Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers January 2018
Referance BANKING CODES AND STANDARDS
BOARD OF INDIA
www.bcsbi.org.in
1.1 Objectives of the Code
The Code has been developed to:
a. promote good and fair banking practices by setting minimum
standards in our dealings with you;
b. increase transparency so that you can have a better understanding
of what you can reasonably expect from us;
c. encourage market forces, through competition, to achieve higher
operating standards;
d. promote a fair and cordial relationship between you and your bank;
e. foster confidence in the banking system;
f. promote safe and fair customer dealing in case of banking in a
digitized environment;
g. increase awareness of customers and to enhance customer
protection.
The standards of the Code are covered by the Key Commitments in
Chapter 2.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
1.2 Application of the Code
This Code applies to all the products and services listed below, whether
they are provided by our branch or agents acting on our behalf, whether
across the counter, over the phone, by post, through interactive electronic
devices, on the internet or by any other method. However, all products
discussed here may or may not be offered by us.
a. Current accounts, savings accounts, term deposits, recurring
deposits, PPF accounts and all other deposit accounts;
b. Payment services such as pension, payment orders, remittances by
way of demand drafts, wire transfers and all electronic transactions
e.g. RTGS, NEFT, IMPS, UPI;
c. Banking services related to Government transactions;
d. Demat accounts, Equity, Government bonds;
e. Indian currency notes / coins exchange facility;
f. Collection of cheques, safe custody services, safe deposit locker
facility;
g. Loans, overdrafts and guarantees;
h. Foreign exchange services including money changing;
i. Third party insurance and investment products marketed through
our branch and / or our authorised representatives or agents;
j. Card products including credit cards, debits cards, ATM cards,
smart cards and POS services (including credit cards offered by our
subsidiaries / companies promoted by us);
k. Digital Products such as e-wallet, Mobile Banking, internet banking,
UPI, BHIM, Aadhaar Pay.
The meanings of key words appearing in bold black have been given in
the Glossary.
2. KEY COMMITMENTS
2.1 Our Key Commitments to you
2.1.1 Right to Fair Treatment
Act fairly and reasonably in all our dealings with you by:
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a. Providing minimum banking facilities of receipt and payment of
cash / cheques, remittances, exchange of soiled notes, etc. at the
bank’s counter and also providing cashless transactions through
alternate delivery channels.
b. Meeting the commitments and standards set in this Code, for the
products and services we offer, and in the procedures and practices
we follow.
c. Making sure our products and services meet relevant laws and
regulations in letter and spirit and are appropriate to your needs
and in line with the banking scenario, including digital banking.
d. Ensuring that our dealings with you rest on ethical principles of
integrity and transparency.
e. Offering digital banking and payment systems in a secure,
convenient and robust technological environment.
f. Not discriminating against you on the basis of age, race, gender,
marital status, religion, disability or financial status when offering
and delivering our products and services.
g. Promoting good and fair banking practices by setting minimum
standards in all dealings with you.
h. Promoting a fair and equitable relationship with you.
i. Training our staff attending to you adequately and appropriately and
ensuring that our staff attends to you promptly and courteously and
to deal quickly and sympathetically with things that may go wrong
by correcting mistakes and handling your complaints expeditiously.
2.1.2 Right to Transparency, Fair and Honest Dealing
We will help you to understand how our financial products and services
work by:
a. Giving you timely and adequate information about them and the
necessary safeguards in any one or more of the following languages
- Hindi, English or the appropriate local language.
b. Ensuring that our advertising and promotional literature is clear and
not misleading. We will make every effort to ensure that the contracts
or agreements we frame are transparent, easily understood by and
well communicated to you. The product’s price, the associated risks,
the terms and conditions that govern use over the product’s life cycle
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
and mutual responsibilities will be clearly disclosed. We will ensure
that you are not subjected to unfair business or marketing practices,
coercive contractual terms, negative confirmations or misleading
representations.
For achieving this, we will be following the practices and procedures
given in Chapter 3 on Information Transparency and Chapter 4 on
Advertising, Marketing and Sales.
c. Ensuring that you are given complete information about our products
and services, minimum balance requirements, the interest rates
and service charges, besides the terms and conditions applicable
to them in a transparent manner through the following methods as
per your preference.
i. By sending SMS or e-mails
ii. Through electronic or print media
iii. Display on our website
iv. Display on branch notice board
[Display on website and branch notice board will be in addition to
the other modes of information dissemination mentioned above.]
d. Giving you information on the facilities provided to you and how
you can avail of these and whom and how you may contact for
addressing your queries.
e. Displaying in our branch, for your information
i. Services we provide.
ii. Minimum balance requirement, if any, for Savings Bank Accounts
and Current Accounts and the charges for non-maintenance
thereof.
iii. Information available in booklet form.
f. Displaying on our website our policies on
i. Deposits
ii. Cheque collection
iii. Grievance Redressal
iv. Compensation
v. Collection of Dues and Security Repossession
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vi. Charter of Customer Rights
vii. Customer Protection Policy (including protection from cyber
fraud)
viii. Limited Liability in respect of unauthorized electronic banking
transactions
ix. Facilities for senior citizens and differently abled persons.
g. To increase awareness of the Code among customers we will
i. provide you with a copy of the Code when you open an account
with us and otherwise on request.
ii. make available this Code at our every branch and on our
website.
iii. ensure that our staff are trained to provide relevant information
about the Code and to effectively put the Code into practice.
iv. hold customer meetings on provisions of the Code periodically.
