South Africa's First National Bank (FNB) has announced that its banking customers in the country can now purchase iTunes gift codes from the iTunes Store using its banking application.

“The codes can be purchased using an FNB cheque account or by using eBucks accumulated through our eBucks rewards programme. A big plus is that you can pay in local currency with the added peace of mind that you do not divulge bank account details to a third party,” said Kartik Mistry, head of smart devices at FNB’s Core Banking Solutions.

According to a press statement, the iTunes gift codes are planned to be available from R150 to R3000.

Once a customer has chosen the value of their iTunes gift code they can choose whether the code is for their personal use, or if they would like to send the code as a gift via email to a recipient of their choice, it continues to read.

“Using a digital code means that you never need to worry about misplacing or losing a physical card. Access to the South African iTunes Store provides easy access to local artists like Toya Delazy or Zahara, as well as international artists, alongside apps such as FIFA 2014, Angry Birds and Minecraft and movies including Planes, Despicable Me 2 and The Wolverine,” he added.

FNB also plans to give clients up to 40% of the purchase price back in eBucks. The discount will be based on their eBucks discount level.

“This announcement marks the first step in introducing entertainment purchases on our banking platforms,” Mistry concluded.