Mobile banking is a term that has become increasingly popular over the course of the last decade. So, it is common for banks these days to offer their services - financial and accounting, to their customers over smartphones. In its simplest form, mobile banking refers to a service offered by a bank to their customers that lets them perform and monitor financial transactions through a smartphone or tablet.
Mobile banking is a part of internet banking and contrary to popular belief, they are considered to be the two sides of the same coin. Just like internet banking, mobile banking is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and can be used to perform basic functions like utility bills payments, funds transfer, balance checking, setting up spending limits, among others, on a mobile device through the internet.
Whenever you perform a financial transaction, you will receive all the necessary alerts and notifications on your mobile phone to verify that it’s been done by you.
Broadly speaking, there are three ways to access mobile banking:
Presently, mobile apps are among the most popular ways to take full advantage of mobile banking. In this case, the bank provides a dedicated mobile app to its customers with all the necessary features and services already embedded on the platform. Using the bank’s mobile apps, you can:
You can also check your investment portfolio, if applicable, and monitor your fixed deposits, mutual funds, and access other investment services. So, needless to say, mobile apps are highly versatile when it comes to mobile banking.
With SMS banking, the services are far more restricted. The idea here is to register your number with the bank for SMS banking. Post this, you inquire about your account information by sending an SMS to the bank’s designated number and, in turn, you will receive a reply from the bank answering your query.
SMS banking is suitable for those customers who do not own a smartphone or have access to the internet.
You can use SMS banking to check your account balance, obtain mini-statement, and perform other similar activities. You cannot transfer funds or carry out any financial transactions here; it simply serves as a mean for you to check your account details.
USSD banking is quite similar to SMS banking. Once again, it can be used by customers without a smartphone or an internet connection. Instead of sending an SMS to the bank, you make use of USSD codes provided by the bank to access the services. Once you enter the code and hit the dial button, you will receive a menu where you can check your account information, mini-statement, etc.
Mobile banking is limited in its functionality. It allows the user to transfer funds, pay bills, check account details, set PIN code, block your card, and all the other basic functions. In other words, it serves as a convenient option to perform day to day transactions without any hassles. To do so, all you need is the bank’s mobile application or the mobile version of the bank’s website on your smartphone.
Mobile banking has truly transformed the way we perform bank transactions online. To make the most of it, all you need is a new-age smartphone, a strong password and a reliable internet connection. Of course, make sure to work with a reputed bank known for its customer service and financial services.
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