiBank account and haven’t signed up for online access, do it now.)
2. Once you’re signed in, go to the service center link on the blue navigation bar.
3. Look for the Citi Mobile link on the left side of the page.
4. If you do not see the City Mobile Link it may be because you haven’t set up a telephone access code. If you do see the City Mobile link move along directly to Step 9.
5. To set up the telephone access code click the link that says “Change Your Telephone Access Code.”
6. The next screen will ask you for your ATM PIN number and in the next box under “setup a new telephone access code” you will be asked to choose a 6 character numeric password. Once you have done that, click the “Continue” button and you will be told if the process has been accepted.
7. Log out of your account.
8. Log back in and repeat steps 1 to 3 and you should have the Citi Mobile link.
9. Click on the Citi Mobile link. The page that opens asks you for the name of your carrier, the make of your phone, your phone number and your telephone access code. Enter them, confirm and you’re done.
10. CitiBank will text you a message to your phone and when you open it you will be able to launch the Citi Mobile application that will enable you to do everything you can do with your account online except make a wire transfer or add a new payee to your bill pay service.

Tips & Warnings

• Bank of America, Wells Fargo and other banks are in the process of rolling out cell phone account access cross-country. If you don’t have their service yet, you soon will have.
• Citi Mobile protects its customers' security in 3 ways. First, each time customers access their account by phone, they must enter a 6-digit personal identification number (PIN). Second, no personal data, including account numbers, are ever stored on the phone. Finally, all information sent between the phone and the bank has 128-bit encryption.

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