RBI asks banks to adopt easy norms for m-banking registration

The RBI today asked banks to make registration process for mobile banking services easy and activate services at the earliest to expand the reach of mobile banking in the country.
Releasing the operative guidelines for mobile banking transactions, RBI said there is a slow pick-up of mobile banking services despite the high mobile density in the country and banks should strive to provide options for easy registration for mobile banking services to their customers.
"The time taken between registration of customers for mobile banking services and activation of the service should also be minimal," RBI said.
RBI said there is a need for a greater degree of standardisation for on-boarding of customers for such services for new customers as well as existing account holders whose mobile numbers are available but are not registered for mobile banking.

It said banks may quicken mobile pin (MPIN) generation process by giving customers option to change MPIN at ATMs, using MPIN mailers (like PIN mailers for cards) or they may also develop a common website as an industry initiative.
"Banks are also advised to undertake customer education and awareness programme in multiple languages through different channels of communication to popularise their process of mobile banking registration/activation and its usage," RBI added.
It said banks can also use their Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system and phone banking channels, mails, SMS, website, kiosks, social media to promote and facilitate registration and activation of customers for mobile banking.

"Through ATM channel - an alert / message can be given (at the ATM itself) by banks when the customer transacts at the ATM, that she/he has not registered any mobile number with the bank," RBI added.