Category: Technology

Introduction

There was a time when Digital Startups in the US struggled to keep up with the highly resourceful Titans in Banking. But times have changed and the Davids in the industry now pose an imminent challenge to the Goliaths. One might ask how the underfunded neo-banks and startups are able to do this. The answer lies in the core essence of any business, they understand what the customer needs and aren’t opposed to banking transformation advancing technology.

Of course, there is no doubt that these little innovators are definitely not in the leagues of big banks like JPMorgan Chase & Co. or Bank of America Corp. But their maximal utilization of minimal resources makes them highly efficient. Thus their growth through the decade is evident.

As of February 2020, a total of 8775 Fintech Startups are functioning in the US. The calculated CAGR of 8.6% will continue to remain the same or close until 2024. A study reported an estimated US $880 Billion total transaction value in the digital payment space alone.

The smaller players are using their instruments to increase their value in the market. They very well know how banking transformation will help them achieve their ambitions. But we need to take a closer look at how they are using the low hanging fruits of retail banking to make their marks in the corporate banking industry.

Process Automation in US Corporate Banking

Corporate banking or business banking serves a spectrum of clientele, ranging from small and mid-sized businesses to giant conglomerates with billions in turnover. The difference between Corporate Banking and Investment Banking lies in the fact that the former is associated with financial operations and business goals while the latter is associated with raising capital for investments. It was differentiated from investment banking after the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 but was repealed in the 1990s. Now both services are provided by multiple banks.

Corporate Banking brings in huge numbers as it is one of the key profit centers in the industry. This does come at a cost as the largest originator of loans renders it as a source of numerous write-downs for soured loans. They provide multiple services to financial institutions and corporations. Some of them include:

• Credit products including loans
• Cash management and treasury services
• Equipment utilization and lending
• Commercial real estate
• Financial services for trades
• Employer-Employee services

With specialized branches for investment banking, they provide services to corporate clients for securities underwriting and asset management.

Traditionally the corporate banking industry had been dominated by the old and major banks in the US. This includes banks like JPMorgan Chase & Co., Wells Fargo & Co., Goldman Sachs Group Inc., etc. But in recent times niche-specific fintech startups are on the rise and soon enough will constitute a major portion of the market. This is because of their tactical use of technology. With banking transformation, They are automating all the unnecessary manual interventions.

Automation in Banking is the system of utilizing technology to operate banking processes through highly automatic means rendering human intervention to a minimum. To have a thorough idea of the fundamentals of the topic, check out our blog post on Automation in banking.

Most titan banks have advanced from traditional automation processes to RPA methods. But even the age of RPA is over and it is time to adapt to the new norm- Artificial Intelligence(AI). With Machine Learning(ML) and additional advancements in the field, the banks have a long way to look forward to.

 

How Are The Traditional Banks Using Automation?

Most banks in this segment have been in the industry for decades or even centuries. Some of them like JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Capital One Financial Corp. adapt well to banking transformation. But most of them are too late to the game. Till the 21st century, their established presence in the country alone would have substantiated their dominance. Now, the playing field is changing with the incursion of the internet and digitizations they need to up their game.

It is also noteworthy that most top tier banks won’t be affected to a destructive level due to their enormous presence in the industry. But the ones just below them, who still stick to the traditional methods will be stricken.

The generic provisions of online banking, credit cards, and others. are no longer a luxury for the customer, but a necessity. Now the banks must provide more options to the customer. These include e-wallet payments, digital availing of loans, etc. In 2018 Statista.com reported 61% of Americans use digital banking. They expected it to rise above 65% by 2022. They also reported that 66.7% of all bank executives expected Fintechs to impact e-wallets and mobile payment methods, globally. Where the giant banks stand in this advancing fintech market is yet not definite.

People look for ease of access in areas like lending and loan applications. Even without advanced automation, the numbers are high.

