Tag: ATM

E-Banking: Impact of Information Technology in India Mr. Vijay Kumbhar [Assit. Professor in Economics, Abasaheb Marathe College, Rajapur Dist- Ratnagiri (Maharashtra)]

Introduction With the advancement of information technology and to derive the inherent advantages of its implementation, there was a long felt need to give recognition to the electronic mean as an alternative to paper based banking practice in India. The evolution of banking technology has been mainly driven by changes in distribution channels as automated teller-machine (ATM), phone-banking, tele-banking, pc-banking and most recently internet banking etc. In the traditional banking system a person had to go to a bank branch to deposit or withdraw money and get a bank statement book manually updated by a teller over the counter. With the introduction of computer networks, a networked printing machine started replacing the manual update of statements. Then automated teller machines (ATMs) were introduced to facilitate withdrawals, deposits and even transfers accommodating mobility in much wider geographical areas. Phone banking was a revolutionary concept in banking since it made banking accessible from anywhere as long as phones were available. With the successful diffusion of mobile phones, phone banking is moving into a next phase of development. However, one of the most substantial changes in banking technology is the recent introduction of internet banking.

1.0 Definition of E-Banking E-banking is defined as the automated delivery of new and traditional banking products and services directly to customers through electronic, interactive communication channels. E-banking includes the systems that enable financial institution customers, individuals or businesses, to access accounts, transact business, or obtain information on financial products and services through a public or private network, including the Internet. Customers access e-banking services using an intelligent electronic device, such as a personal computer (PC), personal digital assistant (PDA), automated teller machine (ATM), kiosk, or Touch Tone telephone. While the risks and controls are similar for the various e-banking access channels, this booklet focuses specifically on Internet-based services due to the Internet’s widely accessible public network.

1.2 Origin of E-banking In India The Indian banking system has undergone significant technological transformation since the 1980s.The Rangarajan Committee report in 1980s was the first step towards computerization of banks. Banks started exploring the idea of ‘Total Bank Automation (TBA)’. Although titled ‘Total Bank Automation,’ TBA was in most cases confined to branch automation. It was only in the early 1990s that banks started thinking about tying-up disparate branches together to facilitate information sharing. At the same time, private banks entered the banking arena with radically different strategies. The private banks provided huge budgets to the adoption of technology to provide a whole new range of financial products and services at minimal costs.

1.3 E-Banking in India Most of Indian commercial banks are providing non-conventional and innovative banking services. Product innovation is tied to internet banking; increasing competition amongst the leading banks also promotes product and service differentiation. For example, despite the Internet Banking System developed in 1990 by the reserve bank of India with the help of department of telecommunication of India. Moreover, Indian banks offer innovative technology based banking products and service to their customers. Information technology revolution affect on traditional banking practice in following manner in India.

1.3.01Computerization of Banks in India Computerization is general trend in all sector, banks also trying to Computerization, as per recommendation of Rangarajan Committee (II), the progress in implementation of the directive of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on the need to computerize 70 per cent of the banking business by public sector banks before January 1, 2006, 13 banks had achieved the desired level. Figures as at end of March 2008 indicated that 23 banks have achieved the target, while two banks have computerisations levels ranging between 70 per cent and 79 per cent and two others were at a level below 65per cent and 29 percent banks having a core banking solution. At present there are 67.7% of branches are under Core Banking Solutions, 94.6% are fully computerized and 6.4% are partially computerized branches of public sector banks in India. Other than public sector banks, all private and foreign banks are mostly computerized recently.

1.3.02Wireless Banking, Online Banking or Internet Banking Wireless banking/ online banking is a delivery channel that can extend the reach and enhance the convenience of Internet banking products and services. Wireless banking occurs when customers access a financial institution’s network using cellular phones, pagers, and personal digital assistants through telecommunication companies’ wireless networks. It uses the Internet as the delivery channel by which to conduct banking activity, e.g. transferring funds, paying bills, viewing checking and savings account balances, paying mortgages, and purchasing financial instruments and certificates of deposit. Online banking usually offers such features as: Bank statements, with the possibility to import data in a personal finance program such as Quicken or Microsoft Money Electronic bill payment Electronic funds transfer between a customer’s own checking and savings accounts, or to another customer’s account Electronically investment purchase or sale of securities by D-Mat Account Loan applications and transactions, such as repayments account aggregation to allow the customers to monitor all of their accounts in one place whether they are with their main bank or with other institutions.etc.

