21世纪经济报道·2026-02-06 12:58Core Viewpoint - The banking industry is tightening cost control by increasing the threshold for transaction SMS notifications, with some banks raising it to 5000 yuan, marking the beginning of a paid SMS notification era [1][3]. Group 1: Changes in SMS Notification Policies - Several banks have raised the threshold for free SMS notifications, with China Merchants Bank setting the highest threshold at 5000 yuan for single transactions [3][4]. - Other banks, including Minsheng Bank and Bank of China, have also adjusted their SMS notification thresholds to 300 yuan and 100 yuan respectively [4]. - The trend of increasing the threshold for free SMS notifications has been observed since the second half of last year, with over ten banks making similar adjustments [3][4]. Group 2: Cost Savings from SMS Notifications - Banks incur costs for each SMS sent, and the adjustments in notification policies are aimed at reducing these expenses [8]. - Estimates suggest that a bank with 1 million personal customers could save approximately 300 million yuan monthly if they stop sending free SMS notifications for small transactions [9]. - The procurement prices for SMS services vary, with larger banks generally securing lower rates than smaller banks due to their scale advantages [8]. Group 3: Shift to Digital Notification Channels - Banks are increasingly shifting towards digital notification methods, such as mobile banking apps and WeChat service accounts, which are more cost-effective than SMS [11]. - For example, Bank of China encourages customers to use its mobile banking app for free transaction notifications instead of relying on SMS [11]. - The overall trend indicates a decline in the necessity of SMS notifications as banks enhance their digital service offerings [11].