ICICI Bank has partnered with the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) to introduce a Common Payment Card System (CPCS).
Dubbed ‘Odyssey City Card’, the pre-paid multi-purpose card will enable people to pay taxes and utility bills. These bills can include property tax, vehicle parking fees, water bills, and trade license fee, among others.
Go deeper with GlobalData
According to ICICI Bank, the card will also be used to pay at retail outlets equipped with POS machines across the country. Furthermore it can be used on e-commerce websites.
Commenting on the card launch Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said: “The ‘Odyssey City Card’ has been launched with the objective of creating a common city payment mechanism. This will facilitate cashless transactions for several citizen based services across Bhubaneswar.”
Additionally, cardholders can also buy goods and services from retail stores, movie tickets, dine, shop and e-commerce websites across the country.
Under the Central Region Urban Transport Services (CRUT), the users can also make cashless payments for bus rides across all transit networks.
ICICI Bank executive director Anup Bagchi said: “This new proposition aims at offering unparalleled convenience to nearly 1 million residents of Bhubaneswar and is a significant step towards transforming it into a Smart City.”
Initially, the users can buy the card by paying INR50 ($0.68)and submitting required documents across the counter at the 25 ‘My Odyssey Centres’ that have been set up by the BMC along with Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and the Public Health Engineer Organisation (PHEO).
Without paying any annual or renewal charge, the card can be used for a period of five years. The prepaid card can be recharged by either making cash payment at the selected counters or through the customer portal.
ICICI Bank and the BMC will establish a distribution network of 300 additional counters across the city to support quick issuance and recharge of the ‘Odyssey City Card’.
