Retail fuel outlets accepting only ATM Debit cards i and not through other digital modes like mpay and Paytm is causing huge embarrassment to customers across Kashmir. While digital payments via mpay and Paytm at almost all the business and trading outlets have become a new norm, the retails fuel outlets are asking for fuel charges only though ATM debit cards without any rhyme and reason just for their own petty financial conveniences. Interestingly the J&K Bank does not charge for only three transactions and deducts charges for more than three payments from the accounts of it’s customers on monthly basis. Unfortunately public complaints on this count have gone unnoticed as banks in Jammu & Kashmir have not come out with any clarification on this count. So the issue has a direct bearing on the charges related to usage of ATM debit cards at fuel retail outlets that are taken from the accounts of customers by the banks and consequently the biggest beneficiary in this process are the banks but not the customers. It is also a fact that each time a card is swiped, a certain percentage of the amount paid goes as charges to the fuel retail outlets who have installed the card machines. While even the minor MDR charges are reimbursed by banks to fuel retail outlets, the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) department in Jammu & Kashmir could have sought explanations from the fuel retails outlets for refusing to accept transactions through mpay or paytm and making use of ATM debit care the sole practice of digital transaction for the gullible fuel customers in Kashmir valley. While the fuel retail outlets in Jammu region don’t refuse transactions through any digital mode including mpay , paytm and ATM debit cards, the fuel retail outlets embarrassing fuel customers in Kashmir valley by accepting transactions only through ATM debit cards amounts to great deal of harassment of the fuel customers in valley.
To make things easier for fuel customers and to promote non-cash transactions it is for the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) department to take an immediate call on public complaints against fuel outlets for refusing to accept digital transaction through mpay and Paytm modes. The ongoing row between the customers and fuel retailers highlights some of the transactional issues that Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) department needs to address right in the earnest as the Government both at the centre and in Jammu & Kashmir as well promote digital payments.
Kashmir fuel outlets imposing a discriminatory procedure in accepting digital transactions by accepting only ATM debit cards and not other modes of digital transactions like mpay and Paytm are evading actions as the issue has not yet attracted the attention and intervention of the top brass of the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) department of Jammu & Kashmir Government. To make things easier for fuel customers and to promote non-cash transactions it is for the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) department to take an immediate call on public complaints against fuel outlets for refusing to accept digital transaction through mpay and Paytm modes. The ongoing row between the customers and fuel retailers highlights some of the transactional issues that Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) department needs to address right in the earnest as the Government both at the centre and in Jammu & Kashmir as well promote digital payments.