 

Some important facts about the adoption of automation for the traditional banks include:

• With a massive presence in almost all states, the giant banks have too much manpower and machinery. Most of them have over 100,000 employees to handle day to day transactions. Some Automation with a central database and RPA help lighten the load a little, but this certainly is an area of improvement.
• Millennial customers are not keen on doing business with giant banks as the experience is not always smooth and easy. Unfortunately, most banks ignore the millennials due to their current low market involvement. But in 30–40 years time, they will be the inheritors of trillions of dollars. For that future securement, smart bankers must think now.
• Individuals and businesses now prefer mobile-only banking over standing in a queue. This is an area where digitization is the only solution.
• The fact that most banks are well established comes with an additional issue of maintenance. BAI(Bank Administration Institute) reported banks overpay 15–20% for real estate on an average compared to other retailers. Over a long period of time that amounts to a huge amount. This could be reduced if banks were to go remote.
• Apart from the conventional facilities offered these banks do not have many attractive features for the customer. Even the rewards provided through credit cards are minimal.
• The boon for giant banks is their all-encompassing nature. They are present in all spheres of financial transactions. Unfortunately, this leaves them little room to focus on specific areas. Most of the time this renders them to be all over the place.

What Gives The Fintech Startups An Edge In Corporate Banking Automation?

Previously the startup industry was mostly located in Silicon Valley. Lately, this has changed and fintech startups are booming all across the country. These startups adapt to technology through automation and digitization. Some of the way they use it to provide services to their customers include:

• Unlike major banks, the fintech startups are primarily focused on a specific area of banking or finance. For example, Blend focuses on lending and loan sanctions for small business owners. This gives them breathing space to improve their service in that sector.
• Since they have limited manpower, they use automation for repetitive tasks and processes. This makes the transactions swift and free of human error.
• Since they have mostly remote accessibility and faster response they provide a better customer experience. Much time, effort, and funding is spent on making the user experience good.
• They focus on millennial customers and entrepreneurs. The services are calibrated to entertain millennials as in the long run they know a loyal customer base from that generation will pay off.
• The millennial population in the US will have more than 78% digital banking users by 2022. Fintech startups acknowledge this, embracing mobile-only banking, and are constantly trying to up their ease of access. Chime and Varo are good examples of successful startups in this sector.
• Most of these startups reduce human interaction and use ML and AI technologies for processing and improvement. To avoid a detachment from comfort for the customers, Some of them go to the extent of making their offices feel like cafes instead of formal buildings. The approach encourages a more casual experience in banking than a formal one. This psychological move has a positive impact on people’s emotions since it removes general stigmas.
• Easy access to loans as much of the bureaucracy involved is cut down with automation.
• Startups like Brex that offer credit cards are on the rise as their rewards systems favor the users much more than other banks’. Even with high debt regret, most users avail credit cards from these providers for their attractive rewards.
• Innovative ideas are encouraged as startups are not impeded by bureaucracy. Forwards Financing’s practice of lending money to startups and using their own technology to give access on the same day to the funds is a brilliant move. It attracts most startup owners for quick fund access.
• Some of the startups are venturing into uncharted territories like the equity markets and even major Wall Street scenarios. Robinhood and Acorn are good examples.

 

How Can The Giant Banks ace the game with banking transformation?

The competition has moved beyond basic automation and RPA. Now the banks should focus on newer technology like AI and ML. Better procedures for onboarding and corporate transactions can be done efficiently with automation.

Specifically, the banks should expand their target audience to include the newer generations. Millennials along with Generation Zs will form the majority of the customer base within the next few decades. Learn from the startups on how to provide them with a better experience. Additional services and features will help. The startup Varo provides no-fee transactions and spending habit trackers to their customers along with other bank services. Banks should take note and bring to life such innovative ideas.

As mentioned in the beginning, top tier giants are less likely to be affected, but the banks that fall after the top ten should tread with caution. This is evident as many giants do take some sort of technology adoption to further their market. For example, the top 7 banks in the USA (JPMorgan Chase, PNC Bank, U.S. Bank, Bank of America, BB&T, Capital One, and Wells Fargo) came up with the app, ‘Zelle’. It’s an exclusive digital payments network for these banks.

