MUSCAT: In line with the directives of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion to promote financial inclusion and digital payments across the Sultanate by ensuring e-payment options at businesses in the Sultanate, Bank Muscat has urged all its customers to use its e-channels for their various banking transactions. As the leading financial services provider in the Sultanate and in line with its vision ‘To serve you better, everyday’, the bank has been continuously expanding the number of e-payment options available to its customers including Debit, Prepaid and Credit Cards, wearables, Mobile Wallet and the Mobile Banking app. 

Amjad Iqbal Al Lawati, Assistant General Manager – Cards and eBanking, Bank Muscat, said: “Bank Muscat aims to serve its tech-savvy customers in the best possible manner and is encouraged by the rapid shift to digital and contactless payments. Using the e-payment option improves financial inclusion and offers new, convenient and highly secure e-payment options for the benefit of our valued customers. We are happy to welcome all merchants to use our world-class e-payment options to accept payments from their customers securely in real time. We are sure that this will greatly benefit the Sultanate in achieving the landmark goals of Oman Vision 2040.”

The bank had earlier upgraded its BM Wallet and mBanking app in 2019 to make it easy for customers to transfer money to or request funds from others using the Central Bank of Oman’s Mobile Payment Clearing and Switching System (MPCSS). Funds can be transferred instantaneously using one of the following modes. For person to person transfers, money can be sent or collected from the recipient’s default account or wallet. ‘Send money’ can be initiated by using mobile number, Alias or by QR code scanning and ‘collect money’ can be initiated using recipient Alias/Mobile Number if both the sender and recipient are registered on MPCSS. Bank Muscat customers have the facility to register on the MPCSS via both its BM Wallet and the mBanking app. Funds can be transferred instantly and at zero cost to both Bank Muscat and non-Bank Muscat accounts or wallets by using their MPCSS -registered mobile number/alias/QR code. There is no need to enter an account number. Beneficiaries can be instead selected from one’s phone contact list to initiate a payment. 

It is important to note that the QR code scanning option is a very helpful option for the bank’s merchant partners, especially small businesses, in accepting e-payments from their customers quickly and securely. The security of transactions is enhanced by ensuring that payments are directly credited into the business’ account in real time without the need to handle physical cash and the inconvenience of maintaining change for customers. Payments can be easily initiated from a customer’s Mobile Banking or BM Wallet to the merchant’s account by scanning a QR code. A merchant can also request money from a customer using Mobile Payments System registered mobile number / Alias / QR code.