Revolutionizing Transit Payments: NPCI Bharat BillPay Partners with SBI for NCMC Recharge
In
a significant stride towards enhancing commuter convenience, NPCI Bharat
BillPay Limited (NBBL), a subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of
India (NPCI), has teamed up with State Bank of India (SBI) to introduce
National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) recharge as a new biller category. This
collaboration aims to streamline transit payments, particularly for users of
SBI NCMC cards.
Multiple banks in India offer NCMC
cards as part of their business strategy. However, it was a pain for the card
holders to top up their NCMC cards. This pain minimised the plus points of NCMC
cards. Now, a beginning has been made
with SBI NCMC getting onboarded on to the BBPS platform.
About
NCMC - The National Common Mobility Card, launched by the Ministry of Housing
and Urban Affairs of the Government of India, is an inter-operable transport
card enabling users to pay for travel, toll duties, retail shopping, and
withdraw money.
It
offers contactless smart card technology and was launched on March 4, 2019, by
NPCI.
The
initiative, which went live on April 18, 2024, encompasses various metro
networks including Noida, Nagpur, Chennai, and Kanpur, along with specific
lines of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and even
services at the Parliament Canteen.
Initially
available through SBI's Bharat BillPay-enabled application, SBI Unipay, this
service will soon extend to other Bharat BillPay-enabled frontend platforms.
The
introduction of NCMC recharge as a biller category offers a seamless online
solution for commuters to conveniently top-up their cards, eliminating the need
for long queues and ensuring a hassle-free experience.
With
the flexibility to recharge up to INR 10,000 online via Bharat BillPay-enabled
platforms, customers can use various payment methods including prepaid, debit,
and credit cards.
After
a successful recharge, users simply need to tap their NCMC cards on terminals
to update their balance. This is a prerequisite for the actual balance up
dation in the NCMC card to happen. So, folks do remember this and do not
forget.
Ms.
Noopur Chaturvedi, CEO of NPCI Bharat BillPay, expressed gratitude towards SBI
for co-creating and launching this new category, emphasizing the enhancement it
brings to the daily transit experience of NCMC cardholders. This move
underscores NPCI's commitment to easing digital payments with the reliability
and safety of the Bharat BillPay platform.
Mr.
Mahesh Kumar Sharma, DMD (Transaction Banking & New Initiatives) at State
Bank of India, echoed the sentiment, highlighting the industry-first offering's
potential to revolutionize commuter experiences. By leveraging SBI Unipay and
other Bharat BillPay-enabled platforms, SBI NCMC cardholders can enjoy instant
and secure top-up options, bypassing long queues and ensuring a smooth transit
experience.
The
process for recharging NCMC cards via Bharat BillPay-enabled platforms is
straightforward:
1.
Open SBI Unipay (or other Bharat BillPay enabled frontend platforms)
2.
Choose the NCMC category
3.
Select the biller
4.
Input mobile number & last 4 digits of NCMC card number
5.
Enter the recharge amount
6.
Make the payment
7.
Tap the card on terminals to update the balance on the NCMC card.
About
SBI Unipay - SBI Unipay is an online bill payment system launched by SBI,
offering convenient and accessible services across all banking channels. With
the facility to pay bills anytime, anywhere, and support for multiple payment
modes, SBI Unipay ensures instant and verifiable confirmation of payments,
along with standardized complaint and dispute management processes.
Well,
this is an eye opener for me. I did not know that SBI had a separate Bill
Payment Portal / APP.
**Multiple
Biller Categories Supported**
SBI
Unipay supports bill payments for various categories, including recharge &
utility bills such as mobile, electricity, DTH, broadband, gas, cable TV, and
FasTag, as well as institution fees for schools, colleges, subscriptions, and
other categories like life, general, and health insurance, and municipality
taxes.
**Multiple
Payment Modes Supported**
BBPS
facilitates a plethora of payment modes including cash, wallet, credit cards,
debit cards, UPI, prepaid cards, net banking, and ATM transactions.
**Multiple
Payment Channels Supported**
Customers
can access multiple channels for bill payment, including net banking, YONO,
mobile banking, BHIM SBI PAY, RRB, FIGS, agents, business correspondents, and
ATMs.
**Nation
First Transit Card by SBI**
State
Bank of India's Nation First Transit Card is a contactless dual-interface
prepaid card designed for safe, secure, and seamless payments. Apart from
transit usage in NCMC-enabled modes, it offers extended usability for retail
payments and e-commerce transactions. The card features chip protection for
enhanced security, tap-and-pay functionality, and convenient top-up/recharge
options.
With
a minimum top-up amount of Rs. 100 and a maximum limit of Rs. 2000, the Nation
First Transit Card ensures cashless travels in metros, buses, ferries, and
offers ease of use at designated SBI branches and metro stations.
**About
BBPS**
Bharat
BillPay is a platform conceptualized by the RBI to simplify collections and
settlements by connecting businesses and customers across India.
With
technological solutions facilitating payments via physical outlets and digital
channels, BBPS offers fast settlements, supports multiple payment modes, and
provides access to over 21,000 billers nationwide.
The
collaboration between NPCI Bharat BillPay and SBI marks a significant milestone
in the realm of digital payments, particularly in transit systems, promising
enhanced convenience, efficiency, and security for commuters across India.
As
more platforms and biller categories come onboard, the landscape of digital
payments continues to evolve, offering greater accessibility and ease of use
for consumers nationwide.
Kudos
to State Bank of India for taking the first step, this step will motivate other
NCMC Issuer Banks to quickly onboard BBPS.
Eagerly
waiting for other NCMS Issuer Banks to follow SBI.
Disclaimer: These are my personal thoughts only. The bottom
line is Spreading the Joy of Safe ePayments.
Safe and Stylish: Unveiling
World SafeePay and Blouse Day Delights
The need for observing World SafeePay Day
and World Blouse Day arises from the absence of dedicated global celebrations
for these concepts.
World SafeePay Day aims to celebrate the
joy of safe electronic payments in all financial transactions, representing an
abstract celebration that highlights the significance of secure and efficient
digital financial interactions.
As the world increasingly relies on
electronic payment systems, having a designated day for SafeePay emphasizes the
importance of secure and reliable digital financial transactions.
On the other hand, World Blouse Day seeks
to celebrate the joys of wearing blouses in a more lively and visually
impactful manner.
The concept involves a powerful display of
togetherness, with millions of people stepping out wearing blouses based on a
chosen theme.
This display celebration not only promotes
a sense of unity but also serves as a unique and creative expression of shared
identity through clothing.
The introduction of these days aligns with
the United Nations' approach to designating specific days to raise awareness,
promote action, and celebrate achievements related to various global issues.
While international days often focus on
serious matters, World SafeePay Day and World Blouse Day offer a mix of
abstract and lively celebrations, catering to the diverse interests and aspects
of modern life.
In a world where electronic transactions
and cultural expressions are integral parts of daily living, these designated
days would contribute to fostering awareness and appreciation for safe
ePayments and the joy of wearing blouses.
SafeePay's joy, transactions secure,
World Blouse Day, colors allure.
Digits dance, a digital delight,
Blouse themes bloom, in unity's light.