2.1.3 Right to Suitability
We will offer you products appropriate to your needs and based on
an assessment of your financial circumstances and understanding as
detailed in Chapter 4 on Advertising, Marketing and Sales and Clause
8.18 on Third Party Products.
2.1.4 Right to Privacy
We will treat all your personal information as private and confidential
subject to matters mentioned in Chapter 5 on Privacy and Confidentiality.
2.1.5 Right to Grievance Redressal and Compensation
We will deal quickly and sympathetically with things that go wrong by:
a. Correcting our mistakes promptly and cancelling any bank charges
that we apply by mistake and compensate you for any financial
loss you may have incurred due to our mistake, in terms of our
compensation policy.
b. Handling your complaints promptly.
c. Telling you how to take your complaint forward if you are still not
satisfied.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
d. Providing suitable alternative avenues to alleviate problems arising
out of technological failures.
e. We will display in our branch for your information
i. Name of the official at the branch whom you may approach if
you have a grievance.
ii. Name and address of the Regional / Zonal Manager / Principal
Nodal Officer (PNO) whom you can approach if your grievance is
not redressed at the branch.
iii. Name and contact details of the Banking Ombudsman under
whose jurisdiction the branch falls.
We will advise you the internal procedures for redressing your complaints
including details of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme as explained in
Chapter 6 of the Code.
3. INFORMATION - TRANSPARENCY
We will display the information on products, services, Most Important
Terms and Conditions (MITC) in our premises on a Comprehensive Notice
Board (CNB) as prescribed in bilingual / trilingual language as applicable
(Annexure 1) and we will update the information on CNB on realtime
basis alongwith effective date of change.
You can get information on interest rates, fees and charges through
various modes mentioned below.
a. Notice Board in our branch.
b. Contacting our branch or helplines.
c. Our website.
d. Asking our designated staff / help desk.
e. Referring to the Tariff Schedule at our branch / on our website.
3.1 G eneral information
We will:
a. give you information on the types of products and services we offer
and those that may suit your needs.
b. prominently display in bilingual / trilingual language at all our branches
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the documents required for opening Basic Savings Bank Deposit (BSBD)
Accounts. We will also display the relaxed requirements for opening
“Small Accounts”.
c. give you clear information explaining the key features of the services
and products you are interested in, including applicable interest
rates, fees and charges.
d. tell you the different channels through which our products and
services may be availed e.g. Branches, Banking Outlets, Business
Correspondents, Business Facilitators, ATMs, Micro ATMs, Phone
Banking, Mobile Banking, Net banking and tell you how to find out
more about them.
e. tell you the information needed from you to prove your identity and
address, for us to comply with legal, regulatory and internal policy
requirements.
f. give you information on your rights and responsibilities especially
regarding availing of nomination facility offered on all deposit
accounts, articles in safe custody and safe deposit lockers.
g. provide you Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC) for your
record in respect of Savings Bank (SB) / Current Account (CA) and
all other deposit accounts before opening the account.
3.2 ‘Do Not Call’ service
We will not transmit to you any unsolicited commercial information
regarding our products and services, through telephone calls / SMS if
you have registered with the ‘Do Not Call Registry’ of our bank or with
the ‘National Do Not Call Registry’ directly or through your Service
Provider. However, this will not apply to receipt of information regarding
your account statements and other important advices and information
including SMS alerts relating to transactions in your account as also the
products and services you are currently availing.
3.3 Interest rates
We will give you information on:
a. the interest rates which apply to your deposit and loan accounts.
b. in case of loans at fixed rate of interest, details of interest reset
clause, if any, in the loan agreement and the effective date thereof.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
c. in case of loans at floating rate of interest, the reference rate to
which your floating rate will be linked and the premium or discount
applied to the reference rate for determining the actual rate of
interest on your loan.
d. whether you have the option for converting your loan from fixed rate
to floating rate and vice versa and, if so, one time applicable charges
thereof.
e. periodicity at which we pay interest on your deposits or charge
interest on your loan accounts.
f. how we apply interest to your deposit and loan accounts and how
we calculate interest thereon.
3.3.1 Changes in interest rates
We will inform you of changes in interest rates on our loan products and
changes in the reference rate periodically by any of the following means
at the last updated customer contact details available with us:
a. Letter
b. E-mail
c. SMS
d. Media
We will also display this information on the Notice Board in our branch
as also on our website.
3.4 Tariff schedule
3.4.1 Fees & charges
a. We will ensure that our fees and service charges for various services
are approved by our Board or any competent authority duly
authorized by the Board to take decisions in this regard and that
they would be reasonable and non-discriminatory for similar class
of customers.
b. We will place our Tariff Schedule on our website and make a copy
available at every branch for your perusal. We will display in our
branches a notice about the availability of the Tariff Schedule at the
branch.
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c. We will give you details in our Tariff Schedule of any charges
applicable to the products and services chosen by you.
d. We will also provide you information about the penalties leviable in
case of non-observance / violation of any of the terms and conditions
governing the product / services chosen by you.
3.4.2 Changes in fees & charges
If we increase any fee or charge or introduce a new fee or charge, it will
be notified through statements of accounts / e-mail / SMS alerts / notice
board at our branch one month prior to the revised charges becoming
effective. This information will also be made available on our website
prominently.
3.5 Terms and conditions
a. We will advise you the relevant terms and conditions for the products /
services you have asked us to provide.
b. All terms and conditions will be fair and will set out the respective
rights, liabilities and obligations clearly and as far as possible in
plain and simple language.