1.3.03Core Banking or Centralized Banking Core banking is a term used to describe a service provided by a group of networked bank branches. Bank customers may access their funds from any of the member branch offices. Core banking consists of a networking process by which the servers of different branches of a bank are joined to a common server and henceforth an account holder may access, deposit, and withdraw money from his/her account from any of the branches of the bank. In 21st United States, core banking has become common place. Today 67.7 % of public sector bank branches are all branches of private and foreign banks are under core banking solution in India.

1.3.04Electronic Authentication and Electronic Signature Banks are now using technology for the proper identification of customers’ identity. In the era of technology based banking operation verifying the identities of customers and authorizing e-banking activities are integral parts of e-banking services. Since traditional paper-based and in-person identity authentication methods reduce the speed and efficiency of electronic transactions, financial institutions have adopted alternative authentication methods. The latest option digital (electronic) signatures for generating and identification of customers signature is best option within the electronic banking platform.

1.3.05BANKNET BANKNET is a internet based communication network backbone. It provides speed of financial transaction. At present, seven centers viz. Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta, Madras, Nagpur, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Set up in 1991 by the RBI, this backbone is meant to facilitate transfer of inter-bank (and inter-branch) messages within India by Public Sector banks who are members of this network. More centres (like Pune, Ahmedabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Kochi, Jaipur, Bhopal, Patna, Bhubaneshwar, Thiruvananthapuram, Guwahati, Panaji Jammu etc) are being brought on the network.

1.3.06INFINET-Indian Financial Network The ‘INFINET’ Indian Financial Network is a satellite based wide area network using VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) technology set up by the RBI in June 1999. The hub and the Network Management System of the INFINET are located in the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology, (IDRBT) Hyderabad. Among the major applications identified for porting on the INFINET in the initial phase are e-mail, Electronic Clearing Service – Credit and Debit, Electronic Funds Transfer and transmission of Inter-city Cheque Realization advices. Later, other payment system related applications as well as Management Information System (MIS) applications are proposed to be operationalized.

1.3.07Indian Banks and S.W.I.F.T All Indian public sector banks are part of the international financial messages communication network, namely, Society for Worldwide Inter-bank Financial Telecommunication (S.W.I.F.T). The S.W.I.F.T provides reliable and expeditious telecommunication facilities for exchange of financial message all over the world. The gateway is in Mumbai and efforts are on to other cities through leased lines/public data network.

1.3.08Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) EDI is a computer-to-computer transfer of details of commercial or administrative transactions using an agreed protocol and standard data structure. EDI standards have been developed in respect of specific messages for transmission of business transactions which are electronic equivalents of commercial invoices, purchase orders, transport bookings and payment instructions etc.

1.3.09Telephone banking, Mobile Banking and SMS Banking Telephone banking is specific provision of banking services over the telephone. It allows customers to perform transactions over the telephone. Most telephone banking use an interactive voice response (IVR). Mobile Banking is the hottest area of development in the banking sector and is expected to replace the credit/debit card system in future. Most of banks are providing SMS alert facility to their customers. Facility of SMS services SMS banking is becomes very much safe and useful in recent days.

1.3.10MICR Clearing MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) is a character recognition technology adopted mainly by the banking industry to facilitate the processing of cheque. The process was demonstrated to the American Bankers Association in July 1956, and it was almost universally employed by 1963. MICR characters are printed with a magnetic ink or toner. Magnetic printing is used so that the characters can be reliably read into a system, In India MICAR Introduced in 1987 in the four Metros, the MICR Clearing is now in operation in 14 centers (HYDERABAD, BANGLORE, AHMEDABAD, KANPUR, JAIPUR, NAGPUR, BARODA, PUNE, GAUHATI, TRIVANDRUM) and is proposed to be extended to a total of 22 centers where volume of clearing transactions is large. 1.3.11Automated Clearing House The Automated Clearing House (ACH) is an electronic banking network operating system. ACH processes large volumes of both credit and debit transactions which are originated in batches. Within the Rules and regulations governing the ACH network are established by the Reserve Bank of India by the help of the State Bank of India. 1.3.12Credit card and Debit Cards A credit card system is a type of retail transaction settlement and credit system, named after the small plastic card issued to users of the system. In the case of credit cards, the issuer lends money to the consumer. Credit cards are become very popular in India with the introduction of foreign banks in the country. A debit card is a plastic card which provides an alternative payment method to cash when making purchases. Debit cards are accepted at many locations, including grocery stores, retail stores, gasoline stations, and restaurants. It’s an alternative to carrying a checkbook or cash. There are currently two ways that debit card transactions are processed: online debit cards and offline debit cards. Online debit cards require electronic authorization of every transaction and the debits are reflected in the user’s account immediately. Offline debit cards have the logos of major credit cards (e.g. Visa or MasterCard) or major debit cards (e.g. Maestro) and are used at point of sale like a credit card. This type of debit card may be subject to a daily limit, as well as a maximum limit equal to the amount currently deposited in the current/checking account from which it draws funds.

