Guidelines for Cooperative banks for implementing Payment Systems along with brief outline on Procedures Cooperatives which have a large presence in rural areas were kept out of sphere of financial inclusion mainly on account of technological constraints. Cooperatives having realised this and also to give all financial facilities to their customers has started going for new technology. As on date 112 banks are on CBS platform a basic requirement for technology related payment system. 28 banks have also obtained IIN from NPCI and thus have capacity to issue ATM cum debit cards. A discussion with large number of these banks has revealed that the process to reach payment system was difficult and time consuming mainly because of lack of information, knowledge, guidance and other related issues. To help banks in these issues, guidelines were prepared and given to the banks. To further facilitate banks a road map to effectively introduce payment system has been prepared and given below. A comprehensive IT policy including CBS, hardware, software,risk and fraud management,system audit, payment system and card management, etc is required but it was observed that so far a large number of banks including RRBs have not framed a comprehensive policy in this regard. However, cooperatives may follow the road map as obtained from discussions with various banks including commercial banks. Payment system: As soon as bank starts implementing CBS it should identify a core team of officials for implementing payment system and provide adequate training to them through IDRBT and NPCI and through exposure visits to banks already implementing payment system. Direct vs sponsorship Bank has to decide on type of facilities to be given to its customers. RTGS, NEFT and ATM (including POS) are the basic services which bank has to offer and plan. Bank has to identify required model i.e. direct member vs
sponsorship. To facilitate for arriving at this decision adequate guidelines have already been issued (Annexure I). However, we advise DCCB to go for sponsorship model on account of: Time requirement Cost effective Easy to implement Lower volume of transactions Absence of highly trained manpower to maintain systems Sponsor Bank Once that decision is taken, bank has to identify a sponsor bank. Any bank having connectivity with NPCI and a direct member can act as a sponsor bank. Decision on sponsor bank can be taken on the basis of: Integrated services of RTGS, NEFT, ATM and POS. Leaving any of these for later period will have a financial impact on account of lower bargaining power later on Services offered like use of their ATMs and interbank charges, settlement, etc. Deposits asked by the sponsor bank on the basis of services provided by them. Type of switch vendor available with identified bank. Bank has to identify switching vendor who is providing switching facilities to sponsor banks and negotiate for commercials. Swithching facilities Negotiate with switching vendor for following: Switching charges Sign up fee One time application development fee Minimum issuer and acquirer transaction fee Annual maintenance fee Banks has to negotiate and finalise commercials for ATM and micro ATM / POS in the beginning itself
Purchase of POS/ Micro ATM Bank has to identify a vendor for supply of POS / micro ATM confirming to prescribed standards. Detailed cost including annual maintenance charges is to be negotiated. Data migration As the accounts of farmers will be in books of PACS, bank has to put in a place a system where these accounts can be migrated to the CBS of banks. In consultation with PACS bank has to evolve a system for migration of accounts from the books of PACS to CBS of bank and initiate process of migration of data. Other aspects to be covered are: a) Compensation package for PACS b) Training of banks staff and official of PACS Card management Based on the above bank may assess its requirement of ATM cum debit cards and a) Identify card vendor b) Assess whether to do card management of their own or outsource it c) Negotiate card rates, finalise card design and other features d) Put in a place a system for card issuance and related issues. Post CBS Banks may follow the steps as given in Annexure I & II for issue of Rupay debit/kcc cards Banks may organise Awareness/Literacy campaign for the user in villages Banks may also initiate process of seeking NABARD support alongside other efforts. The banks may get in touch with those banks which have already started issuing Rupay KCC cards.for any clarifications and guidance bank may get in touch with our Regional Offices or Special Project Unit- KCC, NABARD, Head Office, Mumbai at kcc.spu@nabard.org Flow chart for implementing payment system in cooperatives is given as Annexure III.
