HOUSING FINANCE BANK LIMITED
Retail Internet Banking Terms and Conditions
1. Agreement and Acceptance
1.1 The Terms and Conditions stated herein constitute an agreement for the services contemplated
herein and become effective between you and Housing Finance Bank Ltd ( "the bank", "we", "our" or
"us") at the time of registering for HFB Online banking services. These conditions are in addition to
your Account Terms.
1.2 If there is a difference between a condition in these Conditions and a condition in your Account
Terms in respect of your use of the HFB Online Banking service, the condition in these Conditions is
the one that shall apply. If there is a difference between a condition in these Conditions and a
condition in your Account Terms in respect of other aspects of your Account, the condition in your
Account Terms is the one that shall apply.
1.3 To access the HFB Online Banking service you must log to our website
at www.housingfinance.co.ug.
a. "Account" shall mean any account that you hold with us and which we allow you to register for use
within the HFB Online Banking service.
b. "Account Terms" shall mean the terms and conditions of your Account.
c. "Customer, or You and Your" shall mean a person who is registered to use our online banking
services and has accepted these Terms & Conditions.
d. "Instructions" shall mean the instructions given to the Bank directly by you through HFB Online
Banking service using your security details.
e. "Online Banking Services" shall mean services that the Bank provides through the internet to
enable you to access, give instructions on and operate additional functionality in relation to certain
accounts you hold with us including any account which you hold jointly with somebody else.
f. "One Time Passcode or OTP" shall mean security details that will be sent to your registered mobile
phone number and used to verify your action on the online banking service.
g. "Terms & Conditions" means these Terms & Conditions including any amendments all annexure,
schedules, incorporated by reference from time to time.
h. "User ID" shall mean a unique access code that will be created by you or the Bank on registering
for HFB Online Banking service.
3.1 To use the HFB Online Banking service you must hold at least one Account and have registered
to use the HFB Online Banking service.
3.2 If you are a joint account holder, each person named on the account can register for HFB Online
Banking services. Each joint account holder will have separate security details to access and use the
service.The online banking services available shall depend on the joint Account Terms.
3.3 With HFB Online Banking service, you can access information about your account, give us
instructions, and use other functionality that we make available from time to time.
3.4 We will provide or ask you to set security details for access to the HFB Online Banking service.
These could include a User ID, password, and memorable information. We may change these
requirements at any time.
3.5 The Bank will execute all instructions sent to us after you enter your passcode as being authorised
by you and intended to have legal effect. This includes circumstances where your passcode has been
comprised in any way and the Bank has not received notice to that effect.
3.6 We may make operational changes to the way that the services are accessed at any time. We will
notify you about such changes by either placing a message on our website, Online banking home
page, or by text, email or by post.
3.7 Charges shall be applicable on Online banking services accessed, these shall be displayed to you
during transactions processing and on the charges and fees page within HFB online Banking.
3.8 The Bank reserves the right to set transaction limits, the amount and frequency of payments that
you may make on your account. Processing of all the Instructions is subject to the availability of funds
or limits on the account. In the event of clear funds or limits not being available, the Bank shall not
process the Instructions and shall not make payments. You understand that the Bank shall not be
liable for any late charges, penalty, loss, damage, expenses, whether direct or indirect, incurred/to be
incurred by you in this regard and/or the Utilities/Services not being delivered to you by the agents
on account of failure to execute Instructions and you hereby agree not to hold the Bank liable in this
regard.
3.9 You are responsible for maintaining your computer or mobile device, for ensuring that it is
compatible with the online banking service.
3.10 We shall use reasonable endeavours to keep the services free from viruses and corrupt files but
cannot guarantee this. You should ensure that you have appropriate anti-virus software installed on
any computer or mobile devices that you use to access the services. We shall not be liable for any
loss or damage you suffer if your device is infected by a virus or corrupt file unless such loss or
damage is the direct result of our negligence or deliberate default.
