Some banks offer zero-balance savings account,
here's a comparison of the average monthly of some of the leading banks in the country:State Bank of India (SBI)
India's largest public sector lender, SBI, waived the AMB requirement on its basic saving accounts in March 2020.
SBI account holders previously were required to maintain a monthly average balance of ₹ 3000, ₹ 2000, and ₹ 1000 in their accounts, depending on the location of their branch in metro, semi-urban and rural areas.
A fine of ₹ 5 to 15 plus applicable tax rates was levied on customers who failed to maintain the AMB.
While there is no AMB requirement, SBI offers additional benefits on ATM transactions to customers who keep more money in their savings accounts. Customers maintaining a monthly average balance of ₹1 lakh are entitled to unlimited free ATM transactions in a month.
HDFC
HDFC Bank saving account holders in urban and metro locations are required to maintain an average monthly balance of ₹10,000. In semi-urban locations, the minimum monthly limit is set at ₹5,000. In rural areas, the bank requires its savings account customer to maintain an average quarterly balance of ₹ 2,500.
In failure to maintain AMB, the bank levies a penalty and other charges on the customer.
Balance Non-Maintenance Charges
AMB Slabs Metro & Urban Semi-Urban
(in Rupees) AMB Requirement AMB Requirement
-₹ 10,000/- –₹. 5,000/-
>=7,500 to < 10,000 ₹ . 150/- NA
>=5,000 to < 7,500 ₹ . 300/- NA
>=2,500 to < 5,000 ₹ . 450/- ₹. 150/-
0 to < 2,500 ₹ . 600/- ₹. 300/-
ICICI Bank
ICICI Bank regular savings account holders must maintain a minimum monthly average balance of ₹ 10,000 for metro or urban areas, ₹ 5,000 for semi-urban locations, and ₹ 2,000 for rural locations.
In failure to maintain the average balance, the bank levies a penalty of 6 per cent of the shortfall or ₹500, whichever is lower. The penalty will be applicable for savings accounts in branches across all locations.
Punjab National Bank
Punjab National Bank saving account holders located in branches located in metro and urban areas are required to maintain a quarterly balance of ₹ 20,000. In semi-urban and rural locations, the minimum quarterly average balance is ₹ 1000 and ₹ 500, respectively.
Kotak Mahindra Bank
Savings account holders of the Kotak Mahindra Bank are required to maintain a monthly average balance of ₹ 10,000 in metro and ₹ 5,000 in no metro location. The bank charges 6 per cent of the shortfall in the required AMB per month for failure to maintain the balance.
