Mumbai: ICICI Bank today announced the launch of banking services on WhatsApp to enable its retail customers to undertake a slew of banking requirements from their home at a time when they are advised to stay indoors in the wake of the nationwide lockdown to fight against corona virus.
ICICI Bank launched this new service on WhatsApp close on the heels of rolling out ‘ICICIStack’, a set of digital banking and APIs (Application Programme Interface), to ensure uninterrupted banking experience to customers—both retail and business. ‘ICICIStack’ offers nearly 500 services that covers almost all banking requirements of customers such as digital account opening, loan solutions, payment solutions, investments and care solutions.
Using the service on WhatsApp, retail customers can check their savings account balance, last three transactions, credit card limit, get details of pre-approved instant loan offers and block/unblock credit & debit card in a secure manner with end-to-end encryption for all messages. Additionally, they can also get details of the nearest three ICICI Bank ATMs and branches in their vicinity. The customers can do all of these while they are on the social platform.
Speaking about the initiative, Mr. Anup Bagchi, Executive Director, ICICI Bank said, “It has always been our endeavour to offer improved convenience to our customers. Recently, we had rolled out ‘ICICIStack’, the most comprehensive digital platform in the country by a bank as it can facilitate crores of customers to continue all their banking, digitally and from a remote location, without visiting a bank branch.
Now, we have introduced this service on WhatsApp, one of the most popular instant messaging applications in the world. Our retail customers can execute a host of their banking requirements on their own, without visiting a branch. The services are instantaneous and secure. With the growing prominence of social media in every-day life, we believe that this would add immense convenience to our customers, as it allows them to bank while they are on social media.”
Any ICICI Bank savings account customer who is also on WhatsApp can access the new service. Also, customers carrying only a credit card of the Bank can use this service to ‘Block/Unblock’ their card. Non ICICI Bank customers can also use this instant service to know the location of the Bank’s branches / ATMs in their vicinity.
To start instantly:
• Save number and say ‘Hi’: The customer simply needs to save ICICI Bank’s verified WhatsApp profile number, 9324953001, to his/her ‘contacts’ on the mobile phone and send <Hi> to this number from his/her mobile number which is registered with the Bank. The Bank will respond with a list of services available
• Type keyword for service: From the list of services, type the keyword of the service required (keywords are highlighted in the conversation for easy recognition), example : <Balance>, <Block> etc. The service is carried out and displayed instantly.
Here is the list of banking and other services available on WhatsApp:
Banking services and its keywords:
1. Check account balance: Type any keyword like <balance>, <bal>, <ac bal> among others
2. View last three transactions: Type <transaction>, <stmt>, <history> among others
3. Get outstanding balance and view available credit limit of credit card: Type <limit>, <cc limit>, <cc balance> among others.
4. Block/Unblock credit and debit card instantly: Type <block>, <lost my card>, <unblock> among others
5. View details of available pre-approved instant loans: Type <loan>, <home loan>, <personal loan>, <instant loans> among others
Other Services:
6. View nearest ICICI Bank ATM and branch: Type <ATM> , <branch> among others
7. Check available nearby offers on travel, dining, shopping: Type <offer>, <discounts> among others
To know more, visit:https://www.icicibank.com/online-services/WhatsApp-Banking/index.page.
Prasanta Patnaik