Customers of private lender Kotak Mahindra Bank will soon be able to check their balance and do a host of non-financial services transactions using the microblogging website Twitter.
The bank today launched a new current account product that will enable the account holders to undertake 21 such services like cheque book requisitioning, and checking last few transactions using their Twitter accounts.
Current accounts are designed for businesspersons/enterprises that carry out large number of transactions.
"All you need to do is to use the dedicated hashtags (#) for the activity you want to do. We have integrated all our systems with our core banking software and can seamlessly throw up the required result into the account holder's Twitter handle as a direct message," Kotak's consumer banking head KVS Manian said.
The account christened 'Jifi', also involves a host of loyalty-based reward points accrued from merchant transactions carried out using the account, referrals made and 'sharing and commenting' of tweets/updates.
The reward points - classified as transactional and social - can be redeemed for discounts with select online merchants or also transferred to friends, he said.
The account can be opened by a self-invite either via Facebook or an e-mail, the bank said, adding that existing account holders can also get a new account opened.
When asked for the reasons as to why it chose the current account platform over the savings account, which is generally associated with households, Manian said for the target constituency, the interest of 6 per cent offered on the savings account is not as important as the benefits from the loyalty programme.
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