Annexure I Methodology to join of RTGS / NEFT Network Direct Membership Eligibility criteria Membership is open to all licensed banks. The entity should satisfy the following Financial Criteria i. Minimum CRAR of 9% (as per the latest audited balance sheet); ii. Net NPAs below 5% (as per the latest audited balance sheet); iii. Minimum net-worth of Rs. 25 crore; and iv. Recommendation of the regulatory department concerned. Apply to RBI in the prescribed format The entity on fulfilling the access criteria would simultaneously be granted membership to INFINET, be eligible for opening current account at the Deposit Accounts Department (RBI, Mumbai), SGL/CSGL account (RBI, Mumbai), Bank shall at its own cost and responsibility install and maintain in good order the RTGS / NEFT Infrastructure (hardware, software, networking and security products), as required/recommended by the RBI for the purpose. RTGS members should upgrade/modify/replace such Computer Systems (hardware, software, networking and security products) and other associated components in this regard from time to time as directed by RBI. The Computer Systems should be located securely within each RTGS member s premises such that access to them is restricted to that member s authorised personnel only. Bank should have its own DC and DR center
Indirect Membership Banks which fail to fulfil the access criteria mentioned in 2.1 or because of cost considerations can join RTGS / NEFT Network as a Indirect member. To join RTGS / NEFT Network as an Indirect member, banks may follow the following procedure: i) May negotiate with any direct member bank of RTGS/NEFT Network (Sponsor Bank). ii) Discuss the commercial terms. (The charges for customer transactions of sub-member cannot exceed the charges applicable to customers of sponsor banks/direct members of the centralised payment systems viz., RTGS and NEFT.) iii) Apply for a sub-member IFSC from the Sponsor bank. iv) There will be no branch-wise IFSC number only bank-wise. v) Establishment of Network connectivity between the Sub member bank and the Sponsor bank. vi) Banks will have to open current accounts with the Sponsor Bank for settlement of transactions. vii) Banks will have to maintain a minimum balance in the current account as may be decided by the Sponsor bank. viii) The sponsor bank would be responsible for sending/receiving all the transactions/messages on behalf of their sub-member. ix) Aspects relating to operational feasibility, risk mitigation, fund settlement, collateral etc have to be taken care by the sponsor bank. x) The sponsor bank should put in place a risk management framework and a system of continuous monitoring of the risk management practices of sub-member/s that they desire to sponsor. The risk management framework should be approved by the Board of the sponsor bank. xi) The sponsor bank under this arrangement will assume complete responsibility for the settlement of all transactions by/on the sub-members. xii) Redressal of all customer complaints / grievance would be the responsibility of the sponsor bank. xiii) Sponsor bank will provide daily report for all transaction so as to enable the client bank to reconcile the transactions.
Annexure II Methodology to join National Financial Switch (NFS) for ATM & POS Application 1. Direct member of NFS The bank should fulfil the following General and Technical Eligibility criteria for becoming direct member of NFS General Criteria Bank should have valid Banking License from RBI. Bank should have Current A/c with RBI Bank should have networked ATM and own their ATM Switch Bank should be RTGS Member of RBI Technical Criteria Use of HSM (External Host Security Module) for encryption and decryption FIPS 140-1/140-2 or FIPS 197 certified crypto product (HSM Standard) Pin Generation and verification using HSM ATMs and POS should have unique Key per terminal Use of Double length Triple Des keys for terminals and translations Mandatory Pin, CVV1 and expiry date verification by issuers A bank fulfilling all the above criteria may submit the application form to NPCI in the prescribed format. NPCI issues the direct member certificate after examining the all the details submitted by the bank 2. Indirect member (Sub member) of NFS A bank that does not fulfil the General and Technical Criteria mentioned in 1.1 can join NFS as a sub member. In order to join NFS through a Sponsor Bank which is already a direct member of NFS the bank may follow the following steps:
i) May negotiate with any direct member bank of NPCI. ii) Discuss the commercial terms iii) The Sponsor Bank should specify the Application Service Provider (ASP) who will be offering switching services to the bank. iv) The ASP should be a certified ASP of NPCI; else the ASP may undergo the necessary certification. v) The Sponsor Bank should assume the role of being the sole clearing and settlement agency vi) The Dispute Management and the regular settlement & day end reports will be provided by Sponsor bank. vii) No significant investment is required in this model as the bank will utilize the services and the shared infrastructure of an ASP
Annexure III Implementing Payment Systems CBS Implementation Identification of official for payment system & their training Selecting RTGS/ NEFT & NFS Model Identifying Card / Micro ATM/ POS Vendor Risk / Fraud Management Decision on PACS as BCs / Formulating Policies Awareness / Literacy campaign for public Selecting Sponsor & TSP for ATM Switch Hardware, Software & Network Policies Card Management Policy IT Security Policies / System Audit Data Migration of PACS and finalizing Accounting procedures Establishing lease line connectivity between bank CBS DC to TSP ATM DC Business Continuity Plan Training of BC Sharing of card design & sample embossa file model and testing with NPCI On successful testing go live status given by NPCI