3.5.1 Changes in terms and conditions
a. We will tell you of changes in terms and conditions through any one
or more of the following channels one month prior to the revised
terms and conditions becoming effective:
i. Letter
ii. Statement of account
iii. SMS
iv. E-mail
This information will also be made available on the Notice Boards in our
branch and our website.
b. Normally, changes will be made with prospective effect after giving
notice of one month.
c. If we have made any change without notice, we will notify the change
within 30 days. If such change is to your disadvantage, you may
within 60 days of the notice, close your account or switch to any other
eligible account without having to pay revised charge or interest.
d. We will immediately update, on our website, any changes in the
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
terms and conditions. We will give you, on request, a copy of the
new terms and conditions.
4. ADVERTISING, MARKETING AND SALES
a. We will make sure that all our advertising and promotional material
is clear and not misleading.
b. In any advertisement and promotional literature that draws
attention to a banking service or product or includes a reference to
an interest rate, we will also indicate whether other fees and charges
will apply and full details of the relevant terms and conditions will
be made available on request.
c. If we avail of the services of third parties for providing support
services, we will ensure that they handle your personal information (if
available to such third parties) with the same degree of confidentiality
and security as we would.
d. We may, from time to time, communicate to you various features of
our products availed by you by e-mail, SMS or over the telephone.
Information about our other products or promotional offers in respect
of our products / services will be conveyed to you only if you have
not registered for the ‘Do Not Call’ facility. As regards the information
shared through e-mail, you have the option to unsubscribe from
such future communications.
e. We have prescribed a code of conduct for our Direct Selling Agencies
(DSAs) whose services we may avail to market our products / services
which, amongst other matters, requires them to identify themselves
as only selling agents of our bank when they approach you for selling
our products personally or through phone. We will ensure that any
third party or agent acting on our behalf or selling our product
complies with the code of conduct.
f. In the event of receipt of any complaint from you that our representative
/ courier or DSA has engaged in any improper conduct or acted in
violation of this Code, we shall take appropriate steps to investigate
and to handle the complaint and to make good the loss as per our
compensation policy.
g. We will ensure that any third party or agent acting on our behalf or
selling our product discloses the fee or commission they are paid
upon completion of the sale.
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h. We will ensure that our advertisements will also include all relevant
messages which require to be conveyed for enhancing awareness
against unscrupulous / fictitious offers.
5. PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY
We will treat all your personal information as private and confidential
(even when you are no longer our customer), and shall be guided by the
following principles and policies:
a. We will not reveal information or data relating to your accounts, whether
provided by you or otherwise, to anyone, including other companies /
entities in our group, other than in the following exceptional cases:
i. Providing information to the Credit Information Companies
(CICs) as per Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act
(CICA) about the loans, unsecured loans, credit card, etc.
ii. Giving the information required by law or by the banking
regulator.
iii. Fulfilling a duty towards the public to reveal the information.
iv. Our interests require us to give the information (for example,
to prevent fraud) but we will not use this as a reason for giving
information about you or your accounts (including your name
and address) to anyone else, including other companies in our
group, for marketing purposes.
v. You authorise us to reveal the information.
vi. When required to give a banker’s reference about you, we will
need, unless provided earlier, your written permission before
we give it.
b. We will not use your personal information for marketing purposes
by anyone including ourselves unless you specifically authorize us
to do so.
c. If we collect any information from you other than KYC requirement,
we will collect it separately and not as a part of account opening
form. In case we collect any additional information, we will explain
the purpose for which we are collecting this information and take
your specific consent for the same.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
5.1 Credit Information Companies
When you apply for a credit facility:
a. We will explain to you the role of Credit Information Companies
(CICs) as also the checks we may make with them and the effect that
the information they provide can have on your ability to get credit.
b. We will, on request and on payment of the prescribed fee, furnish
you a copy of the credit information report obtained by us from the
CICs.
c. We will provide correct information about credit availed by you from
us to the CICs at periodic intervals.
d. Information reported to CICs will also include personal debts you
owe us when
i. You have fallen behind with your payments
ii. The amount owed is in dispute
e. We will update the credit status immediately but not later than 30
days on repayment of overdues. We will report closure of loan to CICs
within 30 days of the event. If your loan account has been in default,
but thereafter regularised, we will update this information with the
CICs in the next report. If there is partial / delayed / any settlement
of credit dues, it will impact your credit score.
f. In case of dispute about the information provided to the CICs, we
will resolve the matter by satisfactorily explaining the reasons for
reporting to CICs.
g. We will, on request, inform you of the details of the CIC(s) to whom
we submit information regarding the credit / loan facility you have
availed from us.
h. We will identify and declare the names of wilful defaulters of `25 lakh*
and above and names of such wilful defaulters will be furnished to
Credit Information Companies, strictly as per the guidelines of RBI.
i. We will furnish the names of defaulters of `1.00 crore* and above
whose accounts have been classified as doubtful or loss assets to
Credit Information Companies strictly as per the guidelines of RBI.
*( or as amended from time to time.)