1.3.13RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlement System) Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) is a comprehensive secured on line settlement solution, set up, operated and maintained by Reserve Bank of India to enable funds settlement across banks in the country on real time basis to minimize costs and maximize benefits, increase velocity of funds-flow both inter- city and interbank, reduce credit risk, increase transparency of payments and better liquidity management. RTGS is managed by RBI. In India RTGS System has been implemented since March 26, 2004. 1.3.14Electronic Clearing Services (ECS) ECS Scheme operated by the RBI since 1996-97, it helps to make payment from a single account at a bank branch to any number of accounts maintained with the branches of the same or other banks. This is the most useful mode of payment of dividend / interest/ pension/refund etc. The clearing and settlement activities are dispersed through 1,047 clearing houses managed by RBI, the State Bank of India and its associates, public sector banks and other institutions. 1.3.15Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) & Special Electronic Funds Transfer EFT System hosted and operated by the RBI, permits transfer of funds, unto Rs. 5 lacs from any account at any branch of any member bank in any city to any other account at any branch of any member bank in any other city. This system utilizes the Service Branches of the member banks and the nodal offices of RBI. RBINET is the conduit for the flow of funds. The Reserve Bank of India acts as the service provider as well as regulator. A special EFT (SEFT) was introduced in April 2003 covering about 3000 branches in 500 cities. This has facilitated same day transfer of funds across accounts of constituents at all these branches. 1.3.16Automated Teller Machine (ATM) The first bank to introduce the ATM concept in India was the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) in the year 1987. Now, almost every commercial bank gives ATM facilities to its customers. SBI is following the concept of ‘ATMs in Quantity’. The Corporation Bank has the second largest network of ATMs amongst the Public Sector Banks in India. Today’s all Public Sector Banks are taking the installation of ATMs seriously for Indian market. They are either setting up their own ATM centers or entering into tie-ups with other banks. Since April 2009 access in any ATM machine is free of charge it is the great opportunity to any ware banking in India. 1.3.17Electronic Bill Payment EBP can attract customers due to the faster and efficient bill payment mechanism of the banking in India. Customers can access their financial information more easily and create a more intimate relationship with the customer and promote and deliver other online products and services. Most of Indian banks are trying setups an EBP portal. ICICI has already started a portal called BillJunction.com. Banks are planning to use the Net for payment of utility bills. They are entering into tie-ups with utilities like MTNL, AirTel, Orange, and BPL Mobile etc. Right now, a customer who’s received a bill in the physical form logs into the network in order to make an online payment. In the future, these bills will be sent to customers through the Net.

Conclusion All these developments in Indian banking are shows that, the Indian banks are marching towards modern banking and changing their traditional look. It is grate change of banking industry because of information technology development. They are trying to installation of information technology for banking business and they trying to provide technology based banking products and services to their customers. Indian banks also trying to Univerlisation of banking products and services to one stop banking shop for customer delight, but comparatively private and foreign banks existing in Indian economy are having a higher level of modernization and those providing numbers of modern services to their customers. References:- 1)Davis whitely (2000) : Strategy Technologies, and Applications MCGRAW- Hill company. 2)Dr. M.Mahmaoudi Maymand (2005) E-commerce Deep & Deep publications pvt.Ltd. 3)Gordon, Natarasan (2006) Financial Markets & services Himalaya publication House Delhi. 4)P.R.Shukla, S.K.Rovchoudhary, (1992), Banking System, credit and Developments, Akashdeep publishing House, New Delhi. 5)N.Vinaykam (1993); A peep In To The Private sector Banks, kanishka publishers Delhi. 6)Khan Masood Ahamad (1992) Banking In India, Anmol Publications, New Delhi. 7)S.S.Hugar (1993), Trends And challeges To Indian Banking, Deep & Deep publications, New Delhi. 8)Vasant C.Joshi, Vinay V.Joshi (1998) Managing Indian Banks : The Challenges Ahead, Sage publications, New Delhi. 9)Frederic S. Mishkin (1998), The Economics of Money Banking and Financial Markets 5th edition an important of addition wesly Longman. 10)Report on Trends and progress of Banking in India – 2005-06 11)R.B.I. Annual Report 2004-05 and 2005-06. 12)Banking Industry – Vision 2010 13)Professional BANKER – July 2007.