3.11 You will log all complaints about the HFB online Banking service within online banking where a
reference of your complaint will be given and the Bank shall upon receipt of any complaint, give
feedback to you within reasonable time depending on the nature of the complaint.
4.1 To login to your account, make payments and access many aspects of the services you will need
to register your mobile phone number to receive one time passcodes that we will send to your
phone. You will need to input this code to verify and complete certain transactions. We will only
send you a passcode when you have taken action to access the Online Banking service.
4.2 When you add or seek to make a payment to a new payee or beneficiary using HFB Online
Banking, you will be asked to input a one time passcode as part of the process. Once a new payee or
beneficiary is verified with a one time passcode, future payments to that payee or beneficiary may be
made without entering another one time passcode. If you do not intend to make any future
payments we recommend you delete this payee after payment.
4.3 You must take all reasonable precautions to prevent anyone else from accessing the passcode
and must never disclose it to anyone, even if they claim to be our employees or agents or the police.
We will never ask you to disclose your OTP.
4.4 You must notify us as soon as possible if you change your phone number, or your phone is lost or
stolen. We will send a text to confirm this. If you receive a text confirming a change and you have
not asked to change your number, please contact us immediately
5.1 You must take reasonable security precautions to keep your account safe when using HFB Online
Banking, including:
(a) not choosing a password or other security details which may be easy to guess, such as your date of
birth;
(b) memorising security details or writing them down only in a way that cannot be understood by
others and you should not store them on your device;
(c) only providing security details to us when asked through HFB Online Banking. We will ask for
details if you call us but will never ask for them over email;
(d) only responding to an email if you are confident it came from us we will address emails to you
personally and quote your customer number or last three digits of the account number to identify
ourselves;
(e) only accessing our HFB Online Banking service via our website you should never go to our Online
Banking service from a link in an email and enter your security details;
(f) ensuring any information shown or stored on your device is kept secure, that the device is locked
when you are not using it and that you log out when exiting the service;
(g) protecting your device with up-to-date anti-virus and firewall software; and
(h) not accessing your account from a device using public WI-FI.
5.2 Our digital services may use your location data or information about your device in order to
prevent and detect fraud. For example, we may check if you are in the country where your payments
are being made in instances where we suspect fraud on your account. We will not use this
information for any other purpose.
5.3 Further details on keeping your accounts safe can be found on our website. You must follow any
other the guidance we give you about keeping your security details and mobile device or computer
secure.
5.4 If you receive a suspicious email please do not open it or click on any links contained within it,
instead report this immediately by forwarding the email to phishing@housingfinance.co.ug
5.5 You must contact us immediately in accordance with your account terms if you believe someone
else knows your security details or think they have been misused. You may do this by contacting our
Customer Service Centre on +256-41-7803000.
5.6 If you don't follow these procedures,we may withdraw or suspend your ability to access Online
Banking until we are satisfied that your account is secure.
5.7 For security reasons we may de-activate your security details if you have not used them to access
Online Banking for any twelve (12) month period. We will send you a reminder at least two (2)
months before any de-activation date.
6.1 Any addition or alteration of these Terms and Conditions made from time to time by the Bank of
which has been given to the Account Holder shall be binding upon the Account Holder as fully as if
the same were contained in these Terms and Conditions.
6.2 We will give you notice of amendments and changes on our website, the pre-login page of HFB
Online Banking, Online banking home page, by post, email, text or by any other means as Account
Terms. You should check our website regularly for such messages.
6.3 The new terms will apply automatically at the end of the notice period, but if you do not want to
agree to the change, you can stop using Online Banking without paying any extra charges or interest,
at any time until the change takes effect. If you continue using HFB Online Banking after this, we'll
assume you've accepted the change.
