Core Viewpoint - Banks are increasing the threshold for transaction SMS notification services in response to rising profit pressures and the deepening of digital transformation, indicating a trend towards refined management of service models and cost expenditures [1][8]. Group 1: Service Adjustments - Several banks, including Guangdong Huaxing Bank and Hubei Bank, have announced increases in the minimum transaction amount for SMS notifications, with Guangdong Huaxing Bank set to stop sending notifications for transactions below 500 yuan starting September 16, 2025 [2][4]. - Hubei Bank will raise the default threshold for SMS notifications to 100 yuan for transactions starting March 27, 2025, up from a previous threshold of 10 yuan [2][6]. - China Bank will adjust its SMS notification service for existing customers from a zero yuan threshold to 100 yuan starting April 17, 2025 [2][6]. Group 2: Rationale Behind Changes - The adjustments are framed as efforts to enhance customer service quality, with banks citing the need to optimize service levels and customer experience [3][7]. - The changes reflect a broader trend in the banking industry towards cost management and the impact of digital transformation, as mobile banking and WeChat services become more prevalent [7][8]. Group 3: Cost Management and Efficiency - The banking sector is increasingly focusing on refined management to drive high-quality development of liability businesses and enhance revenue from intermediary services amid narrowing net interest margins [8][9]. - Data shows that the cost-to-income ratio for 39 out of 42 listed banks has declined in the first half of the year compared to the previous year, indicating a trend towards improved operational efficiency [9].

Core 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].