KBANK Launches a New Banking Agent Service, but Will It Actually Work?

KASIKORNBANK (KBank) sets out to appoint banking agents to offer the “KBank Service” which will bring services closer to customers. Thailand Post, with a country-wide network, is the first appointed agent under this scheme. The service available now is cash deposit service into KBank accounts, with a fee of 20 baht (10 THB during debut promotion 28 Sep. – 31 Dec.)

Here we are again with the “bank fee”. The reports on second quarter financial statements show that all the banks confront the same problem, which is a decrease of profit from bank fee after the transaction fee from mobile banking has been ruled out from the banks. Apparently, they need to come up with a new strategy to support this loss, and seems like KBANK may have found theirs.

 

According to KBANK the service will be in tune with diverse lifestyles and locations of customers, while serving as a new option for those who are unfamiliar with digital banking, which is a great idea when we consider the number of people in the countryside who does not know how to use digital banking.

Customers in all areas will find the services more convenient as banking agents will have service venues that are supportive to KBANK and equipped with competent staff, tools and system security, as well as the potential of real-time connectivity with KBANK systems. In order to enhance seamless and highly secure customer services, KBANK will take full responsibility toward the agents’ performance as if it were delivered by itself.

 

While the government urges people to adjust themselves to Thailand 4.0 era (including improvement in technology), KBANK seems to go with “somewhat-too-high tech” for their target customers.

The trend of using mobile banking, prompt pay, or even a mobile phone as a wallet may reach Thailand after some other countries in Asia, but people are adapting and getting used to it. Some of the banks, for example, SCB, TMB or Krungsri even have the support system on their ATM to withdraw the money without an ATM card, but a mobile and bank’s application are required.

This may come to KBANK’s advantage, since their aims are people who are “unfamiliar with digital banking.” There is no other way for these target customers to deposit or withdraw money without KBank Service at Thailand Post. Let’s take a look on the procedure of KBank Service to see if it is really convenient to its customers?

Conditions:

– Transfer limit 20,000 / transaction

– Transfer limit 40,000 / day

– 20 THB fee (10 THB during debut promotion 28 Sep. – 31 Dec.)

How to Use:

Natural person customers wishing to deposit their money to saving account or current account via KBank Service at Thailand Post’s branch can simply fill up the form to give the account number that they want to deposit the funds to and the amount thereof. The depositor will receive a receipt as the evidence of transaction and an SMS, while the recipient will get the money instantly.

 

KBANK has 1,016 branches and 11,792 Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), Cash Deposit Machines (CDMs) and Passbook Update Machines (PUMs) (self-service channels), this will make the number of KBANK’s financial service points rise to 13,722 nationwide. On the other hand, the receiver needs to withdraw the money at one of the 964 branches of Thailand Post across the country that has a system to support this service.

There are about 100 post offices here in Bangkok that are able to support KBank Service, which will leaves 864 branches or 11.2 branches per province.

 

To make it simple, Thailand Post will act as another KBANK’s branch that you can deposit limited money to saving account or current account, but you will not be able to withdraw from Thailand Post.

This is another strategy from KBANK to expand its branches without actually establish any. We can see that people are still going to the bank to make any business transaction, but in the world that technology is blooming, and competitors are trying their best to develop an easier system on their ATM or mobile banking, KBANK seems to be the one with unique idea.

The total investment for KBANK on this service has yet to come out, maybe it will not cost much since there hardly anything that KBANK needs to work on except the cost from connecting their system to Thailand Post.

 

KBank expects the number of transactions will reach 600,000 for the first three years. A possibility of account opening service is now under consideration. Comprehensive services including both deposit and withdrawal will be launched next year, while more service centers will open in the next three years, such as, convenience stores, department stores, supermarkets and gas stations to support KBank Service.

Ms. Smorn Terdthampiboon, President of Thailand Post Co., Ltd. (THP), said that “Thailand Post began offering Bank@Post service in collaboration with many commercial banks in 2011. This deposit service grows at an average rate of 13% P.A. It looks promising ahead because banks will likely cut their investment in branch expansion while Thailand Post as a public agency has the potential to respond to their needs because we can directly reach the customers, thanks to our extensive network of over 5,000 branches throughout the country.”

Will this be the right move for KBANK with their unique method to expand business? Guess we will have to wait and find out.