Importance Of Aadhaar Enabled Payment System In Today’s Life
Aadhaar Enabled Payment System, in short, AEPS, is a new service introduced to make payments. It is a new initiative, mainly offered by the National Payments Corporation, India, to the leading financial institutions and the banks, with the usage of 'Aadhaar ID'. Aadhaar Identification means a unique number that is issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India(UIDAI). Customers can access such a facility of service Accessed points(CSP'S) by using the Point of Sales(POS) devices and instruments.
This service authorizes a bank customer to use Aadhaar ID as one's identity to avail to one's respective Aadhaar capacitated and enabled bank account to perform primary Intra and interbank transactions. It includes services like-Balance Enquiry, Deposition of cash, withdrawal of cash, and other remittances.
For all sorts of transactions, be it interbank or intrabank, a transaction slip is printed and given to the customer as a record of the transaction.
For all the Aadhaar capacitated financial or payment transactions, be it inter or intra-bank, a business correspondent asks for the Aadhaar ID number of the customers, and scans the fingerprint of the customer by using a biometric scanner. A transaction turns out to be successful, only when the Aadhaar authentication becomes successful.
Aadhaar Enabled Payment software also focuses on the electrification of the retail payments and transactions of the Reserve Bank of India. This system would also capacitate the banks and the financial institutions to route the interbank payments and transactions initiated through Aadhaar by using a central switching agency. This service would also facilitate the disbursal of government offerings like-old age pensions, social security pensions, etc., by using the Aadhaar ID proof. Lastly, this system even facilitates smooth interoperability across the various financial institutions and the banks safely and securely.
Once this system gets successfully implemented, then it will lessen the dependence on cash, and it will also reduce the expenses and costs for transactions. After this system gets enabled, various other systems like-micro credit, micro insurance, micro pensions, etc., can also get implemented.
So in simple words, the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System is a comprehensive system, which capacitates merchant payments, i.e., it enables a merchant to accept payments from their customers, which are made through their linked Aadhaar bank accounts.
a) It is easy to use: Payments can be made in an instant mode, by using the Aadhaar pay application.
b) Flexible procedure: It uses standard quality devices like-fingerprint scanners.
c) Convenient to use: It capacitates customers to make hassle-free payments, without the usage of any PIN or passwords.
d) Safe and Secure: Proper security is ensured in the entire system, to prevent any fraudulent activities or any theft.
Advantages for both-Merchants and the Banks:
i) In the case of merchants -
A lesser amount of investment is required; ability to offer rewards for the customers; instant payments can be made through this system
ii) In the case of Banks -
Alternate methods of payment, interoperability function, integration of partner's bank existing financial inclusion gateway, hosted services based on Aadhaar enabled payment system platform.
This system simplifies the payment method using the digital method by using just only the Aadhaar ID number to get the credentials that are already registered in UIDAI.
This system even enables any financial institution or bank to show its high scalability potential, as this system facilitates instant onboarding payments using the Aadhaar linked bank account.
Recently as per a report, it is also noted that banks have an intention to introduce Aadhaar payment bridge solution(APBS), alongside AEPS software or AEPS solution.
Thus, to gain more comfort in dealing with issues regarding payment, Aadhaar enabled payment system is indeed an important feature that would be included in India's banking and market structure.