All ATMs and digital banking solutions are available as normal and there will be ample cash in ATMs and branches that are open

Singapore, 3 April 2020 – OCBC Bank today announced that it would temporarily close 22 of its Singapore branches from 9 April 2020 to 4 May 2020, as it expects reduced traffic resulting from the government’s latest move to encourage more people to stay at home and adhere to social distancing measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. The bank’s network of 1,200 ATMs, which includes the shared ATM network with UOB Bank, as well as its digital banking solutions such as digital payments, will continue to be fully operational.

To ensure that there will be at least one branch open in the proximity of every neighbourhood town centre to support our customers’ banking needs, 24 branches will remain open, including all 19 branches that offer Sunday Banking services. All of our five branches with Safe Deposit Boxes – Centre Branch, Thomson Branch, Sixth Avenue Branch, Ang Mo Kio Branch and Bedok North Branch – will also remain open to allow customers to access their personal items and documents kept in these boxes.

The bank’s SME customers can go to any of the 24 branches that are opened for their banking needs. The Trade Service Centres at OCBC Centre South and OCBC Tampines Centre 2 remain open.

The full range of banking services will continue to be available at the 24 branches that are open. There is also no change in the branch banking hours. OCBC Bank will increase the resources at the branches whenever they are required to ensure that our customers continue to be supported and served well.

The branches that will be closed are: Bishan, Bukit Batok, Bukit Panjang, City Square Mall, Holland Village, Hougang, Jurong West, Kallang Wave Premier, Marina Bay Financial Centre, North, NTU, NUS, Parkway Parade Premier, Paya Leber Square, Serangoon Garden, SMU, Sun Plaza, Suntec City, Ubi, United Square, White Sands and Woodlands.

These branches in the table below will remain open:

Mr Sunny Quek, OCBC Bank’s Head of Consumer Financial Services, Singapore, said: “Our customers can be assured that, even with the temporary closure of these branches, we will ensure that we are able to meet our customers’ needs. While we will step up our resources at the branches to ensure that we deliver our services well, we seek our customers’ understanding for any unforeseen delay in our service delivery. We encourage our customers to make use of our digital solutions to minimise their need to come into our branches. During this period, we have seen a higher number of customers using our digital solutions. For example, we have seen 35 per cent more fund transfers performed digitally during this period.

“Having accelerated our digital transformation journey in the last few years, many financial transactions can now be performed digitally on our mobile banking or Internet banking platforms, and even at our ATMs. In fact, nine in 10 financial transactions with us are performed digitally. Without even needing to come to our branches, customers can easily manage their cash, access wealth management products, apply for credit card applications, home loans and personal loans. Recently, we have availed customers who are conversant in Mandarin a Chinese language option in our OCBC Mobile Banking app.

“We want our customers to stay well, stay safe, stay connected and stay true.”

OCBC Bank’s next generation ATMs, which were rolled out in 2018 and are now available at 23 branches, are able to function as “mini branches” and can perform 80 per cent of the most-frequently requested over-the-counter services such as cash deposits, cash withdrawals above daily limits, updating customers’ personal details as well as account- and card-related requests. Since March 2020, OCBC Bank cash cheques can also be instantly encashed at these ATMs. This caters largely to the needs of SMEs.

While the number of digital payments and transactions have gone up during this period, customers may still require cash and OCBC Bank will ensure that there is ample cash available in all its ATMs and branches that remain open. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and seek our customers’ understanding for any unforeseen delay in service.

Customers are advised to check the bank’s website at www.ocbc.com for details and to use the branch locator function to find an available branch nearest to them.

Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, OCBC has implemented measures to ensure the health and safety of customers visiting its branches. From 21 March 2020, social distancing measures have been implemented at all branches. For example, there is a cap on the number of customers allowed inside a branch at any one time and customers inside the branch will have to maintain a distance of at least 1m from each other. Vulnerable customers such as the elderly and pregnant women are given priority. Additionally, measures implemented since February 2020 such as temperature screening and health and declaration forms, continue to be in place. Any customer who has a fever, displays other symptoms related to Covid-19, or has a travel history that falls under a restriction order, will be denied entry.