SBI Card to enable contactless payment at PoS via Host Card Emulation

In a major push towards digitisation SBI, the largest bank of India is going to enable its customers to make payments by tapping their smartphones on swipe machines through SBI card app.

SBI is using a technology called ‘Host Card Emulation (HCE)’ which enables dematerialization of the card, and is updating its existing mobile application to make contactless payments at the point of sales (PoS) terminals, reports TOI.

Till now, SBI cardholders have been using smartphones as an alternative option for cards for payments on the ‘Samsung Pay’. However, from next month onwards, the bank is planning to launch its branded app, which will help in virtualization of the card in smartphones, which would be done via near-field communication (NFC).
On the lines of the Government of India, SBI cards can also make Bharat QR Code payments.

Post demonitisation move, the Government of India had launched the Bharat QR Code payments transfer mechanism for cashless electronics payments.

At present, 15-20 per cent of cards come from co-branded partnerships such as Big Bazaar and Tata group.

"Among our recent innovations we have enabled our card for Bharat QR code by incorporating the feature in our app," said Vijay Jasuja, CEO, SBI Card.

He further added, "Before demonetisation the card volume growth rate was around 60,000 cards per month which increased to over 1 lakh cards per month post-demonetisation period and has now grown to around 2 lakh cards per month."

SBI Card has doubled its base in three years to over 50 lakhs and is recording fastest growth in issuance with 15% market share of cards in force (CIF) as well as card spends.

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The company has recently identified top 100-200 institutions in the country where students in their final year of graduation, who are not yet employed, will be eligible for a credit card.

Over the last one year, the monthly card spend has grown from an average of Rs 3,500 crore per month to Rs 5,500-crore plus per month.

SBI Cards & Payments Services, is a payment solutions provider in India. It is incorporated as a joint venture between the State Bank of India, India's largest bank, and GE Capital. Headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana/ Delhi NCR, they have branches in over 50 cities across India.

SBI Card: Website