The Social Security System has announced the issuance of universal multipurpose ID ATM Pay Cards to members, a high official said.

Besides having a valid government-issued ID, the UMID ATM Pay Cards will allow SSS members to enjoy the advantages of having a disbursement account for their benefits, loans, and refunds, and access to the participating banks' available ATMs and online and mobile platforms to conduct banking transactions.

"The UMID ATM Pay Card Program aims to promote the accurate and timely payment of SSS benefits and loans to rightful recipients. It is a step towards the national government, the SSS, and its partners' shared goals of greater financial inclusion and payments digitalization," SSS president and chief executive officer Michael Regino said in a statement.

"Currently, SSS is offering UMID ATM Pay Cards that are linked to a regular savings account, with the Union Bank of the Philippines as the first participating bank," he added.

Meanwhile, UBP has made ready an initial one million UMID ATM Cards for those who have not been issued the UMID cards.

Upgrade for free
"The UBP will also allow those with pending generic UMID cards for production to avail of this upgrade for free. To do so, they must give their Data Sharing Consent through the Services Tab of their My.SSS Web Portal account and undergo the electronic Know-Your-Customer process through the online or mobile platform of the UBP," Regino said.

Moreover, the SSS said that members who will avail of said card this year will also receive a P200 Jollibee e-Gift Certificate and the chance to win a Mitsubishi Xpander from the UBP upon the activation of their account and funding it with P1,000.

By the first quarter of 2023, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. will also be ready to issue UMID ATM Pay Cards to SSS members.

"In the coming months, we will continue to pursue partnerships with other financial institutions to provide our members with more options for this program," Regino said.

"As soon as a substantial percentage of the UMID ATM Pay Cards are issued, SSS would start re-carding the rest of the issued 13 million generic UMID cards," he added.