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UIDAIforincentivestomerchantsusingAadhaarpaymentsystem
InabidtopromoteAadhaarbasedpaymentsystem,especiallyinruralpockets,UIDAIhasfavoured"incentives"for
shopkeepersusingthebiometricmodefordigitaltransactions,inlinewithcommissiongivenbybankstoBusiness
Correspondents.

"IfamerchantisusingAadhaarenabledpaymentsystemsthenheshouldbeputatparwithBusinessCorrespondentand
whateverfacilityandcommissionisavailabletotheBusinessCorrespondent,heshouldbepaidonthesamelines,"Ajay
BhushanPandey,CEOofUIDAI,toldPTI.

TheUniqueIdentificationAuthorityofIndia(UIDAI)isthenodalbodyresponsibleforrollingouttheAadhaarprogrammeinthe
country.

"Wearesayingwhereveryoudonothavebusinesscorespondents,supposingamerchantisabletofacilitatepaymentdirectly
fromtheAadhaarlinkedbankaccount,thentherehastobeasysteminwhichthemerchantshouldgettheincentive,"hesaid.

Doingthiswouldbeawinwinforbankstoo,Pandeysaid.

"Itisbeneficialforbanksalso,becausebanksdonothavetohandoverthatmuchcashtotheBusinessCorrespondent...itisa
winwinsituation,"headded.

Pandeysaidthatincentivisingshopkeeperswhoadoptthebiometricpaymentsystemwouldalso"removeanextralayer"as
consumerstodayapproachbanks,ATMsorbusinesscorrespondentsforwithdrawlofmoneytopurchaseitemssuchasration.

"Oncethisincentiveisgiven,itwillgiveasolidpushtodigitalpaymentparticularlytothosesectionswhodonothaveaccessto
cards,smartphones,orinternetbanking.Thissectionofthesocietywillbebestdealt,inthismanner,"hesaid.

NotingthecurrentincentiveforBusinessCorrespondentisuptoonepercentofthetransactionvaluesubjecttocapofRs15,
Pandeysaidwhereincentivisingmerchantsisconcernedbankscouldfixthemodalitiesdependingontransactionvolumes.

"Sofarasthebanksareconcernednothingischanging...thebankswerepayingthiskindofcommissiontotheBusiness
Correspondentsandtheywillcontinuetopayatsimilarlevels,"hepointedout.

Pandeysaidthatdiscussiontothiseffectisonwithallmajorbanks."Theyarealsoevaluating.Theyalsoneedtotakea
considereddecision.Thisisthebeginningitwilltakesometime,"hesaid.

Aadhaarbasedpaymentsystemiscurrentlybeingusedby1,10,000businesscorrespondentsfordisbursingcash,andisalso
beingutilisedinCommonServiceCentrestopayforvariousservices.

Digitalpaymentchannelslikemobilewallets,USSDandRuPayhaveseenmassiveuptakeandriseintransactionspost
demonetisationonNovember8.EvenincaseofAadhaarenabledpaymentsystem,thevolumeoftransactionshavejumped
2.5timespostdemonetisationfrom6lakhadaybeforeNovemberto15lakhtransactionsperdayatpresent.