PayPoint India has launched a series of ‘Micro-ATMs’ (m-ATMs) in North-East India. The m-ATMs can be deployed in rural areas from where people travel long distances just to access the nearest ATM or a bank. The handheld machines can be set up at local Kirana shops and use the same cash box of these shops.
The m-ATMs are an ideal backup and a pivotal resource for enabling essential cash transactions when the bigger ATMs run dry. They can be easily paired with a mobile or laptop for instant delivery of cash through retail shops. Advanced and portable m-ATMs with modern facilities like chip-reading provide all conventional ATM facilities.
PayPoint has already deployed around 900 m-ATMs in the North East region during a pilot program and plans to increase it to about 6,000-7,000 by March 2022. Initially, PayPoint India has rolled out m-ATMs in Assam to cater to the needs of tea garden laborers. These workers face a huge problem withdrawing their monthly expenses due to the unavailability of ATMs or banks nearby. Assam has more than 841 registered tea gardens with 10-lakh plus laborers. So, to curve down the demand for banking services, PayPoint has decided to deploy m-ATMs in major tea garden areas of the state.