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6. COMPLAINTS, GRIEVANCES AND FEEDBACK
6.1 Internal procedures
a. If you want to make a complaint, we will tell you:
i. How to do so.
ii. Where a complaint can be made.
iii. To whom a complaint can be made.
iv. When to expect a reply.
v. Whom to approach for redressal.
vi. What to do if you are not satisfied about the outcome.
b. Our staff will help you with any questions you have.
c. We will tell you where to find details of our procedure for handling
complaints fairly and quickly.
d. We will display the name of the official at the branch whom you may
approach if you have a grievance. If your complaint is unresolved at
the branch level, we will ensure to escalate it to the topmost level of
grievance redressal authority within the Bank and give you a final
response within 30 days. You may approach our Regional / Zonal
Manager / Principal Nodal Officer (PNO) at the address displayed at
the branch, if you so desire.
e. If your written complaint is hand delivered, we shall immediately
provide an acknowledgement and a “complaint reference number”
will be separately sent by SMS on the registered mobile number. If
your complaint is relayed over phone at our designated telephone
helpdesk or customer service number, we shall provide you a
complaint reference number and keep you informed of the progress
within a reasonable period of time.
f. After examining the matter, we will send you our final response or
explain why we need more time to respond and shall endeavour to
do so within 30 days of receipt of your complaint and will tell you
how to take your complaint further, if you are still not satisfied.
g. Within 30 days of lodging a complaint with us, if you do not get
response / satisfactory response from us and you wish to pursue
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
other avenues for redressal of grievances, you may approach Banking
Ombudsman appointed by RBI under the Banking Ombudsman
Scheme. Our staff would explain the procedure in this regard.
6.2 Banking Ombudsman Scheme
We will display the Banking Ombudsman Scheme on our website. A
copy will be made available on request at a nominal charge. We will
display at our branch the name and contact details of the Banking
Ombudsman under whose jurisdiction the branch falls. In case the
Banking Ombudsman passes an award and we do not have any ground
to appeal against the award, we will comply with the Award within 30
days from the date of receipt of the acceptance in writing of the Award
by the complainant.
6.3 Customers’ Meetings
We shall endeavour to organize meetings of customers at periodic
intervals as a regular channel for exchange of ideas and suggestions.
6.4 Branch Level Customer Service Committee Meetings
We will display in our branch, the date of our monthly branch Level
Customer Service Committee meeting, which you may attend, if you so
desire.
7. COLLECTION OF DUES
a. Whenever we give loans, we will explain to you the repayment
schedule viz. amount, tenure and periodicity of repayment. However,
if you do not adhere to the repayment schedule, a defined process in
accordance with the laws of the land will be followed for recovery of
dues.
b. We will have a Board approved policy for Collection of Dues and
Security Repossession as also appointment of Recovery Agents.
c. All relevant laws, regulations, guidelines and conditions of approval,
licensing or registration will be taken into account while appointing
Recovery Agents.
d. We will ensure that our Recovery Agents are properly trained to
handle their responsibilities with care and sensitivity. We will also
ensure that they do not exceed their brief.
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e. Our collection policy is built on courtesy, fair treatment and
persuasion. We believe in fostering customer confidence and longterm
relationship.
f. We will provide you with all the information regarding your dues
and will endeavour to give sufficient notice for payment of dues.
g. We will have a system of checks before passing on a default case to
recovery agencies so that you are not inconvenienced on account of
lapses on our part.
h. We will write to you when we initiate recovery proceedings against
you and will inform you of the name of the recovery agency / agent,
to whom your case has been assigned as also their address and
telephone numbers.
i. We will provide details of the recovery agency firms / companies
engaged by us on our website.
j. We will also make available, on request, details of the recovery
agency firms / companies relevant to you at our branch.
k. Our staff or any person authorized to represent us in collection of
dues and / or security repossession will identify himself / herself
and produce the authority letter issued by us and upon request show
you his / her identity card issued by the bank or under authority of
the bank.
l. All the members of our staff or any person authorised to represent us
in collection and / or security repossession would follow the guidelines
set out below:
i. You would be contacted ordinarily at the place of your choice
and in the absence of any specified place at the place of your
residence and if unavailable at your residence, at the place of
business / occupation.
ii. Their identity and authority to represent us would be made
known to you.
iii. Your privacy would be respected.
iv. Interaction with you would be in a civil manner.
v. Normally our representatives will contact you between 0700
hrs and 1900 hrs, unless the special circumstances of your
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
business or occupation require otherwise.
vi. Your requests to avoid calls at a particular time or at a particular
place would be honoured as far as possible.
vii. Time and number of calls and contents of conversation would
be documented.
viii. All assistance would be given to resolve disputes or differences
regarding dues in a mutually acceptable and in an orderly
manner.
ix. During visits to your place for dues collection, decency and
decorum would be maintained. Our officials / agents will not
resort to intimidation or harassment of any kind, either verbal
or physical against any person, including acts intended to
humiliate publicly or intrude the privacy of your family members,
referees and friends, making threatening and anonymous calls
or making false and misleading representations.
However, it is your responsibility to keep updating your contact
details. In case the bank is unable to contact you at the details
provided, the bank will access information available from public
sources and approach your friends / relatives to trace you.
x. Inappropriate occasions such as bereavement in the family
or other important family functions like marriages would be
avoided for making calls / visits to collect dues.
xi. We will investigate any complaint from you about unfair
practices of our recovery agents.
7.1 Collection of Dues and Security Repossession Policy
We will follow collection of dues and security repossession policy in
consonance with the law. The policy will be displayed on our website
and a copy of the same will be made available at our branch for perusal.
8. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
8.1 Deposit accounts
a. You may open different types of accounts with us such as, savings
accounts, term deposits, current accounts, etc. You may open such
accounts in the following styles:
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i. Single
ii. Joint
iii. Joint (Either or Survivor)
iv. Joint (Former or Survivor)
v. Joint (Latter or Survivor);
or
vi. In any other style.
b. We will make available ‘Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account’ (BSBD
Account) to you without the requirement of any minimum balance. We
will offer / provide minimum common facilities, including passbooks*
without any charges. The relevant details will be made known to you
in a transparent manner at the time of opening of the account.
