Emirates NBD is now offering customers the option of conducting select banking enquiries and transactions via Twitter.

The first-to-market banking service will allow Emirates NBD customers to simply tweet for enquiries about their current or savings account or credit card, or perform transactions such as balance enquiry, view last five transactions or request for previous month’s e-statement, explains the company in a statement. Queries will be responded to instantly via direct message in order to maintain privacy.

For now, in the first phase, the service is only available by invitation. The bank has announced that it plans to increase the number of services and transactions as well as expand to other platforms in the near future.

Commenting on the new service, Suvo Sarkar, senior executive vice-president and group head – retail banking and wealth management, Emirates NBD, says in the statement, “Our customers today have a deep affinity with social media and mobile-based applications and services. By offering innovative banking solutions though these oft-used digital channels, we want to make banking more accessible and fun.”