BENGALURU: A major relief is in store for those visiting major post offices from today. Bowing to public demand, 56 Head Post Offices (HO) spread across Karnataka, including seven in Bengaluru, will now begin to accept Quick Response (QR) code payment for all transactions. Until now, only cash or digital payment using the India Post Payment Bank was permitted. The digital change form a part of an all-India roll out of the system with nearly 800 HO’s set to accept the payment method.
With the QR system becoming a common mode of payment, public faced difficulties on a daily basis when they land up at post offices only to be told to bring cash. However, debit and credit cards will still not be accepted due to non-purchase of point of sale machines.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Chief Postmaster General, Karnataka Postal Circle, S Rajendra Kumar said, “There was a huge public demand to incorporate this service. It was to be launched a few weeks later. But we have sped up the process. Initially 56 Head Post Offices under which the GPO also is included, will offer the service. We plan to cover the remaining post offices in future.”
The busy packaging section of the General Post Office where public would often bring bulk material for booking is often a scene of angry arguments with staffers insisting on cash only payments. S. Premalatha, who booked a consignment to Sydney recently from the GPO, had to pay Rs 6,560 for delivery charges. With card payment too not accepted, she had to climb down the flight of stairs here, go to the Punjab National Bank ATM just outside the office, withdraw cash, come back all the way and queue up again.
She told TNIE, “These days, no one I know carries Rs 7,000 cash on hand as all pay digitally or through cards. I was totally shocked at this refusal on the part of the postal department to keep up with the times. “ She added, “This really makes a joke of the Digital India concept being publicised everywhere.” Another customer in the queue, Rajesh Subramaniam said, “Even our neighbourhood tea shop or even a flower seller accepts the QR code payment. How is such an important Central government department not accepting it?”