Barclays Pingit Now Available to All

    BRIGHTON, ENGLAND, April 18, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The ground-breaking service, launched in February, is free to use and allows users to send and receive money simply using a mobile number, without the need to share bank details. The service is available to over 16s who have a UK current account and UK mobile phone number.

Barclays Pingit has been downloaded over 400,000 times in its first eight weeks and it was the number one financial app in the UK Apple App Store in February. The service is also proving popular with small businesses and eBay users, with many starting to accept payments by Barclays Pingit as an alternative to cash, cards, cheques and online transfers.

Now that the service is fully available to Barclays and non-Barclays customers, a range of additional uses for Barclays Pingit are planned for consumers and businesses in the coming months, as well as new features including joint account registrations and further business functionality. In response to strong customer demand, the service was expanded to 16 and 17 year olds with a current account at the end of February.

Antony Jenkins, Chief Executive, Retail and Business Banking, Barclays: "Barclays Pingit is proving to be more popular than even we were expecting and from today the customers of all UK banks and building societies can also benefit. The ability to make simple payments to whoever they want, wherever they are, instantly and securely, is making many people's lives much easier.

"Barclays Pingit is potentially a revolution in banking but this is just the beginning. We are listening to customer feedback and monitoring the demand for additional functionality so there's a lot more to come over the next few months."

Barclays has launched a new interactive campaign to coincide with Pingit's availability to all. A video, viewable at https://apps.facebook.com/barclays_pingit/ introduces 'The Boy', who is following up a pizza debt between two friends. Facebook users can send a customisable online version of video to friends who owe them money, encouraging them to settle their IOUs with Barclays Pingit.

The Barclays Pingit app is free to download from the Apple App Store, BlackBerry App World and Android Market. Users without a smartphone can register online to receive money if they have a UK mobile phone number and current account, regardless of their model of mobile phone.

More information is available at www.barclays.co.uk/pingit
Find out more about Barclays mobile banking and text banking alerts

Notes to editors:
- Please contact the press office for photos, b-roll and demo videos.
- Spokespeople and executives are available for interview on Barclays Pingit.

Additional service information:
- Numbers correct as at 12 April 2012.
- Barclays Pingit links the user's current account with their mobile phone number, enabling payments to be sent directly to that account via the Faster Payments Scheme. For non-customers using the Pingit app, Barclays will set up a "wallet" account and payments will be made to and from that.
- The app is protected by a five-digit passcode, set by the user.
- Senders and recipients will be notified about sent, received, pending and cancelled payments with an SMS from Barclays.
- Users must be registered to receive payments into their account, but will receive text message notifying them of the pending payments if they are not registered. If they register within 24 hours the payment will be applied to their account. The instruction will be cancelled if the recipient has not registered in that time.
- Normal transaction charges may apply for business customer. Only sole beneficiary accounts are eligible at present.
- The Barclays Pingit app works with Android 2.2 and above, iOS 4.2 and above, Blackberry OS 5.0 and above. Users must download and register via the app to be able to send payments.
- Alternative registration via the website at www.barclays.co.uk/pingit allows customers to register to receive mobile payments.

About Barclays

Barclays is a major global financial services provider engaged in retail banking, including credit cards, isas, home insurance, loans, bank accounts, cash ISA, savings bonds, corporate and investment banking and wealth management with an extensive international presence in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. With over 300 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 50 countries and employs nearly 147,000 people. Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for 48 million customers and clients worldwide.

Website: http://www.barclays.co.uk/pingit

# # #