An Indian firm has developed and tested a solution for contact-less ATM transactions.
The solution is essentially scanning a QR code on the bank's mobile app on a smartphone.
The contact-less solution is being demoed to interested banks at present.
Among the many things that are deemed risky in this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, withdrawing cash from ATMs should be right up there with others. Using an ATM requires you to touch buttons on a machine that was used previously by another person who could possibly be infected. A solution to it is to have contact-less ATM withdrawals and that’s exactly what this firm is trying to provide to banks.
AGS Transact Technologies Limited (AGSTTL), a company that deals with cash and digital payment solutions and automation tech said it has successfully developed a solution for ATMs that will help battle the COVID-19 pandemic by making ATMs harmless again.
Contact-less ATM withdrawals using smartphones
The contact-less solution is being demoed to interested banks at present. The good thing about the technology is that it doesn’t need a physical upgrade of the ATM machine. Instead, a software update of the ATM machine can enable contact-less transactions. The solution relies on a QR code to be scanned from the bank’s mobile app to begin the authentication process.
Here’s how it works —
1. Open the bank’s mobile app and select QR code withdrawal.
2. Enter the amount you wish to withdraw from the ATM on the mobile app.
3. Scan the QR code that will be displayed on the ATM screen.
4. Confirm the amount by clicking on ‘proceed’ in the app.
5. Enter the ATM pin to authenticate the transaction.
6. Collect your cash and receipt.
Contact-less solutions are being adopted in almost every facet of public life in India to prevent the infection from spreading further. Recently, telecom companies Vodafone Idea, Reliance Jio and Airtel said they are looking at ways to enable contact-less SIM card sales, while multiple startups are enabling grocery stores to start online delivery to reduce crowding at the counter. Food delivery apps like Zomato and Swiggy are also promoting contact-less deliveries to its customers. In short, minimal physical contact seems to be the only solution to flattening the curve in the absence of a vaccine for the novel Coronavirus. As of publishing the story, India's COVID-19 tally stands at 267,046 with 1,118 cases added so far with 66 patients having recovered today. You can keep an eye on the recovery rate in this tracker on our website.
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