*For Payment Banks and Small Finance Banks, the norms relating to
passbook / statement of account shall be as per Operating Guidelines
applicable. Payment Banks and Small Finance Banks are allowed to
provide statement of account in paper form / electronic form instead
of a passbook.
c. The above accounts may be opened by you with nomination facility,
wherever permissible. We will include, in the account opening form,
the option for nomination as also the option for indicating the name
of the nominee in passbooks / account statements / Fixed Deposit
Receipts (FDRs).
We will explain the implications of the foregoing accounts as also
the nomination facilities at the time of opening of the account.
d. We will acknowledge the receipt of your nomination details and
record the fact of nomination on the passbook / account statement
/ FDRs. At your written request, we will also indicate the name of
the nominee thereon.
e. We will provide information about deposit insurance cover in the
passbooks.
f. We will provide sufficient details of all transactions in the passbooks.
g. We will also inform you about liquid deposit facility, sweep account
and similar types of products offered by us and their implications
and procedures involved, at the time of opening of account.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
8.1.1 Account opening and operation of deposit accounts
Before opening any deposit account, we will:
a. carry out due diligence as required under “Know Your Customer”
(KYC) guidelines.
b. ask you to submit or provide necessary documents or proofs to do so.
c. obtain only such information to meet with our KYC, Prevention of
Money Laundering or any other statutory requirements. In case any
additional information is asked for, it will be sought separately and
we will explain the reason for obtaining such additional information.
Providing such information will be voluntary, unless required by law.
The information will be kept confidential, unless required by law
enforcing agency / banking regulator.
d. provide the account opening forms which will contain details of
essential information required to be furnished and documents to
be produced for verification and / or for record for meeting the KYC
requirements.
e. require you to submit documents in respect of KYC at periodic
intervals to enable us to update our records as required.
f. explain the procedural formalities and provide necessary
clarifications sought by you while opening a deposit account.
g. give you the Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC) governing
the deposit facility you have sought to avail.
h. at the time of opening of the account, make available to you as part
of MITC, the details of the deposit insurance scheme, offered by
the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation of India
(DICGC) and the terms and conditions thereof.
8.1.2 Changing your account
a. If you are not happy about your choice of current / savings account,
you may within 14 days of opening the account, approach us to switch
to any of our other account / products offered by us. Alternatively,
you may ask for closure of the account along with any interest it
may have earned. No penal charges will be applied in such cases.
b. If you decide to close your current / savings account we will do so
within three working days of receiving your instructions, subject to your
completing all formalities and submitting all required documents.
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c. If you want to transfer your active and operative account to another
branch of our bank, we will do so. On receiving your request, we will
transfer the account to the transferee branch within 3 (three) working
days without insisting on fresh proof of address and on the basis of a
self-declaration from you giving your current address. You will have to
submit documentary proof of this address within a period of six months.
We will intimate you as soon as the account is operationalised. The
transferee branch will be provided with information on your existing
standing instructions / direct debits, if any.
8.1.3 Savings / Current accounts
When you open a Deposit Account, we will:
a. inform you about number of transactions, cash / ATM withdrawals,
etc. that can be done free of charge in a given period.
b. inform you about the kind of charges, if any, in case of exceeding such
limits. Details of the charges will be included in our Tariff Schedule.
c. inform you of the rate at which interest is paid on your savings
deposits, how it is calculated and the periodicity of its payment.
8.1.3.1 Minimum balance
a. The minimum balance to be maintained in the Savings Bank
account will be displayed in our branch.
b. We will inform you in respect of deposit products like Savings Bank
Account and Current Account or any other type of Deposit Account:
i. the minimum balance to be maintained as part of terms and
conditions governing operation of such accounts.
ii. the charges which will be levied in case of failure to maintain
the minimum balance in the account by you. Details of the
charges will be included in the Tariff Schedule.
iii. 30 days in advance, of any change in minimum balance to be
maintained. During this Notice period, we will not levy any
charge for non-maintenance of such higher minimum balance
prescribed. Further, there will be an option to switch to BSBD
Account for which we will notify you before levying any charges.
iv. we will ensure that the balance in the savings account does
not turn negative solely on account of levy of charges for non20
Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
maintenance of minimum balance. In case the account is to be
closed or revived, we will not seek payment of unpaid charges
levied due to non-maintenance of minimum balance.
v. the charges for non-maintenance of minimum balance to
be maintained by you will be proportionate to the extent of
shortfall observed.
8.1.3.2 Charges
Specific charges for issue of cheque books, additional / duplicate statement
of accounts, duplicate passbook, copies of paid cheques, folio charges,
debit card, ATM card, verification of signature, return of cheque, change in
mandate or style of account, closure of Savings Bank / Current accounts,
withdrawal / deposit of cash at home / non-home branches, cash / noncash
transactions at Bank’s own / other Bank’s ATMs / Micro ATMs, etc.,
will be included in our Tariff Schedule. Concessions or relief given will not
be withdrawn during the original validity period of the concession / relief.
8.1.3.3 Passbook / statements *
a. To help you manage your account and check entries in it, we will
provide you with a monthly statement / e-mail statement (subject to
your acceptance) of account unless you have opted for a passbook.
