BAJAJ FINSERV DIRECT LIMITED
Banking Insight

SMS Banking

authour img
Roshani Ballal

Table of Content

What is SMS Banking

SMS banking meaning can be explained as “An extension of mobile banking facility that allows customers to perform banking-related activities simply by sending instructions via SMS”. With SMS mobile banking, leading banks can send or receive important banking instructions via the customer’s registered mobile number. The biggest advantage that the bank SMS format provides over net banking or mobile banking is the fact that you can bank via SMS format even in the absence of a healthy internet connection.

Functionality of Push & Pull Messages in SMS Banking

The primary functionality of bank SMS format are the push and pull messages that can be used to carry out several banking activities both at the customer as well as the bank’s end. Here’s a brief on how the push and pull messages work:

  • Push Messages: They are the notifications/informational messages sent out by banking institutes to their customers without the customer actually making any information requests. The most common type of push messages include alerts such as amount credited/debited in account, cash withdrawals, bill payment reminders, credit card transaction details, etc.

  • Pull Messages: The most popular example of pull messages is OTP (one-time password). An OTP offers security while making financial transactions as it is valid only for a specific period. They also offer more reliability and eliminate the need for memorising passwords to access your account. With SMS mobile banking, OTPs are simply sent to the customer’s registered mobile number.

Services Available via SMS Banking

By availing the SMS mobile banking facility, a customer can avail a number of baking-related services, such as:

  • Generating/authenticating OTPs

  • Intimation about cash withdrawal from an ATM

  • Intimation about funds credited/debited in your account

  • Intimation about pending/upcoming credit card bills payment, EMIs, RD, etc.

  • Intimation about insufficient funds in your bank account

  • Account balance enquiry

  • Electronic bill payments

  • Request/download of credit card statement

  • Banking-related enquiry of credit card application status, FD rates, interest rates on loan, etc.

  • Requesting customer care assistance

SMS Banking Services Offered by Top Banks

Refer the following table:

Bank

Services Offered

Axis Bank

  • Get automatic alerts about your account

  • Get updates about upcoming bill payment

  • Request for new cheque books, account statements and transaction details

  • Do credit card status check

State Bank of India

  • Balance Enquiry

  • Mini-Statement

  • Request new cheque book

  • Get e-statements

  • Avail Home Loan Interest Certificate

  • Enroll for Positive Pay System (PPS)

  • Block/ Unblock credit card

  • Apply for Loan

RBL Bank

  • Balance Request

  • FD Enquiry

  • Check Last 5 transactions

  • Generate a credit card PIN

  • Block/Unblock Card

  • Update Personal Information

ICICI Bank

  • Recharge any prepaid phone, broadband and DTH account

  • Make post-paid bill payments

  • Top-up Delhi Metro smart cards

  • Access all your account-related information any time 24X7

Citi Bank

  • Balance enquiry

  • Check Nearby ATM Location

  • Get Duplicate account statement

  • Send Cheque book Request

  • Generate One time Password

  • Get Reward Redemption

  • Check outstanding balance & available credit card limit

Benefits of SMS Banking

SMS mobile banking has fast emerged as a preferred mode of banking among many customers. The bank SMS format offers a number of advantages over traditional banking and the service can be easily availed with a simple click on your mobile phone. Some of the benefits offered over traditional banking methods include:

  • You can place requests/receive notifications simply by sending an SMS. This convenience reduces the need to visit your home branch from time to time for getting banking updates

  • Basic information about available balance, cash withdrawals, etc., can be instantly availed, saving you precious time

  • Bank SMS format alerts can help you get instant notifications about bill payments and credits/debits into/from your account

  • Instant notifications can alert you about any banking fraud/swindling activities in your account

How to Register for SMS Banking

Registration for SMS Mobile Banking is a one-step process that can be easily done via any of the following ways:

  • Activate the services by sending a request via SMS/calling on the respective bank’s phone banking number

  • Registering by visiting your home branch

  • Activate the services via credit/debit card at an ATM kiosk

  • Activate the services via netbanking

FAQs on SMS Banking

SMS Banking
What do you mean by SMS banking?

SMS mobile banking can simply be explained as: “An extension of mobile banking facility wherein a customer can get instant banking-related notifications via SMS”. The biggest advantage that it offers over net banking is that you can use the SMS banking facility even in the absence of a healthy internet connection.

Bank SMS format offers considerable security for banking-related activities as all the alerts and notifications are only sent to the mobile number registered with the bank. Moreover, in case any funds from your account are fraudulently debited or credited, you can get instant notifications about the activity via SMS, thus helping you take quick action.

To avail SMS mobile banking facility, it is crucial that you have your mobile number registered with the bank. Once your registered mobile number is submitted, the bank will link your savings/current account to the number. You can then register for by any of the following methods:

  • By sending a request via SMS/calling on the respective bank’s phone banking number

  • Register by visiting your home branch

  • Activate the services via credit/debit card at an ATM kiosk

  • Activate the services via netbanking

SMS banking provides several advantages such as:

  • Convenient banking from any time anywhere

  • Eliminates the need to physically visit the bank every time you need to avail a new facility

  • Check account balance, transactions, and other details

  • Generate OTP to authenticate transactions

  • Give instructions to your bank

  • Check offers and rewards on your card

Mobile banking can be activated by:

  • Sending a request via SMS/calling on the respective bank’s phone banking number

  • Registering by visiting your home branch

  • Activate via credit/debit card at an ATM kiosk

  • Activate services via netbanking

View More
Author Image
Hi! I’m Roshani Ballal
Blogger

Roshani has over 6 years of experience and has honed her skills in performance content marketing in the financial domain. She loves diving into research and has crafted and overviewed creative copies, long-form financial content, engaging blogs, and informative articles. She specialises in delivering user-oriented content and solving problems through various content formats. On the side, Roshani enjoys writing poems-that's how she stays creative when she is not crunching numbers.

Academy by Bajaj Markets

alt 11262

All Things Tax

Navigate the tax maze with ease! Uncover Income Tax 101, demystify jargon with Terms for Beginners, and choose between Old or New Regimes.

Seasons 6
Episodes 25
Durations 1.3 hrs
alt 7945

All Things Credit

Unlock the world of credit! From picking the perfect card to savvy loan management, navigate wisely.

Seasons 12
Episodes 56
Durations 3.0 hrs
alt 1679

Money Management and Financial Planning

Money Management and Financial Planning covers personal finance basics, setting goals, budgeting...

Seasons 5
Episodes 19
Durations 1.1 hrs
alt 3032

The Universe of Investments

Explore the investment cosmos! From beginner's guides to sharp-witted strategies, explore India's treasure trove of options.

Seasons 5
Episodes 23
Durations 1.5 hrs
alt 162

Insurance Handbook

Discover essential insights on various types of insurance in India.

Seasons 2
Episodes 6
Durations 0.5 hrs
alt 1179

Tech in Finance

Welcome to Tech in Finance, where we explore the exciting intersection of technology and finance...

Seasons 1
Episodes 5
Durations 0.3 hrs
Home
Home
ONDC_BD_StealDeals
Steal Deals
Credit Score
Credit Score
Accounts
Accounts
Explore
Explore

Our Products