Finance
India’s new SMS regulation creates havoc for banks, essential services
SMS deliveries have been down for days
Indian telecom service providers started implementing the second phase of a new SMS regulation, disrupting essential services like OTP (one-time passwords), bank updates, and e-commerce messages. This is an industry-wide issue affecting everything, including India’s identity verification program called Aadhaar and the Coronavirus vaccination portal called CoWIN.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recently issued a guideline that mandated verifying every SMS and its content before delivery. The process is technically called scrubbing and was implemented on March 8, 2021. As a result, unverified and unregistered SMS messages were blocked by telcos.
TRAI says that scrubbing helps reduce spam or misleading messages that pretend to be from a financial institution. The process helps in differentiating between promotional and transactional messages. To control fraud, a blockchain-based solution is used by telcos to check every SMS’ header and content. If the source isn’t registered, the message won’t go through.
Telcos say that they simply followed the upgrade regulations and that telemarketers and companies are yet to join the formal registration process. Unfortunately, neither the telcos nor the banks have issued a statement to address public outrage.
Every transaction done by a credit or debit card is authenticated on the spot via a preset PIN or SMS OTP in India. For online transactions, a vast majority of users rely on OTPs, and these just aren’t getting delivered. Even SMS updates about a transaction aren’t able to go through. Telcos pushed back and pinned the blame on companies and their lax adoption, which have failed to comply with regulatory standards.
According to BloombergQuint, Axis Bank, one of India’s largest private banks, can deliver only 25 to 30 percent of the total messages. In the meantime, users are suggested to rely on alternative authentication services like Verified by Visa.
Finance
UnionDigital Bank, Chubb partner for accessible insurance protection
Chubb insurance products now integrated into UD app
UnionDigital Bank and Chubb Philippines have partnered to bring accessible insurance protection to Filipinos.
The strategic partnership integrates Chubb’s insurance solutions directly on the UD app. These comprehensive solutions will be seen among UD’s suite of financial products. That way, insurance protection becomes more accessible for consumers.
The two key insurance products in the initial rollout are Loan Protect Insurance and Kaya Protect Insurance.
The first product is automatically included for eligible UD loan borrowers at no additional cost for the first three months once the loan is approved.
In the event of accidental death, permanent disability, temporary disability, or death due to illness, Loan Protect Insurance pays up to the original loan amount to cover 100% of the customer’s outstanding loan balance.
Any remaining balance is released to beneficiaries. Loan Protect Insurance is currently available for loans up to PhP 30,000 with short-term repayment periods.
Meanwhile, Kaya Protect Insurance will be available soon. This provides personal accident and accidental death coverage up to PhP 150,000 and is activated automatically by maintaining a low minimum balance of PhP 100 in the insured’s savings account.
The partnership between UnionDigital Bank and Chubb aims to address the protection gap, as according to a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) survey, 48% of adult Filipinos are currently uninsured.
Finance
New luvit card offers flexible Buy Now, Pay Later installments
Simple application process, borrow up to PhP 200,000
FinVolution Group has unveiled the luvit card, making everyday payments accessible and flexible for users through a Buy Now, Pay Later approach.
The rollout marks the company’s move into card-based solutions, bringing installment-enabled transactions into a format that works both online and in physical stores — whether locally or abroad.
To get started, simply download luvit via the App Store or Google Play. Signing up on the app only needs minimal requirements and fast approval.
Once approved, users can start using the Mastercard-powered physical luvit card for a range of expenses. This includes daily purchases, bills, travel bookings, and other lifestyle spendings.
Users can borrow from PhP 2,000 to PhP 200,000 (~US$ 32.56 to ~US$ 3,255.80).
The Buy Now, Pay Later card is designed to accommodate various financial needs. Users can repay in installment options that work for them. In addition, a 0% interest installment is available for the first 40 days.
Finance
Atome now allows in-app bill payments with Bayad partnership
Pay for utilities, internet, government contributions directly within the app
Atome Philippines has partnered with Bayad to allow users to pay for utilities, internet, and government contributions directly within the Atome app.
The integration with the country’s largest bill payment aggregator is designed to help Filipinos manage household budgets more easily without the need for extra steps.
Atome users no longer need to switch from one app to another, nor visit websites to handle monthly bills. Bayad’s extensive network of billers and service providers can be accessed through the platform.
As such, electricity and water bills, as well as government fees, can be paid for directly via the app.
Beyond convenience, users will likewise earn Atome rewards points on every utility bill payment they make.
The partnership between Atome and Bayad is an important step in financial inclusion in the Philippines.
It gives unbanked and underbanked individuals a simpler and more rewarding way to manage essential household expenses.
Atome is known popularly for its Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) offering. It has tie-ups with retailers like fashion, beauty, travel, and more.
The digital financial service platform also offers a Mastercard-powered BNPL card, as well as petty cash loans.
-
Cameras2 weeks agoDJI Osmo Pocket 4P launches with dual lenses and a 1-inch sensor
-
News2 weeks agoLenovo says RAM prices are not coming back down again
-
Laptops1 week agoThe ASUS ExpertBook Ultra wins you over
-
News12 hours agoNew York becomes first state to ban smart glasses
-
Gaming1 week agoPlayStation goes all-digital in 2028
-
Gaming1 week agoXbox might get rid of physical discs too
-
Laptops1 week agoASUS launches the ExpertBook Ultra
-
Enterprise1 week agoGoogle ordered to pay EUR 4.1 billion in fines
