SmartChoice Technologies (SCT) and T Bank of Bhutan have signed an agreement under which SCT will issue debit cards for T Bank. SCT has so far been issuing debit cards for Nepali banks and financial institutions only. Rabindra B. Malla, managing director of SCT, and Tshering Dorjee mangaging director of T Bank, inked the deal on behalf of their respective organizations.

"Now onwards, SCT will be issuig cards for T Bank," said Malla. T Bank's debit cards will have the SCT logo on it. The deal will allow SCT card holders to use their cards at ATMs and POS in Bhutan while T Bank card holders can use the ATMs and POS linked to the SCT network in Nepal.

"This agreement has made SCT cards acceptable in Nepal and Bhutan," said Malla. According to Malla, SCT cards for T Bank will be issued within three weeks. Malla added that SCT was planning to include three more banks in Bhutan in its network.

Established in 2001, SCT is the first company in Nepal to create an integrated shared services network for automated teller machines (ATMs) and point of sales (POS) terminals which is managed through a national switch. As of now, the company has 60 Nepali banks and financial institutions in its network. SCT has installed its own ATMs at different places in Nepal besides linking the ATMs of the members.

SCT debit cards are already acceptable in India at Punjab National Bank's ATMs.