This can be available through digital channels also.
b. You can ask us to provide you with account statements more often
than is normally available for your type of account, at a charge. This
charge will be indicated in our Tariff Schedule.
c. We will indicate our MICR Code and IFS Code in cheque books,
passbooks and statements of accounts.
d. We will make available the Customer Care number of the bank / contact
number of the branch in passbooks and statements of accounts.
e. We will provide a detailed “Statement of Loan account” free of charge
once in a financial year. The statement shall be made available by
providing the facility of online access or by e-mail and in absence of
these channels, by post. In case you need duplicate or more copies
of the statement of loan account, charges will be payable, which will
be disclosed in the tariff schedule on our website and in the loan
related documents.
*For Payment Banks and Small Finance Banks, the norms relating to
passbook / statement of account shall be as per Operating Guidelines
21
applicable. Payment Banks and Small Finance Banks are allowed to
provide statement of account in paper form / electronic form instead
of a passbook.
8.1.3.4 Upgradation of deposit accounts and addition of value added
services.
In case your account meets the terms for upgradation or value added
services, we will do it only after obtaining your consent in writing or
through any other mode or where your consent is obtained through
authenticated electronic means after necessary validation.
8.1.3.5 Downgrading of deposit accounts
We will intimate you once the account gets downgraded from higher
product version to a lower product version. We will downgrade the account
after giving thirty days notice.
8.1.4 Accounts of minors
a. We will tell you, on request, how a Deposit Account can be opened
in the name of a minor and how it can be operated.
b. We will intimate the date on which the minor becomes major.
8.1.5 Inoperative / Dormant accounts
We will:
a. inform you when you open your account, the circumstances under
which your account will be classified as inoperative / dormant.
You will also be informed at least three months before your account
is classified as inoperative / dormant and the consequences thereof
at your last recorded address and / or e-mail.
b. also endeavour to send an SMS / e-mail advising that your account
is being classified as inoperative / dormant.
c. notify the joint holder/s also before an account is classified as
inoperative / dormant.
d. inform you of the procedure to be followed if you want to activate
the account.
e. not levy any charge merely because an account is inoperative /
dormant.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
f. not charge you for activation of the inoperative account.
g. intimate you upon activation of Dormant account at your request
through various channels including SMS / e-mail or letter.
8.1.6 Closing your account
Under normal circumstances, we will not close your account without
giving you at least 30 days’ notice indicating the reasons for such closure.
In such cases, you will be required to make alternate arrangements
for cheques already issued by you and desist from issuing any fresh
cheques on such account.
8.2 Clearing cycle / collection services
a. We may provide a drop box facility to enable you to deposit cheques
to be sent for collection. Necessary precaution will be taken to
ensure that cheques deposited in the drop box are properly and
promptly accounted for. However, you may, if you so desire, hand
over cheques at the counter against acknowledgement instead of
depositing them in the drop box.
b. We will inform you about the clearing cycle for local and outstation
instruments, including details such as cut-off time for lodging
of instruments for same day clearing, when you can withdraw
money after lodging instruments and when you will be entitled to
earn interest on delayed collection as per our Cheque Collection
Policy.
c. We will pay you compensation, as per our Cheque Collection /
Compensation Policy for any delay in collection of instruments,
without waiting for a demand from you.
d. We will inform you immediately by SMS / e-mail when a cheque
deposited by you for collection is returned unpaid.
e. We will return a cheque unpaid / dishonoured along with a duly
signed return memo indicating the date of return as also the reason
for return / refusal of payment within 24 hours.
f. If immediate credit for outstation cheques is offered, we will provide
relevant information including the applicable terms and conditions,
such as the limit up to which instruments tendered by you can be
credited in satisfactorily operated accounts.
23
g. We will proceed as per our Cheque Collection Policy and provide
all assistance for you to obtain a duplicate cheque / instrument in
case a cheque / instrument tendered by you is lost in transit and
compensate you as per our Cheque Collection / Compensation Policy.
h. We will give the above information when you open your account
and whenever you ask for it. If there is any change in our Cheque
Collection Policy, the revised Policy will be displayed on our website
and will be made available at all our branches.
8.3 Cash transactions
a. We will accept and dispense cash at any of our branches under
core banking, subject to any restrictions on type of transaction or
charges, if any, applicable to such transactions.
b. We will exchange soiled / mutilated notes and / or small coins and
issue good quality, clean bank notes / coins at all our branches upto a
prescribed limit per day. We will extend this facility, within prescribed
limits to walk-in customers too.
c. For transactions above a specified amount, we will require you to
furnish your PAN.
8.4 Direct debits and standing instructions
We will:
a. at the time of opening the account tell you how direct debits / standing
instructions work and how you may record / cancel them and the
charges connected with them. Charges will be levied as per our Tariff
Schedule.
b. act upon mandates given by you for direct debits [Under National
Electronic Clearing Service (NECS)] / National Automated Clearing
House (NACH) and other standing instructions. In case of any delay or
failure in executing the mandate resulting in financial loss or additional
cost, we will compensate you as per the compensation policy of the
bank. If the mandate cannot be executed due to insufficient balance
in your account, we will levy charges as per our Tariff Schedule.
c. credit your account along with interest as soon as it is determined
that any amount has been unauthorisedly / erroneously debited from
your account and compensate you as per our Compensation Policy.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
8.5 Stop payment facility
We will:
a. accept stop payment instructions from you in respect of cheques
issued by you. Immediately on receipt of your instructions, we will
give an acknowledgement and take action provided these cheques
have not already been cleared by us.
b. levy charges, if any, as indicated in our Tariff Schedule.
c. reimburse and compensate you as per our Compensation Policy in
case a cheque is paid subsequent to the receipt of stop payment
instructions by us.
