It is possible to open a bank account by sending an SMS. Getting a bank account is a huge pain. Depending on the bank, you may or may not ask a lot of questions when you open an account. If you work a job, it’s even harder because you need more paperwork to prove that you work.
But now, according to the State Bank of Pakistan, you can open a bank account in Pakistan without ever leaving your home (SBP). You can still do it even if you aren’t connected to the Internet. With SBP’s new Asaan Mobile Account feature, you can open a bank account by sending an SMS to *2262#.
Every single one of these steps appears in detail in the picture above. Sending an SMS to the number above will start the registration process. During this time, you can choose your favorite bank, enter your CNIC information, and get a PIN.
This shows that any financial institution can use the service to open an account, not just the State Bank of Pakistan.
The news is first did tweet by Salman Sufi, who is in charge of the Strategic Reforms Unit for the Prime Minister. In his own words:
Women and transgender people need easier access to the financial system, especially those who lack smartphones. With the new shortcode *2262#, opening a bank account is now easier. Your CNIC is the sole thing you need. Everyone is able to use banks. A lot more than just a few.
Even though he mentions “women and transgender people,” it is important to remember that anyone can use the space. But the government representative stressed that women get priority service at the center because it’s harder for them to open a bank account than it is for men.
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Salman Sufi said that all of the verification, deposits, transfers, withdrawals, and other functions of the bank account are sometimes done with a simple text message in response to a question about how they would work.
It is interesting to see how this service grows and how people, especially women and transgender people, react to it.