What is the bank's free message to remind you?

Bank card SMS reminds that not all banks are "free lunches".

Take credit cards as an example. At present, major banks generally adopt the practice of reminding credit card transactions by SMS, which is free for large consumption, and charging for small transaction SMS or not providing small transaction SMS reminder service. Recently, some banks have raised the threshold of free SMS reminder service for credit cards.

According to industry analysts, behind the bank's move is a kind of income-generating behavior of narrowing profits. On the other hand, there are also intentions to force consumers to use other channels such as WeChat. However, should banks charge? How much should I charge? These are all market-oriented behaviors of bank charges. In a market-oriented environment, banks will have competition, and competition will provide users with better services.

■ Raise the threshold

The highest starting point of SMS reminder is 1500 yuan.

Yesterday, reporters logged into official website, major banks, and found that some banks are quietly adjusting the threshold of SMS reminders: from August 1 day, ICBC will no longer send SMS reminders for the change of RMB transaction balance of credit cards in 300 yuan and below, but send them via e-mail instead. The bank's debit card and current passbook account free balance change reminder SMS service also stopped providing in August and was sent by E-link instead. If customers want to continue to receive SMS reminders, they need to open the ICBC messenger service, but they need to pay extra, 2 yuan/month.

After investigation, the reporter found that in recent years, the threshold of credit card free SMS reminder service in many banks has been improved, generally ranging from 300 yuan to 500 yuan. For example, ICBC and China Merchants Bank spend more than 300 yuan free of charge, while Ping An Bank, China Construction Bank, Postal Savings Bank and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank mention 500 yuan. The thresholds of Minsheng Bank and Bank of Communications reach 800 yuan and 1.500 yuan respectively.

At present, credit card SMS reminders of Agricultural Bank of China, China Everbright Bank and Bank of China are temporarily free.

Compared with the gradient charging of credit cards, debit card SMS reminders are generally charged. It is understood that debit card charges are generally between 2 and 4 yuan. The debit card SMS reminder services of Minsheng Bank and Bank of Communications are free.

Yesterday, the reporter interviewed relevant persons of Industrial Bank Wuhan Branch and China Merchants Bank Wuhan Branch on raising the threshold of free SMS. The relevant person in charge of Wuhan Branch of Industrial Bank said that the threshold of the bank's free SMS reminder service is only 100 yuan, and all SMS reminders for Platinum Card and Jingkaka customers are free, and the SMS reminder fee for ordinary customers is 1 yuan/month.

■ Free channels

Opening WeChat Bank can still be reminded for free.

The relevant person in charge of China Merchants Bank Wuhan Branch said that the bank's reminder messages are divided into three categories: basic SMS reminders such as salary arrival and risk warning messages such as bank card login online banking are free. Credit card SMS reminder, charge 3 yuan/month.

According to industry insiders, banks raise the threshold for SMS notification of credit cards mainly to reduce operating costs. However, the reporter's investigation found that many banks have opened notification and reminder services for mobile banking and WeChat banking. Consumers can also learn about account changes in a timely and rapid manner through WeChat channels and mobile banking channels.

According to the customer service staff of Guangfa Credit Card, if users don't want to pay SMS reminders, they can pay attention to the official micro-signal of the bank and bind the credit card account. Wechat banking notification service is completely free at present, and WeChat will notify you no matter how much you buy each time.

The reporter interviewed several cardholders randomly on this matter. Young consumers are indifferent to this and think that they can know the real-time situation of the account through WeChat Bank or Mobile Banking APP. However, some elderly consumers have questioned that they are used to collecting accounts by SMS, and now they have to switch to mobile banking. "I can't play, I feel inconvenient."

Bank Name Credit Card Fee Debit Card Fee

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China

Free SMS reminder for single transaction amount above 300 yuan,

300 yuan and below only send reminder messages via e-link.

E-mail reminder is free, and ICBC messenger reminds 2 yuan/Month.

Agricultural Bank of China is free, and there is no threshold for setting SMS reminder fee in 2 yuan/month.

China Bank is free of charge, and there is no threshold to set online banking SMS to remind 2 yuan/month, and counter and self-service SMS to remind 3 yuan/month.

Free SMS reminder for single payment by Bank of Communications 1.500, and free SMS reminder for single payment 1.500, which requires 4 yuan/month.

China Construction Bank charges 3 yuan/monthly SMS reminder fee for single free SMS reminder above 500 yuan and single SMS reminder below 500 yuan.