HNB Chief Digital Officer Sidath Wijeratne hands over the key of the brand-new Nissan Leaf to the winner Buddhika Kumara of HNB Athurugiriya customer centre in the presence of HNB Head of Electronic Channels Managala Wickremasinghe, Head of Information Technology Ruwan Bakmedeniya and Senior Regional Head South West Region Upul Hettiarachchi

Buddhika Kumara from the Hatton National Bank (HNB) Athurugiriya customer centre was the lucky winner to drive a brand-new Nissan Leaf home at the conclusion of a grand draw under HNB PLC’s New World Rewards 2017 - Sri Lanka’s first online banking rewards system. 
The momentous occasion marked the first time a local bank in Sri Lanka rewarded its customers with grand rewards on the scale offered to HNB’s electronic banking customers. The New World Rewards Campaign by HNB was launched at the start of July and concluded in January 2017. The project was initiated to promote HNB’s innovative electronic banking platform and its wide array of other services available to their valuable customers. 
Through the promotion, the bank offered customers reward points for every digital transaction conducted, with customers who were able to accumulate a large number of reward points being selected for a chance to win a Nissan Leaf - the grand prize of the promotion while each monthly draw concluded in the gifting of a brand-new iPhone 6S to one lucky customer. Each time the customers used the HNB e-banking portal, they increased their chances of entering the final and the monthly draws.  
Kumara, who is currently employed at Almarai Corporation in Saudi Arabia, is a frequent user of HNB’s Internet banking. Using his e-banking account, he sends money to his wife and his parents in Sri Lanka and settles all mobile and utility bills on time. Though he is thousands of miles away from Sri Lanka, Kumara is confident in the knowledge that his hard-earned money will always arrive safely into the hands of his loved ones, thanks to HNB’s comprehensive online banking services.
“When the bank called me and said that I have won a Nissan Leaf, it was a really pleasant surprise for me. I have been using HNB’s electronic banking facility for almost a year now but didn’t even know that the bank was running such a promotion,” Kumara said. 
“I told my wife first that she has become an owner of a brand-new car and she couldn’t believe it. I shared the news with my parents afterwards and everyone joined the celebrations.”
Kumara is a long-standing customer of HNB. For the past seven years, HNB has been a true partner in Kumara’s progress. 
“My wife and I got married last year. While I was working in Saudi Arabia, she took care of all wedding-related work and managed them. Thanks to HNB’s e-banking, my wife could settle all payments on time as the transferring of money was so quick and convenient. It is very easy to use and all transactions are safe within the platform. I never had to call the bank’s call centre and confirm whether a transaction was successful. HNB’s Internet banking gives me the feeling of being home and completing my transactions with ease,” said Buddhika. As the leading private sector bank in Sri Lanka, HNB aims to position its state-of-the-art online banking platform as the pinnacle of integrated, digitally-driven banking service. The portal empowers users with complete flexibility and convenience to fully automate their transactions and other payments with real-time updates.  HNB Head of Electronic Delivery Channels Mangala Wickramasinghe said, “The digital disruption taking place is redefining the banking and financial industry with novel methods of digital banking. HNB’s Internet and mobile banking platforms speak for our commitment to provide unparalleled customer experience adopting breakthrough technologies with a human touch.  
Our recent investments in Internet and mobile banking have enabled customers to experience the benefits of the latest digital technologies that removes ‘pain points’ of traditional branch banking with services such as real-time fund transfers, remote account opening and deposit management, login through your Facebook account, online registration using your debit card, send money to any mobile phone, Pay 75+ utility service providers using your credit card and personal financial management.”
“This is the biggest prize given to an Internet banking user by a Sri Lankan bank. I am glad that I was able to win it from HNB’s New World Rewards,” concluded Buddhika with a happy smile.