What Does Digital Banking Mean?

 At its most basic level, Online Banking uses technology to deliver Digital Banking services. Some wrongly believe that it simply means using an online platform, but it involves more. Using the most updated technologies at all levels and across all service delivery platforms is what it means to be digital.

It acts the same in the branches,  head office, online service delivery platform, banking app, ATMs, and point-of-sale machines. The difficulty with viewing banking online overlooks the bank's other digital initiatives. The internet or mobile platform serves as the front end of the banking service delivery.

There are many middle and back-end functions, including risk management, treasury, product development, marketing, relationship-based sales teams, etc. These functions should get digitised for the bank to be considered a Digital Bank.

What does Digital Banking involve?

Is it worthwhile for banks to go digital if it means more than the Android or iOS apps? According to a survey, nearly half of them believe that digital adoption is crucial for developing client relationships and that it is also the most persuasive argument. Here are a few instances of how banks benefit from the same:

Efficacy

Despite holding many interactions with retail clients, banking has been unusually hesitant to take advantage of any technological potential. Many banking systems have got digitised, but unlike other customer-facing businesses, the entire system is still not operating as a single digital entity.

Airlines and logistics companies, for example, rely heavily on technology to run smoothly, yet most banks are yet to achieve that level of efficiency. Banks consider digital as a valuable tool than the foundation upon which their systems are built. It enables banks to encourage people to use Internet Banking to access their Savings Account.

Cost savings

Functions are automated. So, redundancies are lowered, and this results in cost savings. There are, however, additional benefits, such as synergies resulting from access to more qualitative data and shorter market response times. When customers open a Bank Account online, banks save a lot of money.

Increased competitiveness

Digital Banking in India lets banks reach a larger customer base and build closer relationships with younger, tech-savvy generations. Banks deliver services of equal quality to compete with new-age tech behemoths and innovative Fintech start-ups.

Agility

Digital banks are more adaptable than traditional banks. Their automated features are built to work differently and respond to market shifts. For example, during the financial crisis of 2008, there was a heightened emphasis on risk management. Banks require years to train and attract enough risk professionals to manage their assets properly.

Understanding The Difference Between Checking And Savings Accounts

We all need Bank Accounts to keep our money safe and optimise it rightly. You can select from different accounts, including Checking, Savings, and Salary Accounts. The decision to open a Checking and Saving Account depends on the purpose and the level of accessibility required.

To grasp the distinction between a Checking and Saving Bank Account, understand the meaning of both.

What is Checking Account?

This gets used for paying your daily costs. They are simple and do not have any restrictions on withdrawals. You can use it to pay bills, make online purchases, and carry out other routine operations. When you open this account, the bank offers a Debit Card, chequebook, and a passbook. Use the Online and Mobile Banking features to access your money from anywhere. Meanwhile, a Checking Account does not provide much interest.

What is Savings Account?

This lets you save money and build your capital by depositing funds regularly. It is a place where you can place funds that you do not require. Savings Accounts, unlike Checking Accounts, have a few limitations on how they can get used. For example, you can only withdraw money from banks and ATMs many times.

Your Savings Account comes with a Debit Card, passbook, chequebook, and Internet Banking, much like a Checking Account. However, unlike the Checking Account, the Savings Account pays out interest semi-annually or annually on deposited cash.

Difference Between Checking and Savings Account

Account Fees

Most transactions carried out through Checking Account are subject to a fee: ATM, overdraft protection, online access fees, etc. A Savings Account, meanwhile, is free of cost online. A bank only charges you if you exceed your money withdrawal limit or fail to meet the bank's minimum balance criteria.

Transaction frequency

Do at least one transaction monthly if you have a Checking Account. Your bank charges you a monthly maintenance fee if you do not comply. If you have a Savings Account, make a transaction once every six months to keep it active. The bank classifies your account, and the Debit Card associated with it becomes dormant if there is no activity. You can use a banking app to make sure the account is active.

Interest pay-out

The most notable distinction between Checking and Savings Account provides interest rates. Checking Accounts normally earn little to no interest from banks. You get interest on your deposits in a Savings Account. The Savings Account interest rates vary between banks and get decided mainly by the type of account you open and the amount you deposit.

How to select a Bank?

The most financial decision is selecting a bank to manage your funds. Different banks offer various services, fees, and Savings Account interest rates.

Types of Banks

The banks ideal for you is the essential factor to consider. Every bank has its set of pros and cons.

Traditional banks

When people think of a bank, they think of the traditional ones, who primarily provide facilities to their customers through a network of physical locations and supply ATMs to their and other banks' customers. Most are considering Online Banking services for bill payments and deposits. Even though traditional banks have been around the longest, fewer reasons to pick them over competitors. Both charge lower fees than typical banks.

However, choose to conduct your financial transactions personally. If you have a query or a problem, speak to someone about it in your local branch. This indicates that a traditional bank is the best option for you. However, it is best to check the alternative options accessible to you.

