The services on WhatsApp will address the banking requirements of its customers, operating from their home as they are advised to stay indoors
ICICI Bank headquarters in Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai, India. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
India-based banking and financial services firm ICICI Bank has introduced its banking services on WhatsApp to serve its retail customers amid nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The bank said that it has started offering services through WhatsApp, to address the banking requirements of its customers, operating from their home as they are advised to stay indoors.
In addition, the launch of its new service on WhatsApp follows the rolling out of its ICICIStack, a set of digital banking and Application Programme Interfaces (APIs), to ensure uninterrupted retail and business banking experience to its customers.
ICICIStack offers around 500 services, covering most of the banking requirements of its customers including digital account opening, loan solutions, payment solutions, investments and care solutions.
ICICI Bank executive director Anup Bagchi 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.
Customers can get details of the nearest three ICICI Bank ATMs
The bank said that using services on WhatsApp would enable its retail customers to check account balance, last three transactions, credit card limit, details of pre-approved loan offers along with credit & debit card status with end-to-end encryption for all messages.
In addition, customers can also get details of the nearest three ICICI Bank ATMs and branches in their vicinity, through the social platform.
ICICI Bank customers who are on WhatsApp can use the new service, and customers using only ICICI Bank credit card can use the service to block or unblock their card. Non-ICICI Bank customers can also use the service to know the location of the Bank’s branches or ATMs in their vicinity.
Customers are required to save ICICI Bank’s verified WhatsApp profile number into their contacts on the mobile phone, and say ‘Hi’ from the mobile number which is registered with the Bank to start the service instantly.
Bagchi added: “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.”