There are a lot of factors that made onshore banking as well as offshore banking different. Although they all have their own features and advantages, one is always better than the other. It is really hard to choose sometimes because of lack of knowledge regarding which is good and which works for you. Here are some questions that surely have crossed your mind as well as answers to help you decide on what to pick.

Which one would reduce your tax?

Onshore banking is subject to the tax and foreign exchange rules of the country in which the account is held, and depending on the size of your savings, and the tax regime of your onshore jurisdiction, the price you pay is likely to be fairly high if your savings are ‘considerable’. Therefore, if you are interested in reducing your tax exposure, and in relatively higher confidentiality levels, it would make sense to examine the possibilities available to you offshore.

Would you use an offshore bank account if you are with an onshore savings already?

Onshore banking is subject to the tax and foreign exchange rules of the country in which the account is held, and depending on the size of your savings, and the tax regime of your onshore jurisdiction, the price you pay is likely high if your savings are ‘considerable’. Therefore, if you are interested in reducing your tax exposure, and in relatively higher confidentiality levels, it would make sense to examine the possibilities available to you offshore.
Sure it is always advisable to stick to the one you are used to but if changes will alleviate everything then why would you settle for less?

How long does it take to open an offshore/onshore account?

Most of the time it is easier to get an offshore accounts rather that an onshore account because there would be lots of requirements needed for processing on onshore banking. Signature Card With an onshore account you must provide notarized specimen signatures, notarized copy of passport or drivers, license, bank reference, utility bill/s showing residential address and many others. This is a very exhausting list isnt? But you need not to worry because many offshore institutions do not require all of the mentioned documents, or require them in different combinations, but this is normally well documented in their brochures.

How secure is my money? Isn’t it more risky to invest/bank offshore?

It is definitely not risky. It is always better to regard offers and institutions which seem too good to be true’ with suspicion, as they generally are! You should begin your research with well established institutions to give you a frame of reference regarding industry standards, and regard with skepticism interest rates or benefits which seem exceptional’. Also, check that the reputation of the bank that you are planning to deal with is good
Finally, bear in mind that even as taking advantage of existing legislation to legitimately minimize your tax burden with a reputable service provider presents very little risk, unreported offshore activity for the purposes of tax evasion is risky. Some offshore jurisdictions have deposit protection system.

With an offshore bank account, you can be rest assured that there is no information that will be provided for those who would like to investigate or learn your banking status. With an offshore account, it is clear that confidentialities are like norms that should be strictly followed.

Will I able to deposit and get access to my money fast?

Depending on your needs, there are many ways of obtaining access to your money. This can be done by post, courier, fax, telephone, over the internet or bank wire transfer. By having an offshore debit card you can then also easily access your bank account on all ATM machines.

How does an offshore debit card works?

Debit Card works in the same way as a Credit Card for purchase transactions at Merchant Outlets, with the only difference being that the cardholder will be able to spent only up to the balance available in the account thus making it batter than a credit card for it will not lead the owner onto serious debts. Because the owner of the card will just use his own money he will not be subjected for any high rates that a credit will give.

2GetCash offshore debit card is one of the most convenient and reliable offshore debit cards. Through this, you can easily have an access to your bank account at the same time calling your love ones abroad at very low rates.

With mobile devices becoming integral to people’s lives, banks are seeking to leverage the ubiquity of mobile phones to create a cost-effective distribution channel, rapidly innovate, extend reach across segments and improve convenience and security of use. However, due to consumer concerns regarding security, the adoption of this channel for value-based transactions has been limited. While some consumers prefer browser-based mobile banking, others use applications that can be downloaded to create a rich interface on the handset. Additionally, the diversity of hand held devices presents a unique challenge for banks seeking to optimize services delivery across the gamut of devices and customer segments.

