In six months, postal debit cards will work at bank ATMs

In six months, those having accounts with post offices can use their postal debit cards to withdraw cash from Automated Teller Machines (ATM) operated by banks too.

With the inauguration of an ATM facility at the Park Town head post office on Monday, all the city’s nine head post offices, including the ones at Mylapore, Avadi and St.Thomas Mount, have ATMs now.

In the Park Town head post office, to start with, 250 customers will be provided with debit cards and more customers will get theirs soon. Charles Lobo, chief postmaster general, Tamil Nadu circle, inaugurated the ATM and distributed debit cards.

Once the facility of interoperable ATMs are in place, bank customers can withdraw cash from ATMs at post offices too, said Mervin Alexander, postmaster general (Chennai City Region) at the function.

At present, there are 52 lakh postal savings account holders in the Chennai city region. Of these, nearly 16,000 account holders have been provided with debit cards.

Officials of the postal department say that such cards were given to those who maintain a minimum balance of Rs. 500. Steps are being taken to create more awareness about postal ATMs among customers.

Customers are likely to soon enjoy the benefits of net banking with the department now operating it on a trial basis. Post offices in the Chennai north division are conducting a campaign to get residents, especially autorickshaw drivers and vendors in the Park Town area, to take up Pradhamar Natchathra Paadhukappu.