Banks have been instructed to expand electronic services to reduce physical presence of staff and clients in line with nationwide restrictions to curb spread of the Covid-19 plague.
Customers have been encouraged to use online banking services and those who prefer physical presence in banks will be charged extra if the service(s) are available online.
On banking measures to contain the spread of the infection and reduce customers' physical presence, the CBI increased the daily cap for card-to-card transfers from 60 million rials to 100 million rials, the Central Bank of Iran website reported.
Soon after the disease was reported the CBI had expanded the ceiling for daily card-to-card transfer from 30 million rials to 60 million rials.
The validity of debit cards are extended automatically for one year without card-holders having to approach banks. In addition, banks can issue gift cards bearing up 20 million in credit compared to the maximum five million rials in the past.
The CBI has also required lenders to provide customers routine banking access, such as opening accounts and requesting loans, via online platforms, to the extent possible. Clients need to go to banks if and when needed to have their IDs confirmed.
The CBI said customers have to pay if they go to the banks for services that are normally free and accessible online or via ATMs. For example, changing a debit card password is free and possible via ATMs but if card-holders ask the bank staff to change the password they have to pay fee.
Banking Operations Curtailed
With the new lockdown taking effect today (Saturday) banks have been told to curtail operations and take precautionary hygiene measures to protect staff and customers from the infectious disease.
The government announced last week that it will impose stricter measures to ward off the outbreak.
The restrictions, which will be in effect for two weeks, also entail travel restrictions and the presence of only one-third of staff in offices.
As per the new measures, banks are categorized under ’essential businesses’ and will operate with maximum half the regular staff in red zones, said Alireza Qeitasi, secretary of the Coordination Council of Association of Private Banks and Credit Institutions, Tasnim news agency reported.
Starting Nov. 21, 150 cities throughout the country, including Tehran, will move from partial shutdown to a full lockdown.
The CBI has urged the people to use electronic payment instruments and avoid using banknotes to avoid infection.
Davoud Mohammad Beigi, head of CBI’s Payment Systems Department, said earlier that the regulator is expanding infrastructure for contactless payment via QR codes and digital wallets to help limit the virus via banknotes or using debit cards in retail outlets.
QR code payment is a contactless payment method where payment is made by scanning a QR code from a mobile app.