8.6 Cheques / debit instructions issued by you
We will:
a. keep original cheques / debit instructions acted upon from your account
or copies or images of the cheques received from the presenting bank
under Cheque Truncation System (CTS), for such periods as required
by law.
b. give you the cheque / image of cheque / debit instruction acted upon
or a copy thereof as evidence as long as records are available with us.
If there is a dispute about a cheque paid / debit instructions from
your account and in case the request for such cheque, etc. is made
within a period of one year from the date of cheque / debit instruction,
no charge will be levied. In respect of requests received beyond this
period, charges will be levied as per the Tariff Schedule.
c. inform you how we will deal with unpaid cheques and out-of-date
[stale] cheques. The details of charges to be levied will be included
in our Tariff Schedule.
8.7 Term deposits
a. When you place a term deposit with us, we will obtain instructions
from you in the account opening form for the disposal of your
deposit at maturity.
b. Where there are no instructions for disposal of the deposit at
maturity, we will inform you well in advance through letter / e-mail
/ SMS about its impending date of maturity.
c. In case we still do not receive any instruction from you, we will
25
renew the deposit, excluding deposits like tax savings deposits, etc.,
for the same period as the matured deposit at the prevailing rate of
interest.
d. We will inform you the procedure for withdrawal of term deposits
before maturity. This information will also be made available in the
account opening form / MITC / reverse of the FDR.
e. We will inform you of the interest rates applicable and charges for
premature withdrawal of term deposits.
f. We will permit premature withdrawals of term deposits in accordance
with the mandate ‘Former or Survivor / Either or Survivor’, provided
a specific joint mandate from all the depositors has been given for
the purpose. We will provide for such a mandate in the account
opening form.
g. We will inform you, at the time of acceptance of the deposit, the terms
and conditions and interest rate applicable in case you renew the
deposits on a date after the date of maturity. This information will
also be made available in the account opening form / MITC / reverse
of the FDR.
h. We will advise you of provisions of Income Tax Act applicable to the
interest income accruing to you on your deposits, our obligations
under the Act and provisions available to you for seeking exemption
from Tax Deduction at Source.
i. We will accept Form 15 G or 15 H as applicable from you at the time
of application if you are not liable to pay tax on your interest income.
You may submit to us such Form as required, at the beginning of
the financial year, if you are not liable to pay tax on your interest
income. We will acknowledge receipt of such Forms.
j. We will issue the requisite certificate within the stipulated period if
we deduct tax from interest paid / accrued on your deposits.
8.7.1 Advances against term deposits
We will explain the facility of loan / overdraft available against term deposits.
8.8 Settlement of claims in respect of deceased account holders
a. The operational procedure for settlement of claims of deceased
depositors is available in our branch and on our website as a part
of our Deposits Policy.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
b. We will provide claim forms for settlement of claims of the accounts
of deceased persons, to those who approach us for the forms. We
will also place the claim forms on our website.
8.8.1 Accounts with survivor / nominee clause
a. In the case of a deposit account of a deceased depositor, where
the depositor had utilized the nomination facility and made a valid
nomination or where the account was opened with the survivorship
clause (“either or survivor” or “anyone or survivor” or “former or
survivor” or “latter or survivor”), payment of the balance in the
deposit account to the survivor(s) / nominee of a deceased deposit
account holder will be made, provided:
i. the identity of the survivor(s) / nominee and the fact of the
death of the account holder, is established through appropriate
documentary evidence.
ii. there is no order from the competent court restraining the bank
from making the payment from the account of the deceased.
In such cases, payment to the survivor(s) / nominee of the deceased
depositors will be made without insisting on production of succession
certificate, letter of administration or probate, etc. or obtaining
any bond of indemnity or surety from the survivor(s) / nominee,
irrespective of the amount standing to the credit of the deceased
account holder.
b. The survivor(s) / nominee would be receiving the payment from the
bank as a trustee of the legal heirs of the deceased depositor, i.e.,
such payment shall not affect the right or claim which any person may
have against the survivor(s) / nominee to whom the payment is made.
c. The payment made to the survivor(s) / nominee, subject to the foregoing
conditions, would constitute a full discharge of the bank’s liability.
d. In case of term deposits with “Either or Survivor” or “Former or
Survivor” mandate, premature withdrawal of the deposit, on death
of one of the depositors, by the surviving joint depositor will be
permitted only if there is a mandate from all the depositors to this
effect. The premature withdrawal will be allowed at the rate of
interest applicable on the date of deposit for the period the deposit
remained with us and without penalty.
e. It may be noted that in case of a joint deposit account, nominee’s right
27
arises only after the unfortunate event of death of all the depositors.
f. At the time of registration of nomination, you will have the option to
indicate or not to indicate the name of the nominee in the passbook
/ statement of account / FDR.
8.8.2 Accounts without the survivor / nominee clause
In case the deceased depositor had not made any nomination or for
the accounts other than those styled as “either or survivor” (such as
single or jointly operated accounts), we will adopt a simplified procedure
for repayment to the legal heir(s) of the depositor, keeping in view the
imperative need to avoid inconvenience and undue hardship to the
common person. In conformity with our risk management policy, we will
fix a minimum threshold limit (which will be made known on demand
at our branch) upto which claims in respect of the deceased depositor(s)
will be settled without insisting on production of any documents other
than a letter of indemnity.
8.8.3 Time limit for settlement of claims
We will settle the claims in respect of deceased depositors and release
payments to survivor(s) / nominee within a period not exceeding 15 days
from the date of receipt of the claim subject to the production of proof of
death of the depositor and suitable identification of the claimant(s), to
the bank’s satisfaction.
