Encash Network Services, or ENS, is an independent switch network that initially connected the ATMs of four rural banks in the Philippines. In 30 months of operation since May 2010, this network expanded to more than 101, with the main objective of including all rural banks and cooperatives in the Philippines. ENS is a member of MegaLink which is interconnected with the other Philippine interbank networks, i.e. BancNet and Expressnet.
ENS is expected to provide a low-cost solution for banks and cooperatives who wish to implement ATM services compliant with global standards but cannot afford the costs[1] of connecting to any of the three main networks. It could also be the first network in the Philippines to fully adopt EMV technology on all its ATM cards, although the regular magnetic stripe cards are also an option for the network.
ENS operates a switch-in-front architecture, connected to appropriate transaction authorization entities. These will include Member Bank CA/SA systems, electronic money/wallet systems, Visa or Mastercard when available. The switch network is geared toward accepting transactions using other front-end devices, e.g., POS. ENS ATMs will be stationed more appropriately at points where commercial banks have minimal presence. Thus, ENS presents both rural and commercial bank ATM cardholders with the convenience of having more access to ATMs in more locations all over the country.
On June 8, 2010, successful ATM withdrawal transactions for the year hit the one million mark, while ENCASH ATMs dispensed more than Php 3 Billion throughout the countryside.
ENS launched the ATM portion of its interbank network on November 16, 2007 and plans to implement an EFTPOS network as well.
