Digital transactions in banking sector going up: SBI

Digital transactions have really gone up in the sense that if you look at my PoS transactions, it is 300 per cent up in numbers and 200 per cent by value," Bhattacharya said

Coimbatore, Nov 24: Point of Sale (PoS) transactions in State Bank of India surged 300 per cent in numbers and 200 per cent by value, indicating that digital transactions have really gone up, SBI chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya said.

"Digital transactions have really gone up in the sense that if you look at my PoS transactions, it is 300 per cent up in numbers and 200 per cent by value," Bhattacharya told reporters in response to a query on increase in cashless transactions in SBI.

"If you take a look at the wallet, the wallet download is hugely up. In fact, we have never seen so many wallet downloads, which itself is more than 100 per cent. "Typical transaction levels have surged and we are seeing a huge demand.

A lot of people are coming to us for PoS machines," she said. For instance, the Bombay Doctor's Association had yesterday requested the bank for 650 PoS machines for use in doctors' chambers, she pointed out.

Similarly, a lot of corporates were asking for Impress Cards for low value payment to many of their contract workers, even for people like drivers who were given cash to tank up cars. They can be given Impress cards as there was a lot of demand for cards and PoS machines, Bhattacharya said.

SBI is installing 3,600 PoS machines at various toll plazas so people can use cards instead of cash at the tolls, she said, adding there was a lot of activity currently going on for installing PoS machines and issuance of cards.

PTI