Capital One also took a step to remove the formal feeling of visiting a bank with a more laid-back type of ambiance by setting up their offices like cafes.

But these initiatives are exclusive to the elite titans. The lesser giants will have to fend for themselves. As most startups pose a competition for them, it is only sensible to collaborate with international companies for digitization and automation. The expenses will be reduced while getting dependable manpower for set up.

Conclusion

In essence, the financial market is more competitive than a couple of decades ago. With emerging technology and even more innovative ideas, traditional methods must be upgraded. With AI expected to power 95% of customer interactions in the coming decade, the banks need to act fast.

Even in the Stock Market Robo- Advisors intend on managing more than $2 trillion in assets in the coming year. Thus all-encompassing banks require to adopt the new methods. If they don’t, in the coming 30–40 years will be the diminishing of their lights. But this is the time to act. Including new partners from overseas and implementing new ideas will help the giant banks to fly high. While the concept of banking transformation has, both, pros and cons, moving forward automation is the way forward for US corporate banks in the years to come.

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering customizable workflows. In addition, it gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs that can be easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling ten million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks. It works with over 240+ FIs globally, including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a robust global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru and has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.

You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com

Written By:

Signzy

Written by an insightful Signzian intent on learning and sharing knowledge.

The journey of ENACH (Electronic National Automated Clearing House) is a testament to the evolving landscape of digital financial transactions in India. As we increasingly transition to a cashless society, the need for efficient, automated, and secure payment systems becomes paramount.

The centralized payment/transaction processing system was launched on 30th June 2019. The launch was done by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). National Automated Clearing House (NACH) has been constructed for banks, corporates, financial institutions and the Government. It enables you to easily manage recurring payments across multiple banks. It assists you to manage payments of utility bills, SIPs, premiums, donations, Credit Card bills etc.

NACH was set up to serve as a faster and efficient platform for clearance.

NPCI — The Driving Force Behind ENACH

The NPCI was formed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in collaboration with the Indian Banks Association and ten promoter banks. The ten promoter banks are SBI, ICICI, HDFC, PNB, Citi, HSBC, Canara Bank, Bank of India, Union Bank of India and Bank of Baroda. NACH is NPCI’s product offering. Its objective is to replace the existing ECS systems across the country.

With the implementation of the NACH system, NPCI intends to provide a single set of rules for businesses. It also allows for .open standards and best industry practices for electronic transactions. These are common across all the participants, Service Providers and Users, etc. NACH system also supports Financial Inclusion measures initiated by Government, Government Agencies and Banks by providing support to Aadhaar based transactions.

The NACH system enables the member banks to design their own products. It also addresses the specific needs of the banks & corporates. These include a refined Mandate Management System (MMS) and an online Dispute Management System (DMS). The last one is coupled with strong information exchange and customized MIS capabilities.

The NACH system provides a robust, secure and scalable platform to the participants. It has both transaction and file-based transaction processing capabilities. It has best in class security features, cost efficiency & payment performance. All these are coupled with a multi-level data validation facility. It is accessible to and from all participants across the country.

Know Your NACH — Its Evolution & How It Helps

NACH was a system introduced by the NPCI, for interbank, high volume, electronic transfers. These were periodic in nature.

NACH Over ECS — What Was The Need

NACH creates a better option for facilitating clearing services. It is more efficient than the existing Electronic Clearing Service (ECS) system.

NACH is a centralized, web-based clearing service that facilitates services for banks, financial institutions, the government and corporates. It consolidates all regional ECS systems into one national payment system. This helps by removing any geographical barriers in banking.

The most evident difference between NACH and ECS is the method by which the system makes a transaction. Electronic Clearing System (ECS) is a time-consuming method for electronic transactions. Whereas NACH is an online-based transaction system working on the basis of Core Banking Solutions.

