Dien Ban promotes cashless payments

Cashless payment at Vinh Dien market. Photo: VL

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Cashless payment is becoming a social trend to create transparency, limit the amount of cash in the circulation of goods, reduce social costs...

Recently, many documents and policies have been issued by the Dien Ban town government to encourage and promote non-cash payment activities in businesses and people associated with the process of digital transformation, digital commerce, and digital economy .

Many payment activities in purchasing and paying for regular services have gradually shifted to fast and convenient money transfers.

Ms. Ho Thi Huong - a fruit vendor at Vinh Dien market said that recently the number of customers buying goods without using cash has increased significantly.

While previously it was mainly young people, now some middle-aged customers, especially civil servants and office workers, have also switched to this form of payment. On average, about 60% of customers pay cashless when buying fruit at Mrs. Huong's stall.

Vinh Dien Market is considered one of the busiest trading places in Dien Ban. Therefore, cashless payments are quite common. Mrs. Ho Thi Huong's fruit stall is just one of the stalls at Vinh Dien Market that accepts both cash and bank transfer payments.

In October 2023, the Women's Union of Vinh Dien Ward also launched the Women's Group for Cashless Payments with 20 members, most of whom are business households and traders with bank accounts and know how to use information technology.

Accordingly, each team member is given a QR code scanning mica board with bank account information. At the same time, they are instructed to install information applications for payment to serve their buying, selling and business transactions.

Up to now, most of the women's associations in 20 communes and wards of Dien Ban town have established cashless women's groups in transactions.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, cashless payments have become increasingly popular in commercial activities, spreading to many classes of people, including small traders.

Through the use of electronic payment methods applying information technology such as e-wallets, Mobile Banking, Internet Banking, QR Code, Viettel Money... it has helped customers transfer money easily and safely with just a smartphone.

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In the plan of the Provincial People's Committee on "Developing domestic trade in the period up to 2030, with a vision to 2045 in Quang Nam province", the goal clearly states: By 2030, strive to have 75% of the population participating in online shopping; non-cash payments in e-commerce reach 70%. By 2045, 90% of the population will participate in online shopping; non-cash payments in e-commerce reach 85%.

To specify the province's planning goals, in recent years, Dien Ban town has issued many documents and plans on non-cash payments.

Notably, Plan No. 70 (dated March 29, 2023) and Plan No. 204 (dated August 31, 2023) aim to support and promote digital transformation and cashless payments in markets, businesses, educational and medical establishments as well as in social security policy payments.

The town aims to widely apply digital technology, use electronic invoices in transaction activities, and form the habit of using technology and digital services for related organizations and individuals to bring the highest convenience and safety.

Ms. Le Thi Anh - owner of Le Anh Cake Production Facility said that currently, most of the transactions with partners and customers of the facility are mainly by bank transfer. This is also because business activities are mainly carried out on online platforms, including purchasing input materials.

A preliminary survey of supermarket systems, food establishments, start-up communities, OCOP entities, etc. in the town shows that most of them have cashless payments.

Notably, many businesses have a non-cash payment rate of 70-80% of their commercial payment structure, and this number is expected to increase as e-commerce activities are increasingly developing.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Hang - Vice Chairman of Dien Ban Town People's Committee, in non-cash payments, limited use mainly belongs to the elderly and people in rural areas.

This is understandable, because for the elderly, due to unfamiliarity with technology, the ability to adapt and use smart mobile devices is inevitable.

In rural areas, not all places have wifi for customers to use smartphones to make transactions. If you register for 4G network, you have to pay high fees, while using transactions is not frequent. Not to mention, using cash is still a long-standing habit of people.

The above obstacles have made the cashless payment method in some localities in the west of the town not as expected. Ms. Hang hopes that, along with promoting propaganda, relevant agencies and units need to further improve the technological infrastructure, to work with Dien Ban to promote the goal of cashless payment in the coming years.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/dien-ban-thuc-day-thanh-toan-khong-dung-tien-mat-3139268.html