Joining the few in competition to stay relevant in the banking space, the cards will allow individuals and businesses to have easy access to credit and pay later.

Dubbed “The Fantastic 4”, the Visa Credit Cards are the Visa Adeshie, Visa Classic, Visa Infinite and Visa Business.

Unlike the very few offering same products which target the elite in society with deep pockets, the Republic Bank has lowered the threshold to enable more people to access it.

It also forms part of a pragmatic step towards driving a cashless society as envisaged by the government.

Benefits

The bank’s Adeshie and Visa Classic Credit Cards have been designed to meet the needs of salaried workers and income earners in Ghana.

These two cards offer a limit of up to GH¢100,000 with an interest free period of 45 days.

The Visa Infinite Card, the top of range cards in the Visa Card portfolio serves the need of the high net worth giving them access to Global Concierge by Visa to all destinations , medical and legal referral by Visa and multi trip insurance.

It has a card GH¢150,000 and an interest free period of up to 45 days.

The Visa Business Credit Card, the first of its kind in Ghana allows businesses to access Credit Cards for their corporate travel expenses or in the case of SME’s to support their businesses.

It allows businesses to directly access up to GH¢200,000 credit facility on the business cards at any time for their business operations.

Speaking at the launch in Accra last Friday, the Managing Director of Republic Bank Ghana, Farid Antar, said the introduction of the Visa Credit Cards was not only to be part of the few banks offering Credit Cards in country but rather to lead in the Credit Card business in Ghana.

He said credit card, although very popular in other markets, was largely seen in the country as a privilege product where only high net worth and top notch individuals in the society could access.

Mr Antah said his outfit sought to break the perception that Credit Cards were for only the elite or high net worth in the society.

“Yes, indeed, a credit card is a privileged card and we believe everyone is worth a privileged treatment. For us, as long as you earn more than GH¢1,500 net income, whether salaried or business owner, you qualify to own a Republic Credit Card,” he said.

He said the bank sought to promote a cash-lite lifestyle as seen in many advanced countries in the world, adding that “the only way to achieve this was to make cash-less transaction facilities available and affordable.”

Business-oriented

For his part, the Board Chairman of Republic Bank Ghana, Charles Zwennes, said there was an enormous potential that technological developments could bring to transform the financial industry in a manner that would bring significant gains to businesses and consumers.

“I am particularly happy about the introduction of Business Credit Card. As a business owner, I understand the liquidity challenge and the importance of the Business Credit Card,” he said.

He said the card was indeed a business-oriented solution product and urged the management and staff of the bank to take the products to the door step of every business and entrepreneurs in Ghana.