HNB promotes cashless transactions; joins CBSL’s ‘Rata Purama LANKA QR’ campaign

Chief Guest and State Minister of Money and Capital Markets and State Enterprise Reforms Ajith Nivard Cabraal, CBSL Deputy Governor and National Payments Council Chairperson Yvette Fernando, and CBSL Payments and Settlements Director D. Kumaratunge with HNB Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer Dilshan Rodrigo as he completes a transaction via HNB SOLO at a merchant stall

Sri Lanka’s most innovative private sector bank HNB PLC, partnered with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to promote the Colombo-leg of ‘Rata Purama LANKA QR’ campaign at Diyatha Uyana, to raise awareness and encourage the public towards cashless payments. 

 Having already linked LANKA QR to its digital payment app HNB SOLO, the bank was among other financial institutions and telecommunication partners in joining efforts to make cashless QR-code based payments the standard for mobile phones and digital payments countrywide, in moving towards a cashless and digitally-savvy Sri Lanka. 

 “We are entering a new era of financial technology, where almost all of our daily transactions will require no physical banknotes, but just a smartphone and internet connection with our bank account integrated to a digital payment app. The Central Bank’s national directive for banks and financial institutions to adopt and integrate LANKA QR into their existing digital payment solutions has prompted an aggressive onboarding of merchants to the new payment solution across the country. With our extensive customer base, SOLO is no doubt a significant contributor to this innovative initiative,” HNB Deputy General Manager – Retail and SME Banking Sanjay Wijemanne said. 

 The Colombo-leg of the ‘Rata Purama LANKA QR’ campaign raised awareness regarding SOLO’s many facilities, including zero human interaction, efficiency, and eliminated risks that influenced many vendors to come on board. 

Since its launch in 2019, SOLO has witnessed a consistently growing customer base, with HNB continuously working to improve the app’s features and functionality by refining its user interface, enabling customers to experience intuitive easy-to-use and versatile QRbased payments. 

Users have the option of completing transactions via the app while avoiding the exchange of cash or cards. The app also provides the option of digitally storing all payment instruments, including Visa, Master debit and credit cards, and any bank account connected to the JustPay payment echo system. 

As for merchants, SOLO provides the convenience of digital transactions via the affordable, easy and widely-adaptable QR code, a significantly cost-effective option when compared to alternative payment solutions available in the market. As the app has adopted LANKA QR, merchants need not have multiple QR codes for different platforms. Users can make payments via LANKA QR by scanning the code using SOLO. Upon completion, merchants will receive an instant SMS notification, confirming the receipt of payment. 

The LANKA QR system allows banks, financial institutions and telecommunication service providers to facilitate fast, secure and affordable digital payments to any merchant or service provider through their digital payment app or platform. 

LANKA QR is a common Quick Response (QR) code standard developed by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.  

With 252 customer centres across the country, HNB is one of Sri Lanka’s largest, most technologically innovative banks having won local and global recognition for its efforts to drive forward a new paradigm in digital banking. Over the recent past, the bank was ranked among the World Top 1,000 Banks list compiled by the prestigious UK-based Banker Magazine. HNB has a national rating of AA- (lka) by Fitch Ratings (Lanka) Ltd. 

 HNB was also declared Best Sub-Custodian Bank in Sri Lanka at the Global Finance Awards 2020. The bank further won the Award for the Best Retail Bank in Sri Lanka for the 11th time at the Asian Banker Awards 2020, in recognition of its sustainable growth and continuous improvements in processes, products and services amidst a challenging macroeconomic environment. 

 Chief Guest and State Minister of Money and Capital Markets and State Enterprise Reforms Ajith Nivard Cabraal, CBSL Deputy Governor and National Payments Council Chairperson Yvette Fernando and HNB Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer Dilshan Rodrigo with the HNB SOLO Team at the event