Validation is another issue that was majorly faced by the ECS system. This is another reason for giving way to the formation of the NACH system. The NACH is a superior system that is trusted by a major portion of the population.

Here are 5 major differences why NACH is a better choice over ECS

 

The NPCI introduced NACH as an improvement over the existing Electronic Clearing System (ECS) and consolidated multiple ECS systems running all over the country. The NACH system is used for bulk towards the distribution of subsidies, dividends, interest, salary, pension, etc. and also for bulk transactions towards the collection of payments for telephone, electricity, water, loans, investments in mutual funds, insurance premium, etc.

Benefits of NACH:

E-NACH facilitates everyone who deals in bulk and high volume payments every month or so. From the customers to the banks to the organizations — everyone will be equally benefited through the NACH system.

 

For consumers

• An automated process of transfer for easier and simpler handling of payments.
• A faster process that can be settled in a single day.
• The auto-debit feature allows customers the freedom to not remember the payment dates. This applies for EMI, bills, taxes and other recurring payments that one has to pay at regular intervals.

 

For organizations

• The online process is fast and independent of cheques and clearing.
• Requires less time do and send payment like dividends, salaries, bonuses and so on.
• Make the payment of grants and subsidies easier and quicker for the beneficiaries.
• Easy settlement of customer bills providing better satisfaction for the customers.

 

For banks

• Quicker approval of payments helps in creating better customer relations. It also helps maintain corporate clients satisfied with quick services.
• Less paperwork like cheques reduces the complexity and time required.
• The online transaction makes it simpler and easier for every party to conduct business easily.
• Reduces chances of fraud and theft.

Classification of NACH

The 3 major types of NACH are:

• E-NACH
• E-NACH through eSign
• Physical mandates

E-NACH

 

NACH Debit ‘e-mandate’ is a process that enables registration of mandates through the Merchant website, thereby making the whole process of mandate registration online. E-mandates through its digital form of creation of mandates via merchant/aggregator websites are authenticated directly by the end customers.

E-NACH through eSign

In this variation, the merchant, aggregator or bank can get a digital mandate authenticated using Aadhaar credentials verified using UIDAI data. The digital mandate contains the eSign of the customer which will be passed on by the Sponsor bank to the Destination bank. The Destination bank can then verify the eSign and accept/reject digital mandates.

Physical mandates

In this case, the customer can submit the physical mandate to their bank branch. The bank after verification of the customer signature and other details provided on the mandate will upload the data mandate through NACH system on the sponsor bank. The mandate image is optional in this case.

NACH Mandate — How It helps Businesses

NACH helps in the online transactions of money across businesses and customers. It also facilitates loan acquisition and repayment. This makes it a widely utilized system in the modern economy. Small businesses, government agencies, corporate agencies, banks, and other financial institutions use NACH to for effective credit flow. NACH also reduces the time taken for such transactions. It is safe and provides tracking of the transactions. This can be done using the reference number produced for every transaction which happens through NACH.

There are 2 main mandates under the NACH that overlook the transaction flow from a client’s account to the collection agency. In such cases, the lender of the loan can collect the EMIs automatically. This is by sending a NACH mandate to the customer’s bank.

NACH Credit

NACH credit is a part of the NACH mandate. Under this section, a business authorized under the RBI guidelines can make huge payments. These are made directly to the bank accounts of multiple beneficiaries. It is an electronic payment service for bulk payment options. It is applicable for large organizations and corporate companies.

The mandate is helpful in the payment of salaries, dividends, implementation of the mandate. You have to specify the following information in the NACH mandate along with your signature. The sample NACH Form is given below.

