Postal department launches service to transfer money via Mobile Phone

ALLAHABAD: Sending and receiving a money order will be easier now than ever as India Post introduces money order facility through mobile phones. Under the Mobile Money Transfer Service (MMTS) minimum amount of Rs. 1,000 and maximum of Rs. 10,000 can be sent in a single transaction, whereas there is no limit to the maximum number of transactions made in a day.

Inaugurating the service at Allahabad Kutchery Head Post Office, Krishna Kumar Yadav director Postal Services Allahabad region said Mobile Money Transfer is a financial service is a facility for remittance and receiving of money at selected post offices. The director launched the service by sending money from Allahabad Kutchery Head Post Office to Pratapgarh Head Post Office.

Yadav said rates of the service have been fixed low, keeping in mind needs of customers. A person sending money through MMTS will be charged Rs 45 for sending money in the range of Rs 1,000-Rs 1,500, Rs 79 for an amount between Rs 1,501 and Rs 5,000 and Rs 112 for money transfer for an amount from Rs 5,001 to Rs 10,000.

In the pilot phase this service has been started in 136 post offices of Uttar Pradesh, whereas 19 offices of Allahabad Region have been covered in this phase. It will be the priority of the department to cover offices in rural and remote areas under the service. In Allahabad, the service has been started in Bamaila, Atraura and Aura branch post offices, Mau Aima Sub Office and Allahabad Kutchery Head Post Office.

Yadav added that the Department of Post had partnered with state-run BSNL to launch the mobile money transfer service. BSNL will handle the technology backend for the department and provide connectivity.

Under Mobile Money Transfer Service, customers will have the facility to send money anywhere in the country. Specially designed mobile handsets with preinstalled mobile money transfer application have been provided to the offices selected to carry out this service.

The sender needs to visit the identified post office where the service is available, deposit the amount and give the receiver's details in the prescribed form. After this, the sender would get a six-digit transfer code on the mobile phone, which one would need to send to the recipient via SMS or through any other mean. Similar SMS will also be sent to the receiver and the counter clerk automatically by the system, but only the SMS sent to the sender will contain the six-digit secret code. The recipient can claim the money at a nearby post office, by showing the transaction code and verifying one's identity. Recipient also needs to withdraw money within seven days of transaction.

On the occasion of inauguration of the service senior superintendent of Post Offices, Allahabad, Rahmatullah, assistant directors R N Yadav and M P Mishra, Postmaster Allahabad Kutchery, HPO A K Shukla, and others were present along with other officials.

Courtesy : Times of India, 5 April 2013