COVID-19 Lockdown: How to get cash from your bank at your doorstep?

Moneylife Digital Team 14 April 2020

Economy & Nation

India has been in a nationwide lockdown since March 24th, which has now been extended to May 3rd. Several areas are in complete lockdown and it has become a challenge to even visit the bank or ATM to withdraw cash. Senior citizens are particularly affected. Are there options to get money at your doorstep?

You can now request for cash sitting in the safe confines of your home. Several banks are rolling out a doorstep delivery of cash. This service has come in for senior citizens, especially abled. Several large banks including SBI, HDFC Bank, ICICI, Axis Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank are now offering this facility to their customers. Here is what each bank is offering.

SBI: India’s top lender provides doorstep-banking services to its customers and cash is delivered under its doorstep delivery services. This facility is currently available for senior citizens, differently-abled people. However, SBI account holders will be able to avail these services at select branches only. Here are the details of SBI's Doorstep Banking (DSB) Services:

1) Doorstep banking service includes cash pickup, cash delivery, cheque pickup, cheque requisition slip pickup, form 15H pickup, delivery of drafts, delivery of term deposit advice, life certificate pickup and KYC documents pickup.

2) The service request can be made at toll free number 1800111103 between 9 am to 4 pm on working days at the centre.

3) The service request for registration is done at the home branch.

4) Doorstep banking service is available to only fully KYC-compliant customers.

5) Service charges per visit for non-financial transactions is Rs60+GST and Rs100+GST for financial transactions

6) The amount of cash withdrawal and cash deposit is restricted to Rs 20,000/-per transaction per day.

7) Account holders with a valid registered mobile number within 5 Km radius of their home branch will be able to avail these services.

8) Customers with accounts that are operated jointly will not be able to avail these services.

9) The service will also be unavailable for minor account and accounts of non- personal nature.

10) Withdrawal will be permitted using cheque / withdrawal form with passbook.

How to avail of SBI’s doorstep banking service:

• SBI customers who wish to avail this door-step delivery service should call toll free number 1800111103 between 9 am to 4 pm on working days from their registered mobile number.

• Once the call is connected, customer shall input last 4 digit of savings bank/current account number for which doorstep banking service is registered.

• After initial verification, the call shall be forwarded to Contact Centre Agent, who after second/additional verification, shall record the request.

• The customer shall provide the detail of request and preferred time of service delivery (9 am to 5 pm).

• Once the request is accepted, the customer will get an SMS with Case ID and request type.

• The request shall be forwarded to Doorstep Banking Agent who will contact the customer and fix an appointment.

• At the given time, the Doorstep Banking Agent (DSA) shall visit the registered address of the customer and show his Photo ID card and officially valid document (OVD).

• He will also verify the identity of customer through Photo ID and OVD of the customer.

• The service request shall be initiated in the Doorstep Banking web portal in the mobile carried by the DSB Agent. Customer shall input Case ID and Verification Code in the web portal to initiate the transaction.

• The customer will receive SMS for the completion of transaction.

More details can be found at https://sbi.co.in/dsb

The official SBI account has shared tweets about their doorstep cash delivery:

Our staff from Nagaon branch made sure that customers experience seamless banking service by providing them door-step cash facility. We shall fight this pandemic together.#COVID19 #Coronavirus #SBIFamily #ProudSBI pic.twitter.com/0JuI3J0hNb
— State Bank of India (@TheOfficialSBI) April 2, 2020

While we urged people to stay indoors, we also made sure to take care of their banking business. Our CSP staff from Pune branch has started offering doorstep cash delivery service. This is how we fight the global pandemic together. #COVID19 #Coronavirus #SBIFamily #ProudSBI pic.twitter.com/TylEYnT8uW
— State Bank of India (@TheOfficialSBI) April 11, 2020

#FIGHTCOVID
SBI Cares:
Banking services @ doorstep for *needy customers.* BM of Our Salvi Stop branch Ratnagiri, Mah, delivering cash at home to 82 year Pension account holder. pic.twitter.com/itDAwBQLG0
— Ravindra Gandrakota (@rngandrakota) March 29, 2020

How is the service working? Several customers were happy with this doorstep cash delivery service. Many of them tweeted their thank you.

