Mt. Pleasant Banks, Businesses and Consumers Are Making Mobile Payments

MT. PLEASANT, Texas, Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- American National Bank and Guaranty Bond Bank now offer mobile payments to their customers and the community with partner Bling Nation, a provider of mobile payments services that connect financial institutions, businesses and consumers through tap-and-pay for purchases at the point of sale.

Customers with a checking account at either bank can easily sign up for a BlingTag®, a quarter-sized microchip sticker that adheres to the back of their mobile phone to enable debit transactions directly from their account.  

"We decided to work with Bling, because we were impressed with the technology and the 'cool factor' it introduced into our community," said Vikki Goates, executive vice president, chief financial officer and cashier for American National Bank. "The Bling Nation team is very energetic about its product, and they are continuously coming up with new ways to market it to our customers and potential customers."

Each time a purchase is made using a BlingTag, the consumer receives a transaction confirmation and account balance by text message. Since the BlingTag does not store any personal information, it offers more security than traditional plastic cards and reduces the risk of identity theft and fraud.  

"We chose Bling Nation because they offer a win-win-win product—banks and merchants win by reducing costs, consumers win by accumulating rewards each time they use their BlingTags, and community wins when more money is spent locally," said Martin Bell, executive vice president of Guaranty Bond Bank. "We are extremely pleased with the growth and high customer acceptance of Bling Nation as well as the positive feedback from our business customers."

Melissa Goolsby, owner of 8-Twenty One, a family owned retail-clothing store in Mt. Pleasant, established a customer loyalty system with the support of Bling Nation's mobile payment technology.

"BlingTags are incredibly convenient for my shoppers and give them the wonderful opportunity to receive cash back," said Goolsby. "And as a retailer, I have the opportunity to save on interchange fees and promote a new customer rewards program."

Instead of viewing mobile payments as a competitive or exclusive product, Goates and Bell both saw an opportunity to increase acceptance by offering their customers the same mobile payments product.

"By working together to bring Bling Nation and tap-and-pay at the point of sale to Mt. Pleasant, American National Bank and Guaranty Bond Bank have paved the way for quick and measurable mobile payments success," said Meyer Malka, founder and co-CEO of Bling Nation. "Both banks and all of their business and personal customers can now benefit from secure and convenient payments."

About Guaranty Bond Bank

Guaranty Bond Bank, founded in 1913, is now an $890 million asset regional community bank serving 11 different communities in Texas. The bank attributes its growth and success to the high quality staff who are not only dedicated to meeting the financial needs of their customers, but also strive to make their communities better by always being involved. For additional information, visit www.gnty.com.

About American National Bank

American National Bank of Mt. Pleasant, Texas has been serving the financial needs of its community, since it was founded by a group of local businessmen in 1979. American National Bank is an independent, locally-owned community bank serving northeast Texas and provides competitive financial products, products such as loan and deposit accounts, safe deposit boxes, Internet and telephone banking, and wire transfer services. For additional information, visit www.anbmp.com.

About Bling Nation

Bling Nation mobile payment services connect local financial institutions and businesses, allowing customers to use their mobile phones to tap and pay for purchases and receive text account balance and transaction confirmations at the point of sale. Businesses and financial institutions eliminate payment processing middlemen, while differentiating their services and supporting community "shop local" programs.  For additional information, visit www.blingnation.com or follow us at www.twitter.com/blingnation.

SOURCE Bling Nation