Online banks

These were uncommon 20 years ago, but their popularity has grown with time, and they now compete directly with traditional ones. Because internet banks have fewer or no physical branches, they have lower overhead costs than standard ones, which means their fees are often lower. These banks offer to have a banking app that lets you make banking transactions.

The difference between online and traditional banks has increasingly blurred in recent years, as the latter's digital services and technologies have evolved. This implies that you can get the benefits of a traditional branch while also taking advantage of the convenience of Internet Banking.

Fees and interest rates

The fees and rates charged are other aspects to examine when deciding where to bank. Most hold two types of accounts: a Checking and a Saving Account. The features vary depending on the type of account you open, and it is common to have various accounts with multiple banks.

Interest rates

Look for a unique set of features in your Savings Account. As you do not use the Saving Bank Account often, you can handle them online. Most of them do not charge excessive fees if you do not make frequent withdrawals. Instead, the fundamental distinction between these accounts is the interests they pay. The best rates are found through credit unions or internet banks. Shop around for the best interest rates.

Protocols To Keep In Mind To Ensure Safe Online Banking

With the Indian e-commerce space expanding due to constant spree of acquisitions, more and more Indian customers are moving away from traditional way of shopping at stores to shopping online. This, along with demonetisation has led to a swift rise in the number of digital mode of payments in recent years. These include numerous forms of payments, such as net banking, debit/credit cards, mobile wallets, UPI, etc. This also calls for an increasing requirement of recognising on how to safeguard online payments.

While technology has made it simple for us to manage our daily expenses, every great innovation has drawbacks too. This wave of digital payments has also opened doors to risks of cyber theft as new users, and the less tech-savvy do not take all the adequate safety measures while using internet banking.

Lot of us tend to save personal financial information on various digital payment platforms for quicker payments. While it does make our lives easier, it also causes a severe security threat.

While doing transactions online, we are subject to various risks of scams such as – loss of money and financial data, phishing scams and identity theft. Since most of us now use net banking to make online payments, one must take safety measures to protect money, both offline and online.

Here are few rules to follow to ensure safety while indulging in financial transactions on the internet:

Secure website

Anybody can go through your letters from the mailbox outside your house. Similarly, anybody can sniff around your internet connection too, if logged into an unsecured website. And if someone scrutinises your connection for a long time, they can gain access to any data that you send and receive or have stored on that site.

For preventing this violation of security, most social networks, email services, etc. use a safe and secure protocol, called HTTPS. This security protocol is known as Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol over Transport Layer Security or HTTPS.  It means end-to-end encryption of any data that’s exchanged between website servers and you.

The easiest way to identify if the website is safe is to look for a green padlock icon in the left corner of the address bar. Also, look if it is “HTTPS” at the beginning of the URL in the address bar and not “HTTP”.

Dedicated email address

If you are a regular online shopper, it is ideal to create a separate email address just for online shopping. Keep this email account clean and uncluttered. This way if you receive any unsecure email, on your main ID, with dubious promotion offers, you can spot them right away.

Payment alert messages

In case, you do not have the SMS alerts facility active, we advise you should get it as soon as possible. The SMS alert facility will inform you of any bank account activity. Hence if any transaction does not get initiated, report to the bank immediately and cancel all your cards. If informed on time, your money is safe, and the bank will compensate you for losses, if any, as per RBI guidelines.

Avoid public computers and Wi-Fi

Never do any online banking transactions on a public computer such as the ones in cybercafé. Also, never use public Wi-Fi for financial transactions as they are unsecured networks. Anyone can join the network as there is no key or password to access it. Such networks can easily fall prey to hackers who can steal your details.

Remember these protocols while using your mobile banking apps as well.

5 Reasons Why Online Banking Is Important Today

Online banking has become a common phenomenon. You can check your account regularly, pay bills on time, transfer funds with ease, open an account and much more. Almost every bank offers the facility. It has become easier and convenient to manage our finances. You can also get your queries answered online as banks have a unique system for the same. Precisely why the banking industry is soaring to new heights every day.

Some reasons why online banking is on the rise today are: 

• Protection: One of the preconceived notions regarding internet banking is security. We tend to conduct online transactions with the help of a data, be it at home or away. And sometimes in public places as well. So, the public WiFi can assist the fraudsters to lift your banking details easily. In order to do away with such mishaps, banks have incorporated certain safety measures in place such as the one-time password. It helps the websites to identify the user. 

• Accessibility: One of the major reasons why people are heavily relying on banking online is because of its easy access. Be it home or work or travel, you can bank at your fingertips. You need a stable data connection, and you can enjoy all sorts of banking services. Also, users need not stay in front of their computers to conduct any transaction. Thanks to mobile banking apps, you can bank anywhere and everywhere. 

• Hidden charges: The best part about banking online is that it is free of cost. You only require a bank account and customer ID and password for internet banking. You can move funds from one account to the other without paying any penalty. However, SMS alerts do incur a small fee. You can neglect the same as the bank notifies you via e-mail. 

