Citi, Obopay Roll Out Nationwide Mobile Transfers

Citibank has expanded a person-to-person mobile payments option for its retail customers nationwide, following a year-long pilot program for the bank’s debit and credit card customers in Boston and Chicago.  It’s the first P2P mobile transfer product that can be linked to a banking account.

The service, using software from Redwood City, CA-based Obopay, allows Citi customers to link the mobile service to their checking accounts or prepaid mobile payments account – through citi.obopay.com – allowing them to transfer funds, needing only the recipient’s phone number for remittance to their preferred account. The transfer can be initiated through an SMS text message, a phone browser or the downloadable mobile application from Citi and Obopay.

Citi has previously announced plans to bundle the P2P service with its forthcoming Mobile Money Ventures m-banking platform built in a joint venture with SK Telecom of South Korea.

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