With effect from
September, 1999, banks have been given freedom to fix service charges for
various types of services rendered by them. In order to ensure transparency in
banking services, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued instructions to banks
on 16th May, 2006, to display and update the details of various service charges
in the prescribed format on their websites and in their offices / branches.
While fixing the service charges, the banks are expected to ensure that the
charges are reasonable, consistent with the cost of providing the services and
that the customers with low value / volume of transactions are not penalized.
Further, vide its instructions dated 20th July, 2006, RBI has advised the banks
that the service charges and fees may be placed on the home page of their
websites at a prominent place under the title of ‘Service Charges and fees’ so
as to facilitate easy access to the bank customers.
Further, as part of
its process of bringing in transparency in the service charges levied by banks
for money transfers through Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and National
Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT), RBI periodically collects data relating to
service charges levied by banks to their customers and places the data on its
website. The examination of these service charges has shown that there is no
wide variation between the service charges levied by different banks,
irrespective of the category to which they belong.
RBI has, vide its circular dated 10.03.2008, advised a framework of service charges for use of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) for cash withdrawal and balance enquiry. As per this framework, the banks will not levy any service charge for use of ATMs by their own customers for any purpose and for use of other bank ATMs for balance enquiries. Further, the banks are not to increase the charges prevailing as on 23rd December, 2007 for use of other bank ATMs for cash withdrawals, reduce the charges to a maximum of Rs. 20/- per transaction by 31st March, 2008 and no service charges w.e.f. 1st April, 2009.
The banks are also required to
provide a complaint form along with the name of the nodal officer for redressal
of complaint, on the homepage itself to facilitate complaint submission by the
customers.
This information was given by the
Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal in reply
to a question raised by Shri N.R. Govindarajar in Rajya Sabha today.