A truly secure mobile banking solution built on open standards, for increased agility and flexibility, can prove invaluable for banks. The solution must also intuitively address the hurdles posed by multiple form factors and access mechanisms in the mobile space.

Finacle mobile banking solution empowers retail and corporate banking customers with access to banking services through SMS, GPRS/ 3G and USSD-enabled handsets, leveraging a single platform. The solution provides a secure, multi-lingual channel for banks to innovate by easily deploying new services with improved time to market. The end user experience thus created is richer and truly convenient.

Finacle mobile banking solution integrates easily with disparate host systems, core banking solutions, payment networks and third-party applications. The solution leverages Infosys mConnect, the indigenously developed middleware, which orchestrates mobile transactions between users’ devices and the Finacle universal banking solution. Infosys mConnect handles the multiplicity of form factors and access mechanisms on multiple devices to provide a context and device independent view to the transaction server. This presents banks with a powerful channel to service customer segments ranging from the mass affluent to the under-banked or unbanked, surmounting the challenge posed by the diversity of mobile devices.

The ubiquity of the platform adequately addresses the challenges of encryption, communication, synchronization, image resizing, downloading and security. This ushers in the advantages of reduced integration by leveraging common interface messages, maintenance and deployment costs.

Customer On-boarding

Finacle mobile banking enables the bank’s existing customers to be directed to use the mobile channel for banking and payment transactions through the following modes:

Mobile banking facility requested by sending SMS request in prescribed format

Registering for mobile banking through the bank’s Internet banking site

Phone banking leveraging the bank’s tele-banking call center

Mobile Banking and Payments

Customers are enabled to perform several financial transactions on their mobile phones using multiple languages and across multiple time zones. The functional capabilities of the solution include:

Account management and requests like balance inquiry, account aggregation (within and with other banks), mini statements, among others

Term deposit and renewal

Funds transfer (self and third-party accounts with multi-currency support)

Local and international payments with support for expedited payments

Bill presentment and payment

Remote deposit capture

Account origination, Forex rates and calculators

Cheque status inquiry, cheque book requests and stop cheque requests

Customer personalization including account setup and marketing preference

Transaction approvals for corporate customers

ATM and bank branch locator

Remittance request, enquiry and statement

Peer-to-peer payments

Business-to-business payments

Contactless payments

Support for administrative tasks like secure mails to relationship manager, approvals, password/ PIN change, block credit/ debit/ ATM card, customer billing, data synchronization and self-audit

Key Modules

Mobile Financial Management

The solution offers unmatched support to manage finances on the move. This helps banking consumers make informed decisions. A comprehensive set of tools is provided to enhance financial management.

Quantitative (such as EMI calculators) and qualitative analysis tools (such as budget vs. spend analysis)

Transaction tagging

Product selectors and comparators

Virtual financial advisory services through video chat on mobile

Alerts

This module empowers customers to subscribe and receive a wide variety of mobile alerts. The solution supports both push and pull alerts along with customizable alerts via integration with Finacle alerts solution. The module also allows the customer to set preferences and limits for alerts and configure ‘do not disturb’ timings.

Value Added Services

Finacle offers a gamut of value added services that provide extended convenience and comfort to the customer. These include:

Mobile commerce

Mobile ticketing

Mobile top-up for prepaid card recharge

Mobile advertising, based on location, user profile and actions

Mobile remittances to charity causes

Mobile wallet

Demat and stock trading services

Security

Finacle mobile banking solution offers state-of-the-art security through optimized measures. The solution offers:

Two factor authentication – PIN encryption

J2ME MIDP 2.0 support for SSL/ TLS

Encryption of data stored on mobile phone

Support for binary XML

Enabling and disabling of mobile numbers

Support for additional authentication mechanism

Business Benefits

Greater Customer Convenience

Finacle mobile banking solution empowers banking customers to make informed decisions by providing them with an invaluable set of financial management tools on the mobile handset. These tools help in quantitative and qualitative analysis, as well as in the selection and comparison of financial products.

