Cashless payments: Digitization in the sphere of consumer market and services

Report on preparation to the launch of new Halkbank Terminal mobile application for contactless payment has been presented to the Head of the State at the session of the Cabinet of Ministers on August 21.

Mobile application developed by IT-specialists of the above-mentioned bank is aimed at activation of measures for expansion of range of cashless payments in shopping outlets and service centres, improvement of reliability of payments for goods. After opening of Hakbank terminal, it is planned to install programme software in mobile phones of shopping and service outlets for making relative operations in digital format.

Therefore, launch of this application is another significant step in digitization of banking operations. The foundations for introduction of contactless payment technologies on national market have been laid during rapid accumulation of relative experience. Contactless cards of Senagat and Rysgal banks, cards used for payment of public transport are good examples of this.

The State Commercial Bank Halkbank has offered capability of contactless payment for goods and services using special terminal to its clients. The buyer will not need to handover his card sales person or swipe magnet bank through terminal to make a payment. It is just enough to apply it to special terminal and to confirm transaction.

Developed system of contactless transactions Halkbank Terminal is installed to normal smartphone of the seller of goods and services and literally replaces payment terminals, which were used before. Halkbank Terminal will exclude the expenses for service of previous payment system.

These terminals are made by technology, which allows making financial transactions in the result of touching of the chip on a card to the surface of the terminal.

These devices are multi-purpose in application as they allow various bank cards like standard cards with magnet band and the cards with electronic chip for contactless payment. For making payment with standards cards, it is necessary to enter the card number, month and year of expiry, amount of payment, CVC-code and to confirm transaction.

Receipt confirming the transaction is displayed on the smartphone after the payment is done. If it is necessary, the document can be printed or sent to the smartphone of buyer via ShareIt application.

Technology of contactless payment of Halkbank Terminal mobile system allows reducing time of financial operation in shopping and service companies comparing with cash payment or using standard banking cards. The technology of transaction includes several steps:

• Entry of amount to be paid and confirmation of transaction;

• Attaching of contactless card to special zone of the terminal;

• Sound or visual signal, which indicates successful transaction.

In all other parameters such as sms-notifications, limits of operations, maximum number of operations, commission for operation, history of transactions, contactless card does not differ from normal bank card. Therefore, usual buyer, which make payment through Halkbank Terminal mobile system, may not even notice it.

Owners and personnel of shopping companies, service centres, catering facilities, transport companies and entrepreneurs need to think on capabilities and advantages of use of contactless payment technology.

Use of contactless payment systems is actual during social distancing mode in public places. Use of cash money shall be minimized if visit of shopping facility cannot be avoided.

It is better to use contactless payment as after using banknotes, it is necessary to wash and disinfect hands as there is a real opportunity of virus transfer through paper money.

For provision of modern technologies in payment system of Turkmenistan for clients, the Halkbank plans to introduce use of QR-code (Quick Confirmation of Payment) with complete replacement with contactless cards to Halkbank Terminal application in retail and service networks.

Progress in evolution of mobile devices gives high standards for development of bank services including for improvement of contactless payment technologies. For this, the banks have to offer the clients to install relative applications, which allow making contactless payments, to their smartphones. Training of consumers on use of new technologies may be one of the main objectives of service providers in the nest years.

Following this, Turkmen banks have to train own specialists in the sphere of informational security and systematic analysis of financial flows, developers, administrators of informational systems, engineers and other specialists as well as to carry out work for teaching of clients to use new technologies for implementation of projects and introduction of modern digital solutions.

Digitization of service, in other word establishment of strong, reliable and flexible technological platform, which is able to process big amount of data for short period and make entire complex of services, is the main project of technological transformation of Turkmenistan’s banks.

In this regard, at the above-mentioned session of the Government, the Head of the State has requested to activate work for launch of Halkbank Terminal application as well as to think over the development of similar application by other banks.

Numerous requests from shopping facilities and service organizations of government and private sector are the examples of demand for new mobile application Halkbank Terminal.