The next time you visit a bank branch and the relationship manager addresses you by your name even before you could introduce yourself, do not be surprised. It’s not that the executive remembers your face; it’s the technology that transmits relevant customer information to relationship managers when a customer enters the branch.

Private sector lender Yes Bank is introducing the radio frequency identification device (RFID) technology at its branches. The technology allows for personal identification of customers at the branch by inserting an RFID microchip into their debit cards. The first such branch was unveiled on Tuesday at South Extension in New Delhi. The bank plans to gradually take the technology to some other branches also.

The moment a customer enters the bank branch, his picture is taken at the entrance through hidden cameras. The card’s chip is encoded with a unique identification (ID) number that links to data regarding the individual customer on the bank’s server. The data includes the customer’s name, account number and photograph. The information is captured even if the card is in a person’s wallet, pocket or bag.

“The idea is to transform retail branches from simple transaction outlets to ‘service-oriented advisory centres’, thus shifting the focus from providing plain vanilla transactions to high-end value-added services through innovative use of technology and futuristic branch design,” said Ravi Shankar, country head, direct banking and cash management.

The concept of delivering advisory services using innovative technology is based on the premise that only two customers out of 100 enter a bank branch to buy, while the rest

visit mainly for routine servicing.

The technology, provided by Skandsoft Technologies, cannot identify if someone else walks into the bank branch with your debit card. Shankar said though the bank has not yet integrated live photo with database, a mismatch could easily be detected if the customer failed to provide information sought by the relationship manager.

At present, the cost of a RFID debit card is five times that of a normal debit card. The bank said it would not pass it on to the customer, and that as it takes the technology to more key branches (of the total 117 branches), the cost per card would come down.

Kaushik Yegnan, CEO of Skandsoft Technologies, said, “The cost would come down to double that of a normal card, if between 3,000 and 10,000 of such cards are provided. After deploying it for Yes Bank, the technology provider will reach out to other banks.”