Kerala: Postal Deparment’s doorstep ATM a big hit, what you need to know

The doorstep ATM scheme of the Kerala Postal Circle is a big hit in the state with 10.38 lakh transactions since the project was launched in September 2019.
Kerala: Postal Deparment’s doorstep ATM a big hit, what you need to know

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The doorstep ATM scheme of the Kerala Postal Circle is a big hit in the state with 10.38 lakh transactions since the project was launched in September 2019. The service is in much demand in areas with less accessibility to banking services. The doorstep ATM, an Aadhaar-enabled payment system (AePS), enables people to withdraw money from their savings bank account with different banks. The postman delivers money at the customer’s house and the service is free of cost. The service became popular in the state during the lockdown. Over  Rs 380 crore was disbursed through the AePs so far. 

How it works?
The minimum amount of withdrawal is Rs 100 and the maximum Rs 10,000. The upper ceiling may vary depending on the bank. Requests for transaction can be made with the postman or the local post office. The postman would come with a handheld device to the customer’s residence. When he feeds the customer’s name and mobile phone number, a six-digit OTP will be received on the particular number. The

phone number need not be the one registered with the bank but should be available with the customer at the time of the transaction. 

Next, the customer has to provide the OTP, Aadhaar number and specify the required amount. Instead of giving Aadhaar number, customers can also opt for QR code scanning of Aadhaar card or virtual ID of Aadhaar card.

On placing a finger on the biometric device, the verification is done and the postman will deliver the cash. There is no paper receipt and the customer will receive an SMS with details of amount withdrawn, time, available balance and the postal agent’s ID number. Customers are advised to make bookings over the helpline numbers at postal divisional offices though local post offices would also accept calls. Banks like SBI have imposed certain limits on the transactions which allow customers to only withdraw Rs 10,000 per day, among others.

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