The contemporary trends in Banking operations and services with the help of computers are quite cheering for customer. As we find information technology invading the banking sector, only banks, which used the right technology, could come out with success. Banks are required to ‘restructure’, re-invent and reengineer themselves go meet the necessary performance improvement and get the competitive edge due to the introduction of information technology (Internet Baking) being an imperative one

Application of Information Technology

Phone banking:

1. Bank on phone, provides easy access for customers to have large businesses through telephones. Data are exchanged over the phone regarding any queries, to issue instructions on balance transfer, statement of account, cheque- book, stop payments, new schemes, interest rates etc. at any convenient time and place. Tele banking has gone a long way in providing maximum customer satisfaction within the limited infrastructure.

Automatic Teller Machines: (ATM)

1. Now, the banks provide this facility in a more sophisticated way that a customer of one bank and branch can withdraw from any other banks, at any other branch, nation wide. In developed countries, this service is provided to their blue chip client globally. This is possible only through worldwide networking and communication system.

Credit cards:

These plastic cards enable customers to spend whenever he/she wants within the prescribed limits and pay later. Debit card is a prepaid card with stored value, whereas credit card is post paid with fixed limits. It is seen that spending is higher through debit cards than with credit cards currently CITY Bank and time bank have started with Debit cards and now other banks are also following these to launch their own cards.

Electronic Funds Transfer: (EFT)

Electronic funds transfer is a system of processing and communication of payment through electronic methods. EFT assumes greater significance in the banking system as the RBI also encourages the commercial banks to adopt this technique. Normally, payments are made through cash, cheques, drafts and credit cards. The latest in this process are the debit card system, charge, digital cash, and electronic purse and so on.

SPNS- (Shared payment network system):

SPNS installed by the IBA in the city of Mumbai, enables electronic banking service like cash transactions, extended hours of banking, utility payments, cheques, point of sale facilities by the SPNS can go to any ATM linked to SPNS.

Electronic Clearing Services [ECS]:

Electronic clearing of funds from one centre to another for handling bulk transactions like salary, interest, dividend, commission etc., has dispensed the cheques. A part of electronic clearing service is computerized clearing of cheques at metropolitan centers and linking with international communication system of SWIFT. These services have contributed in a great way towards improving the customer’s services globally. ECS was introduced in India in 1996. It has made it possible for customers to get the funds next day itself.

Point of sale [POS] terminal:

Payment card at a retail location for electronic transfer of fund is called POS. The client enters his personal identification number [PIN] and confirms the amount due. Customer’s account is automatically debited with the amount of purchases and it credits the retailers account POS installed at petrol stations and large retail houses are linked to banks network.

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Michael, 25 years old and working in United States for past one year was on the verge of going bald from trying to figure out the best credit card among the tons of emails that he received almost daily about the “pre approved credit cards”. Chances are that you too maybe going through the same dilemma of choosing the right credit card. As choosing the right credit card is not such an easy task as it looks at the first go, it becomes essential that you know some of the important points before you eventually purchase the best credit card for yourself.

Most of the credit cards, which call themselves as the best credit cards, come with almost the same features, offering more or less the same rate of interest. In such a case, getting the best credit card becomes even more of an ordeal for the buyer. However when the rate of interest is more or less the same, one should look for incentives offered by the various card companies in order to get the best credit card. Incentives and rewards can be of various kinds; depending on them you can opt for the best credit card. For instance you get reward points for every purchase that you make from the credit card and these points are redeemable from certain stores and outlets.

There are three main categories of cards: secured, regular and reward or rebate. Where you fall on the scale depends upon your credit history. If you’re in the process of trying to rebuild your credit, a secured card can help you achieve that. The other categories are differentiated by the types of services they afford. While reward cards generally have great perks, the higher interest rates that they normally charge can be costly if you do not pay your balance in full every month.

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