6.4 We may also make changes to HFB Online Banking platform from time-to-time that we ask you
to agree to, for example software updates or improvements in functionality
7.1 In consideration of the Bank agreeing to provide you the online banking service, You hereby
irrevocably agree to indemnify and keep the Bank indemnified, at all times from all losses, damage,
costs, legal fees, charges and expenses and consequences whatsoever, suffered or incurred by the
Bank on account of any claims, actions, suits or otherwise instituted by You, or any third party
whatsoever, arising out of or in connection with the use of online banking service and any
transactions initiated by the use of online banking service, whether with or without your knowledge,
or whether the same have been initiated bona fide or otherwise which transactions, you hereby
acknowledge, the Bank has processed on the Instructions and authority received from you in
accordance with these Terms & Conditions.
7.2 In addition, You shall indemnify the Bank for all losses and costs it may incur on your behalf due
to;
a. Non-payment
b. Any instructions exceeding the amount available in your bank account
c. Unauthorized instructions executed which are not due to the Bank's negligence.
8.1 The Bank will at all times and for whatever reason have the sole and exclusive right to suspend or
terminate the Online Banking service without any prior notification or giving any reasons for such
termination or suspension, especially where the Bank finds it appropriate to do so or as may be
required by law to take such action.
8.2 You acknowledge and accept that the Online banking service may be unavailable from time to
time for any reason, including:
(a) technical failure or our systems underlying the online banking service or indirectly the underlying
Internet service that is owned or controlled by other persons (third party system);
(b) Occasionally, we may need to carry out maintenance that could limit the availability of the online
banking services.
(c) Unavailability or telecommunication or electricity services; or other circumstances beyond our
control.
(d) You undertake in the event of unavailability of online banking service, to mitigate your potential
losses by using any other means of communication with us for the duration of the unavailability of
online Banking.
(e) any interruption, malfunction, downtime or other failure of services provided by third parties,
including, without limitation, third party systems such as the public switched telecommunication
service providers, internet service providers, electricity suppliers, local authorities and certification
authorities;
(f) Any event over which we have no direct control.
8.3 You hereby acknowledge that the Bank shall not be liable for any loss arising out of general
interruptions with the HFB Online Banking since the service is an internet service based solution.
9.1 This agreement does not have a fixed duration so will continue until either you or we terminate
it.
9.2 You can cancel your Online Banking service at any time by calling us or writing to us at Electronic
Delivery Channel, Investment House, 4 Wampewo Ave, Kololo, and P.O Box 1539, Kampala,
Uganda.
9.3 We may terminate your use of any of the online banking services at any time if you breach a
material term of this agreement and fail to remedy it within the timelines recommended by the Bank,
by giving you at least one (1) months' written notice including email or text alerts.
9.4 We may also terminate or suspend your use of the online banking services if we terminate or
suspend your use of your accounts in accordance with the Account Terms
You permit us to issue notices required in the terms of this agreement or by Regulation available via our online banking or sending such notifications by email, text. The notices issued shall to the extent to which they contain contractual terms relating to online banking form part of this agreement
Online Banking services use a high level of encryption, which may be illegal in some countries outside of Uganda. You should not access the services from countries where this is not permitted by local law. We shall not be liable for any loss, damage or other outcome suffered by you as a result of you breaking any local law by using the services from outside Uganda
12.1 No failure on the part of the Bank to exercise any of its rights is to be construed as a waiver of
any such right whether is done expressly or implied. It will not affect the validity of any part of these
conditions or prejudice our right to take subsequent action against you.
12.2 Where any of these terms, conditions or provisions are held to be invalid, unlawful or
unenforceable to any extent; such term condition or provision will be severed from the remaining
terms, which will continue to be valid.
12.3 The Bank's address of service for any legal process is Housing Finance Bank Limited, Investment
House, Plot 4 Wampewo Avenue, Kololo P.O.Box 1539 Kampala, Uganda.
12.4 This agreement will be governed and construed in accordance with the Laws of Uganda
12.5 All the information we give you and all communications from us will be in English. We will only
accept communications and instructions from you in English.