Reduced Turnaround Time

Finacle mobile banking solution has a robust integration framework which allows it to function in tandem with disparate host systems, core banking solutions, payment networks and third-party applications. This translates into reduced go-to-market time for the bank as well as support for legacy systems.

Robust Inclusivity Framework

Finacle mobile banking solution leverages Infosys mConnect to smoothly hurdle the challenges posed by the multiplicity of form factors and access mechanisms on multiple devices to provide a context-agnostic view to the transaction server. This enables banks to include, through the mobile channel, its various customer segments, ranging from the HNWI to specific unbanked communities, surmounting the complexities of diverse location and dissimilar mobile devices.

Maximize Innovation

Banks can leverage Finacle solution’s indigenously developed middleware Infosys mConnect, to configure an unlimited palette of services from any channel, to the mobile space, with ease. The need for development of new back end services is precluded due to the availability of a banking solution behind the mobile interface. Finacle also provides the flexibility to deploy services over the existing online banking platform or through a standalone delivery channel interfaced directly with the relevant host systems. This ensures the rapid delivery of a comprehensive range of financial services, embellished with new innovative features, on mobile devices.

Business Benefits

Robust Security

The solution offers extensive application security features like URL encryption, referral URL check and session management to provide a robust security framework. The solution also supports OTP (one time password), which provides a two factor authentication mechanism for users transacting with downloadable mobility client. This enables the bank to offer products that are highly secure and geared to withstand the onslaught of security threats associated with mobile transactions.

Cost Savings

The solution presents banks with the advantages of reduced integration by leveraging common interface messages, maintenance and deployment costs. This translates into significant cost savings without banks having to compromise on features or the range of devices supported. The mobile banking solution is inherently independent of the network service provider, obviating the need to build a business model that involves costs and profits sharing with them.

Customer Delight

Finacle mobile banking solution enables banks to offer the convenience of comprehensive anywhere anytime banking, using GPRS, mobile browser or SMS. It supports a wide range of mobile devices and mobile browsers. Banking customers can query on account balances and make fund transfers. Banks can also proactively send timely information to customers in a completely secure environment, whenever a customer-defined event occurs. The solution’s self-service capabilities empower customers to manage their banking activities better. The solution also addresses data transmission and storage related security concerns adequately, delivering a truly streamlined customer experience.

There are some exciting and innovative times ahead for the banking industry. The world’s financial organisations always looking for new ways to offer customers the sophisticated levels of service they want while simultaneously cutting costs, and one exciting area of development is branchless banking.

Customers are already extremely familiar with the functionality on offer at the average ATM machine and a large proportion have also got to grips with all of the excellent services available through online and mobile banking. Now, there are engineers and inventors quietly working on ways to boost the brilliant services provided by these technologies, making it possible for people to find a full range of banking functions on offer from a computerised terminal.

There was once a time when such a proposition seemed unlikely to take off, but that was long before the days of self service checkouts at local supermarkets and swipe cards to get on and off public transport. As the world becomes increasingly technologized, a far greater portion of the population is highly computer literate and on the look out for all innovations that can help them better utilise their free time.

The convenience of branchless banking services is one of its major selling points. The ability to access financial details on the go or at a conveniently placed ATM machine rather than having to set time aside to visit a physical branch is something that greatly appeals to today’s time-poor workers. What’s more, the range of different online and computer facilitated services available means that there are a good range of options for people to choose from.

While some customers will always prefer the option of speaking to a teller, others welcome the anonymity of sorting out their finances at a fully functional ATM machine or paying bills via their phones. It’s up to banks to consider the needs of their far reaching customer bases and provide the most appropriate service for them all. As technology continues to grow, it is increasingly likely that more and more customers begin looking for branchless solutions for their banking needs.

Retail teller machines are huge development when it comes to the potential of branchless banking. These, unlike ATM machines, tend to be cashless, and are instead designed to talk customers through the various policies and services the bank offers in a no pressure environment. This will appeal to customers who want to learn about the products open to them, but who want to have plenty of time to consider their options as well as avoid a potential hard sell.

RTMs can already reduce queues and pressure in bank branches and the fact that they could be installed and maintained in areas where a full branch isn’t feasible means they’re sure to offer ever greater options to customers in the future. The further development of RTM and ATM software designed to simplify financial services will help make it increasingly easier for the average customer to get the information and services they need while also helping banks cut costs.