Features of NACH Credit

• The system can facilitate 10 million transactions in a single day.
• Provides safety for uploading documents through web access for approval.
• In case of a dispute, it provides an online dispute management system for redressal.
• Multiple file processing is allowed in a single settlement request using the NACH.
• Corporate organizations can have Direct Corporate Access.
• Direct Corporate Access to NACH allows corporate organizations to check the status of their transactions effectively.
• ACK/NACK helps in tracking all your transactions.
• Operational every day of the week apart from Sundays and days when RTGS does not operate.

NACH Debit

Financial institutions and banks use the NACH Debit to collect payments in large volumes from multiple people without any interference. In case of a loan, the lender uses this system to collect EMIs automatically from your bank account once the customer submits the NACH mandate form. It makes it simple and easier to pay recurring payments like EMIs, bills, taxes automatically and simply. For the organizations, it makes the collection easier and trackable using a single settlement.

Features of NACH Debit

• Easy collection of recurring payments from bulk customers directly from their bank account safely.
• Online dispute management system allowing safety and security for high-value transactions.
• It makes it easier for the agencies and organizations to collect payments on behalf of the customers using a safe system that generates a unique reference number for tracking.
• It makes it easier for the customers to pay their dues on time without having to remember the date for paying EMI, bills or taxes.

E-Nach Debit Mandate — The Base For EMI

The NACH is used for regular payments. You are not required to issue cheque or transfer funds every time. Instead, you have to issue a one-time mandate for the regular NACH payments.

The NACH mandate form is similar to the normal cheque. But it asks for more information for effective and foolproof implementation of the mandate. You have to specify the following information in the NACH mandate along with your signature. The sample NACH Form is given below.

• Bank account number
• Bank name
• IFSC or MICR
• Payment Debit type — Fixed or Maximum
• Frequency
• Debit type
• Maximum Amount
• Period From, to or until cancelled.
• Signature with name

Debit Type and Period

In the form, you have to select the ‘ Debit Type’. You must decide the ‘Debit type’ carefully. If you are paying the same amount repeatedly, you should use the ‘Fixed Amount’ Debit Type. It ensures that the debit from your account would remain the same in the future.

While you should use the Maximum amount for the Bill payments as billed amount changes. In this case, you set an assumptive maximum amount. The biller would not be able to withdraw more than the specified limit. Fix this amount after the due consideration. The very low limit would create hassles instead of convenience.

Period For Mandate

You have to also decide the beginning and end date of the NACH mandate. The tenure should be fixed for EMI payments. But you can keep it ‘Until canceled’ in the case of Bill payments. If you choose a shorter period, you have to again give the mandate.

E-Mandate of NACH

Normally, people give a mandate for the NACH through the physical slip. But now you can give the E-Mandate as well. This is done through net banking or debit card.

The institutions which give e-Mandate facility, ask for all the information online and takes your consent through net banking. Besides net banking, you can also use a debit card to give the E-mandate. Earlier, Aadhhaar authentication was also used for the Mandate but, the NPCI has stopped it.

You can use the E-mandate, only if the institution has made an arrangement with the bank.

How NACH Debit improves Customer Experience

NACH Credit uses ‘Push’ payment methods which denote payments through credit cards, debit cards, digital wallets and UPI. It is generally required that the customer authorizes each and every payment. As a result, customers often delay, forget or fail to pay, or they just cancel. RBI has relaxed the requirement for second-factor authentication on card-not-present transactions. This allows recurring payments on cards — but customers must have a card. They must also be comfortable with using it. Further, customers must have authorized the instruction via the card network’s security system.

NACH Debit is a ‘pull’ payment method. It requires the customer to only authorize an initial mandate for you to pull money from their account. This is that they don’t need to worry about authorizing future transactions. On the other hand, collectors don’t need to worry about chasing up customers for future payments.

Cards can expire or get canceled, in such case the payment will fail. NACH Debit mandates expire when you want them to. They can’t be lost or stolen. This makes them much more reliable for recurring payments.

Payment gateways levy uncapped percentage fees of up to 3% for card, wallet and UPI payments. NACH Debit charges much less.

Most Indians do not possess credit cards. NACH Debit requires the customer to have a bank account and no credit card is required.