@TheOfficialSBI My mother who is also cancer patient, requested to sbi rajbanshinagar branch for urgent withdrawal of pension amount through home delivery.After that Sanjay Kumar branch manager has taken immediate action and delivered money to home address. Great job by SBI.
— Santosh Goswami (@Santosh382) April 4, 2020

SBI Cares: Doorstep banking was rendered to our Cuncolim branch customer Mrs. Coreia aged 67 residing at Chinchinim by Swapnil Kumbhar Officer @ Cuncolim, South Goa, today. Ÿ‘Proud to be part of Nation’s fight against COVID. @TheOfficialSBI pic.twitter.com/BeI9VHbbKZ
— Ravindra Gandrakota (@rngandrakota) April 8, 2020

Not sure how much would be enough to thank staff of SBI Pupalguda branch for arranging cash for senior citizens @ doorstep banking in our apartment even in this horrible pandemic.But if words mean anything,Thank you so much SBI @TheOfficialSBI @opmishra64 @FinMinIndia @DFS_India
— Rathod Sudhir (@KaizokuOni) April 8, 2020

HDFC bank: Offers cash delivery and pick-up and cheque pick-up services through its doorstep banking. The bank carries multiple verifications and identification to ensure security. Customers too need to check the photo ID proof of pick-up person before transacting. These transactions are also protected by comprehensive insurance. Customers need to get in touch with their local HDFC bank branch for more details.

Make sure you read the terms and conditions and all the small print before availing of any bank’s doorstep banking services.

Similarly you can check out doorstep banking offered by Axis Bank on their website at https://www.axisbank.com/bank-smart/doorstep-banking/doorstep-banking

Mobile ATMs: HDFC bank has announced that the bank is deploying Mobile Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) to assist customers during the lockdown. These mobile ATM facilities are to operate between 1000 to 1700 hours. The mobile ATM will cover three to five stops in a day. The bank said “HDFC Bank’s mobile van carrying the ATM has been successfully piloted in Mumbai, Noida, Allahabad and Coimbatore, with plans to extend the service to the rest of the country shortly”.

Successfully piloted in #Mumbai & #Noida, @HDFC_Bank's #MobileATMs will extend to the rest of #India shortly. They will be open in each location for a specific period during which they will cover 3-5 stops in a day between 10am and 5pm. #StayHomeIndia #IndiaFightsCoronavirus pic.twitter.com/6HDwttleis
— HDFC Bank News (@HDFCBankNews) April 8, 2020

The locations for deployment are being identified in consultation with local municipal authorities in respective cities.

@HDFC_Bank is working closely Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (@mybmc) on the daily route that the #MobileATMs will take to ensure availability of cash. #StayHomeMumbai #IndiaFightsCoronavirus @CMOMaharashtra @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/iYQBoxKU9H
— HDFC Bank News (@HDFCBankNews) April 8, 2020

Several other banks like SBI, Axis, ICICI, Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda and PNB have started deploying Mobile ATMs in order to service their customers conveniently. The customer even gets messages on their cell phone to alert them that a mobile ATM is in their area/ locality and the route that the Mobile ATM plans to take.

Just received this update for #MobileATMs
Hopefully these vans would reach all sectors and areas soon . @ManojPa47203819 @ssptfcchd @PIBChandigarh @RajBalaMalik pic.twitter.com/B8NWgahoTU
— Savi Nagpal (@SavNag) March 26, 2020

These mobile ATMs offer all the services that are available at normal ATMs. Apart from cash withdrawals, other services which can be availed by customers are transfer of funds to registered payees, change of PIN, recharge of pre-paid mobiles, fixed deposits, cardless cash withdrawals. ICICI has deployed mobile ATMs in NCR, Noida, Chennai and some districts of UP.

#ICICIBank deploys mobile ATM vans at residential societies in National Capital Region (NCR) & Chennai to enable citizens to withdraw cash, conveniently and safely at their doorstep and without having to venture out far from their premises during the COVID-19 outbreak. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/Cp45RdjmeB
— ICICI Bank (@ICICIBank) April 9, 2020

As we continue to adhere to social distancing norms during the lockdown, we have launched a Mobile ATM in Bhubaneshwar to facilitate easy accessibility to cash during this challenging time. pic.twitter.com/y69nrzcoYn
— Axis Bank (@AxisBank) April 8, 2020

In the rural areas, where banking services are limited, the role of banks and its correspondents has been key to enable access of funds for the poor. “Bank mitras” or business correspondents are playing a crucial role in the financial inclusion and are mediators between banks and customers. Banking correspondents have played a crucial role in the rural areas for smooth disbursal of funds during this current lockdown.

Meanwhile the RBI has also reiterated that doorstep banking has to be provided to senior citizens and differently abled people. The details have to be adequately promoted (w.r.t branches providing these services, etc) through brochures etc.

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