• Convenience: Online banking is highly convenient. You can eliminate long standing Moreover, there is a mobile banking option offered by almost every bank nowadays. You can check your balance on the go before making any last-minute purchase. 

• Monitoring account: You also have the benefit of checking multiple accounts. You can access real-time expenses which enable you to arrive at an estimated monthly budget. In fact, tracking your account on a frequent basis will deny any misdealing as banks cannot look after every account manually.

With so many benefits at the offing, it is difficult to opt out of the online banking facility. Make way for smoother transactions!

E-Wallet Vs Net Banking – Which Is Better?

We are living in a digital world where everything, right from our groceries to paying utility bills to finding a plumber to ordering food, can be done using your smartphone or the internet. And for all this, you require a decent bandwidth. Banking, too, is not a stranger to the online world. Today you can open and access your savings account, send/receive money instantly, keep track of your transactions, get bank statements, alerts, etc. in a matter of minutes.

Indians are spoilt for choices when it comes to digitalisation, right from digital wallets like Paytm to mobile banking to net banking. You can use any of these methods and enjoy the benefits mentioned above. So, which one should you opt for?

What is internet banking?
It is a medium where you can conduct all your traditional banking services online. No more long queues and no lengthy paperwork. Several banks have their mobile banking apps to alert you about your finances on the move as well. Internet banking also offers you 3 additional internet fund transfer services to make your life simple and hassle-free:

• National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT)
• Real-Time Gross System (RTGS)
• Immediate Payment Services (IMPS)

Apart from net banking, you also have smartphones to assist you.
What are digital wallets?
Also known as an e-wallet, is where you can save your funds securely without using your bank details such as debit or credit cards. It is the fastest mode of transaction and does not require you to maintain a minimum balance, unlike the savings account. You can purchase anything from a grocery store to buying air tickets using an e-wallet app. For these apps, you will have to create your account. You can also set a secret PIN to disallow any fraudulent activities. You can then use the internet banking facility to move funds from one account to the other.
Some of the other features of an e-wallet and net banking are:

• Transaction limit: When you use a digital wallet, you are allowed to transfer an amount only up to INR 20,000 as per RBI directives. However, through internet banking, you can move an amount as much as INR 10 lakh using NEFT/RTGS/IMPS method.

• Usage fees: Digital wallets do not charge for using their services. However, bank withdrawal fees are a part of the app. On the other hand, internet banking does not charge for any such services unless you are transferring high-value funds.

• Rewards: One of the biggest benefits of e-wallets is that you get n number of deals and cashback offers. Some of the banks are connected with these digital wallets. So, you can avail of credit/debit card rewards through them. 

• Usability: If you have a decent WiFi connection, both the digital app and net banking can be used easily online. The good thing about these mediums is that you can access these at home or workplace.

In this digital era, it is difficult to make a judicious choice. So, go for the option that is suitable for your needs.

Net Banking – 6 Valid Reasons You Should Use It

There is absolutely no doubt that the internet has made the entire banking process smooth sailing. For bank customers, internet banking is like having your bank’s branch open all the time; whether it is late in the midnight or a bank holiday. It is a service that can help save your time, money and energy. In fact there are innumerable reasons why customers should opt for this mode of banking. Here are 6 valid reasons why you should consider net banking.

It’s easy and convenient: Net banking makes it easy for you to manage your account at any time you like. All you have to do is fill a form and ask your bank to activate this facility on your bank account. As long as you have a laptop, smart phone or tablet with internet, you can get access to all your bank accounts at any time.

You can bank on the go: Mobile banking is designed to ensure that a customer has no trouble reaching his/her account at any time, even on days when there are bank strikes. You don’t have to rush to the bank to check your balance every time; whether you are waiting in line at a shopping mall or before you have to make a purchase.

Say goodbye to long lines in bank: Almost everything that could be done at the bank branch can now be done online. Depositing money from one account and transferring it to another, applying for loans, or checking your bank balance for instance. If you are not sure about a service, you can either call your bank’s toll-free number or use the on-line chatting service that answers any doubts about banking solutions.

Pay your utility bills online: You no longer have to go to the closest telephone or electricity bill payment centre. Just use the net banking facility to pay off all bills. What’s more you can even recharge your DTH and cell phones and pay those bills online as well. You can also set up automatic recurring payments for your phone, electricity bill, rent etc., to avoid any late charges, in case you are out of town.

Review your account activity at any time: The facility also comes in handy whenever you want to review any activity in your bank account. For instance, you don’t have to rush to the bank to see if cheques have cleared. You can check if there is sufficient balance to pay an EMI and transfer the amount into your account at any time to avoid any potential overdraft fees.

Get important notifications: Along with internet banking, you can sign up for e-mails and text message alerts to receive important notifications regarding your transactions and balances. You can get a notification for every transaction; whether money is debited or credit to your account, bills are paid or balance limits need to be maintained.