Digital wallet payments require the customer to load the wallet first. This needs the customer’s authorization each time, generating more friction

EMI-based E-NACH Use Cases

 

Below we explore some popular areas where recurring payments like EMI’s are easily supported by E-NACH:

eNACH via Debit card or Net banking

With the Supreme Court’s verdict on the use of Aadhaar, most private sector companies could not utilize Aadhaar APIs for user verification. NPCI, after the judgement, deactivated eSign based eNACH product. This led merchants to revert back to paper-based NACH or ECS systems for recurring payments. This was especially in the case of loans and EMIs.

Debit card/Net banking authorized eNACH is meant to be a replacement to the eSign based eNACH. It has a simpler flow and zeroes to minimal human intervention. APIs from NPCI allows a merchant to get the mandate signed using a debit card or Netbanking credentials. They can then send the same directly to NPCI.

NPCI then uses and shares this information with the sponsor bank and destination banks. It then sets up the eNACH payment just within 2 days.

Insurance: If you are subscribing for an insurance plan for your family through an e-Mandate, you can schedule all your premium payments through a simple online process at the start of the insurance period, instead of manually keeping track and making individual premium payments. This applies to all sectors of the insurance industry and is particularly beneficial as regular payments are made throughout the year by the claim owner.

Electronic Appliances; E-Nach also helps when you purchase electronic appliances or consumer goods in the form of EMI-based payments. Today, EMI’s are applicable for devices like mobile phones and tablets as well. If you have bought a few electronic appliances on EMI for 2 years, you can schedule fixed payments through the online process.

Vehicle Loans/EMI’s: If you have purchased your vehicle by taking a loan from a bank or through a financier, then the E-NACH form is provided to you by the banker/financer. If you have picked up a loan for a vehicle, the payment for the loan can be completely automated in this way.

Utility Bills: Most utility bills are paid on a periodic basis. These include Phone bills, electricity bills and others. For example, postpaid bills can be scheduled to be paid automatically. This is by using standing instructions with a credit card.

But, the same thing can’t be done with other utilities. For example, electricity and water bills. This is due to the dynamic nature of bills that are generated on a usage basis every month. As soon as a new bill is generated, you are manually required to pay the amount in full before the due date. Failure to do so risks penalization or no service. With E-NACH, you can schedule recurring payments for the same, hassle-free.

IoT based Smart Services: With recurring payments opening up for debit cards and internet banking via eNACH mandates, India can finally start seeing the IoT industry capitalizing and building products that would mirror IoT innovation in the western hemisphere.

In the future, recurring IoT services like home-security monitoring, smart homes and more would not need you to create your personal infrastructure. In fact, Google and Amazon are already making moves. by introducing their products like the Nest Hub, or Amazon Echo, which are the first step in creating Indian smart homes. Another potential application for E-NACH.

Why Do Customers Choose ENACH?

• Fundamentally designed for business use (like corporates, banks, and government bodies), NACH provides higher mandate limits up to Rs 1 Cr. for customers.
• E-NACH mandate creation takes up to 2–10 days as opposed to ECS which used to take 30 days or more.
• E-NACH eliminates physical movement of mandates, resulting in very low TAT (<2 days)
• 24*7 capability for mandate registration through corporate web/mobile applications

Conclusion

Recurring Payments powered with eNACH are unlocking a new economy in India. With Debit cards and internet banking being allowed for the first-time to make recurring payments in India. various Industries in India could look forward to building a unique experience for their customers. EMI-based payments are beneficial for both businesses and customers with regards to areas like predictable cash flow, predictable growth, better customer experience and affordable services.

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering customizable workflows. In addition, it gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs that can be easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling ten million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks. It works with over 240+ FIs globally, including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a robust global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru and has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.

You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com

Reach us at: www.signzy.com

Written By:

Signzy

Written by an insightful Signzian intent on learning and sharing knowledge.