ROYAL BANK INTRODUCES PC BANKING
By Adnews Staff
Toronto-based Royal Bank of Canada entered the PC banking market this week with a package that allows the bank's customers to track their spending and manage their budgets and finances from their home computer. Called Royal Direct PC Banking, the service includes Managing Your Money software. With the software, users can instantly check their net worth, get up-to-the-minute information on investments, schedule regular, recurring payments and print a variety of financial reports. They'll also be able to perform all usual PC banking transactions including balance inquiries, bill payments and transaction histories. The service is available to clients in Metro Toronto and much of southern Ontario as of this week. It will be rolled out to the rest of the country gradually, finishing in Quebec, Atlantic Canada and the Ottawa area in mid-April. Royal PC banking manager Martin Stevens told Adnews ads for the new service have been prepared, but the bank has not decided when to run them. He said Royal has had inquiries about the service for eight months and that many people already know what the roll out date is. If the volume of calls for the service is running under what is expected, Stevens added, the ads will be run. MacLaren McCann of Toronto created the ads. For now the bank will rely on in-branch materials and a direct mail campaign that will begin in two months. Wunderman Cato Johnson of Toronto handles Royal's direct mail