Di Yi Cai Jing·2025-10-08 12:59Core Viewpoint - The banking industry is increasingly focusing on cost reduction and efficiency improvement due to rising profit pressures and the deepening of digital transformation, leading to a trend of fine-tuned management of service models and cost expenditures [1]. Group 1: Service Adjustments - Several banks have raised the threshold for sending transaction SMS notifications, including major state-owned banks, joint-stock banks, and city commercial banks, primarily affecting free SMS services [1][10]. - Guangdong Huaxing Bank announced it will stop sending SMS notifications for transactions below 500 yuan starting September 16, 2025, as part of an effort to enhance customer service [2]. - Hubei Bank will increase the default threshold for SMS notifications to 100 yuan starting March 27, 2025, up from the previous 10 yuan [3]. - China Bank will adjust the default threshold for lifetime free SMS notifications to 100 yuan starting April 17, 2025, from previously having no threshold [3][10]. Group 2: Reasons for Adjustments - Banks cite the need to improve customer service as a reason for these adjustments, although specific underlying reasons were not disclosed by customer service representatives [4]. - The adjustments are seen as part of a broader trend in the banking sector to manage operational costs more finely and to enhance the effects of digital transformation [12]. Group 3: Financial Performance and Trends - The cost-to-income ratio for 39 out of 42 listed banks decreased in the first half of the year compared to the previous year, indicating a trend towards improved efficiency [12][13]. - Some banks, such as Minsheng Bank, are leveraging digitalization to enhance their customer management and service capabilities [12]. - The adjustments in SMS notification services reflect a shift in customer preferences, with mobile banking and WeChat becoming more prominent channels for transaction notifications [11].