FirstEase, FirstBank’s buy-now-pay-later digital lending solution, has partnered with Pointek to enable customers to purchase a wide range of products at an interest rate of 3 percent, with payments spread over six months.
The offer is available to customers who receive their salaries through FirstBank and have at least three months of account history and activity.
Abednego Ugwueke, Group head, E and RP, FirstBank, said this partnership is a bold move designed to address the difficulty customers face in purchasing gadgets such as phones, laptops, airpods and other household appliances due to the high upfront cost.
‘We live in an age where there is abundance of information online, and people need devices that are intelligent to access information. With that comes the requirement for more memory, more speed of those devices, and that also translates to cost. So it becomes increasingly difficult for people to be able to cough out what is required to buy a device at once, and that is what this product is designed to solve for,’ he said.
To access the offer, customers can select the FirstEase icon on FirstBank’s mobile app or Pointek’s app, choose their preferred product and pay a 30 percent commitment fee.
FirstBank then pays the remaining 70 percent directly to Pointek, which processes the order and can deliver the product the following day.
The financing attracts a 3 percent interest rate, while customers can spread repayments over a maximum of six months. Customers who prefer to pay outright can also do so.
‘No fintech, no lender in this market will offer you this service at 3 percent’, Chukwuka Okonkwo, head of personal banking at FirstBank said
Ugwueke said the initiative reflects FirstBank’s commitment of over 132 years to innovation, technology adoption and expanding access to financial services through strategic partnerships.
He added that the bank aims to help customers, including workers, business owners and students, access the devices they need in a responsible and sustainable manner.
The partnership also deepens the bank’s pivot into digital lending, which they are well recognized in as they have other products like First Advance, First Credit, Agent Credit, designed to provide financing to individuals and businesses, including players in the agency banking sector.
Godwin Ajala, director of business at Pointek, said the partnership aligns with the company’s goal of helping more Nigerians use technology to improve their livelihoods and participate in the digital economy. Pointek currently operates more than 24 offices across 13 states in Nigeria.
‘Pointek brings technology closer to customers, while FirstBank provides a financing pathway that can help eligible customers overcome the barrier of paying the full cost upfront,’ he said.
Okonkwo, further said the offer targets salary earners, professionals, entrepreneurs and other individuals seeking convenient access to products without disrupting their financial stability.