Effective May 1, 2025, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revised the charges applicable on ATM transactions. As per the revised framework, banks can now charge a maximum fee of Rs. 23 per transaction (plus applicable taxes) if the customer exceeds his/her monthly free transaction limit. The usage limit has been increased from Rs. 21 to Rs. 23 per transaction.
New Fee Structure and Free Transaction Limits
Under the revised guidelines, customers will continue to enjoy:
- Monthly five free transactions including financial and non-financial at their own bank’s ATMs
- Three additional free transactions at other bank’s ATMs for metro city individuals
- Five additional free transactions at other bank’s ATMs for non-metro individuals
Upon exceeding the prescribed limits, financial institutions will levy a fee up to Rs. 23 per transaction, which will apply to both financial (withdrawals, deposits) and non-financial (balance enquiries, PIN changes, etc.) services.
Scope of Implementation
The revised framework applies across the banking spectrum, including
- All commercial banks
- Regional rural banks (RRBs)
- Cooperative banking institutions
- Authorized ATM network operators
- Card payment network operators
- White-label ATM operators
The notification specifies that these charges will also extend to transactions conducted at Cash Recycler Machines (CRMs). However, there will be an exception on cash deposit services. If any taxes applicable, they would be charged separately.
Suggested Read: SBI ATM Card
Understanding ATM Interchange Fee
As per the RBI’s new guidelines, ATM interchange fee will be decided by the ATM network. Currently, the interchange fee for financial transactions is Rs. 19 and for non-financial transactions, it is Rs. 7 in all centres.
ATM interchange fee is a charge that one banks pay to another for providing ATM services to customers.
For an instance, if you are an HDFC Bank customer using an SBI ATM in Delhi and you exceed your free transactions, your bank, i.e., HDFC Bank, will pass on these charges to you.
