Post offices in India to accept digital payments from August
What's the story
Post offices across India will begin accepting digital payments at their counters in August, after the successful integration of a new application into their IT system. This change is expected to make transactions more convenient for customers who visit post offices regularly. The main reason post offices couldn't accept digital payments was that their accounts weren't synced with the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system.
Test phase
New system currently being piloted in Karnataka
An official source told PTI that "The Department of Posts is implementing its IT infrastructure, which will have new applications that are enabled to perform transactions with Dynamic QR Code." The new system, dubbed IT 2.0, is currently being piloted in the Karnataka circle. The Mysore head office (HO), Bagalkot HO, and its subordinate offices have successfully carried out QR-based booking of mail products under this pilot project.
Past issues
Earlier attempts to introduce static QR codes
Earlier, the Department of Post had tried to introduce static QR codes at point-of-sale counters in post offices for digital transactions. However, due to recurring technical difficulties and customer complaints, this approach was discontinued. The new system under IT 2.0 is expected to overcome these challenges and provide a seamless digital payment experience for customers at post office counters across India.