CHENNAI
Those visiting head post offices may not have to wait for long hours to complete their transactions. The Department of Posts has started UPI QR code-based digital payment system in head post offices across the State.
Since April 16 customers have been allowed to pay booking charges for various services, including speed post, registered post and parcel, through digital transactions along with cash, the officials said.
People may use any mobile wallet for scanning QR code at the booking counters and complete the transaction. Digital payments are now accepted for postal life insurance and deposits towards post office savings bank schemes too.
In the first phase, the service would be provided at 94 head post offices across the State. There are nine HPOs in Chennai, including T. Nagar, Anna Road HPO and Ambattur.
Nearly 200 digital transactions have been done so far across the State on a trial basis, said the officials.
Welcoming the initiative, members of the public said the digital payment option must be extended to sub post offices and branch offices at least in urban and peri-urban areas.
T. Sadagopan, president, Tamil Nadu Progressive Consumer Centre, said this would save customers lots of trouble during over the counter cash transactions. “Customers would know about the exact amount of cash payment only after weighing parcels. Some of them find it difficult as many post offices do not have ATMs on their premises,” he said.
Officials said this was part of the effort to provide customer-friendly services. Decision to extend the facility to sub post offices and branch offices was under consideration, they said.