8.8.4 Premature termination of term deposit accounts
In the case of term deposits, we will incorporate a clause in the account
opening form itself to the effect that in the event of the death of the
depositor, premature termination of term deposits would be allowed.
The conditions subject to which such premature withdrawal would be
permitted would also be specified in the account opening form. Such
premature withdrawal would not attract any penal charge.
8.8.5 Treatment of flows in the name of the deceased depositor
In order to avoid hardship to the survivor(s) / nominee of a deposit
account, we will obtain appropriate agreement / authorization from the
survivor (s) / nominee with regard to the treatment of pipeline flows in
the name of the deceased account holder. In this regard, we will consider
adopting either of the following two approaches:
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
i. We could be authorized by the survivor(s) / nominee of a deceased
account holder to open an account styled as ‘Estate of ________________,
the Deceased’ where all the pipeline flows in the name of the
deceased account holder could be allowed to be credited, provided no
withdrawals are made.
OR
ii. We could be authorized by the survivor(s) / nominee to return the
pipeline flows to the remitter with the remark “Account holder deceased”
and to intimate the survivor(s) / nominee accordingly. The survivor(s)
/ nominee / legal heir(s) could then approach the remitter to effect
payment through a negotiable instrument or through electronic transfer
in the name of the appropriate beneficiary.
8.8.5.1 PENSION ACCOUNTS*
i. We will inform you that Nomination facility is available for Savings
Bank Account opened for credit of pension.
ii. We will inform you that Banking Companies (Nomination) Rules, 1985
are distinct from the Arrears of Pension (Nomination) Rules, 1983.
iii. We will inform you that nomination exercised by you under Arrears
of Pension (Nomination) Rules for receipt of arrears of pension will
not be valid for the purpose of deposit accounts held by you with us.
For this a separate nomination is necessary in terms of the Banking
Companies (Nomination) Rules, 1985 in case you desire to avail of
nomination facility.
* [Note: Provisions of 8.8.5 of the Code does not apply in case of
deposit account held with us by pensioners]*.
8.9 Safe deposit lockers
a. We will give you the complete details of the rules and the procedures
applicable for allotment of the safe deposit lockers and also safe
deposit of valuables, in case we offer the service and will explain
the differences between the same and also the charges and unique
features of these services. We will allot lockers without linking it to
placement of fixed deposits. However, to ensure prompt payment of
locker rent, we may at the time of allotment, obtain a Fixed Deposit
which would cover 3 years’ rent and the charges for breaking open
the locker in case of an eventuality. We will send reminders for the
overdue rent of your safe deposit locker at the last recorded address
29
and / or e-mail. We would have the right to restrict operations of the
locker till the rent due is paid as per the locker agreement. We will
include this clause in the agreement.
b. We will advise you that hiring of a safe deposit locker creates relation
of a lessor and lessee and the lessee has the right for free access to
safe deposit locker in a safe and secure environment.
8.10 Foreign Exchange services
a. When you buy or sell foreign exchange, we will give you information
on the services, details of the exchange rate and other charges
which apply to foreign exchange transactions. If this is not possible,
we will tell you how these will be worked out.
b. If you want to transfer money abroad, we will inform you how to do
this and will give you:
i. a description of the services and how to use them.
ii. details of when the money you have sent abroad should get
there and the reasons for delays, if any.
iii. the exchange rate applied for conversion of the foreign currency
(if this is not possible at the time of the transaction, we will let
you know later what the rate was).
iv. details of any commission or charges, which you will have to
pay and a caution that the person receiving the money may
also have to pay the correspondent bank’s charges.
c. We will tell you if the information provided by you for making a
payment abroad is adequate or not. In case of any discrepancies
or incomplete documentation, we will advise you immediately and
assist you to rectify / complete the same.
d. If money is transferred to your bank account from abroad, we will
tell you the original amount received and charges, if any, levied.
Even if the sender has agreed to pay all charges, we shall still
deduct our charges / statutory taxes from the proceeds at the time
of crediting the money into your account.
e. We will guide you about the regulatory requirements or conditions
relating to foreign exchange services offered by us as and when
requested by you.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
f. In case of delay beyond the day when the amount is due for credit,
you will be compensated (i) for any loss on account of interest for
due period beyond the due date and (ii) also for adverse movement
of forex rate as per the Compensation Policy of the bank.
g. All certificates required to be issued under regulatory / statutory
instructions will be issued at nominal charges which will be displayed
on our website except the certificates which are statutory and to be
issued free of charge.
8.11 Remittances within India
If you want to remit money within India, we will inform you how to effect
it and
a. give a description of our services and how to use them.
b. suggest to you the best way to send the money to suit your needs.
c. disclose the details of all charges including commission that you
will have to pay for the service as per the Tariff Schedule.
d. send you an SMS / e-mail informing you of the fate / status of the
remittance made by you through Mobile Banking / NEFT / RTGS.
e. make available on our website updated contact details of our
Customer Facilitation Centres to handle your queries / complaints
regarding NEFT / RTGS transactions / digital banking.
f. In case of any delay we will compensate you for the delay and any
loss / additional expense incurred by you as per our Compensation
Policy.
g. We will extend remittance facilities within prescribed limits to walkin
customers too.
8.12 Lending
a. We will have a Board approved policy on Loans and Advances.
b. We will base our lending decisions on a careful and prudent
assessment of your financial position and capacity to repay.
c. We will not discriminate on grounds of sex, caste and religion in
the matter of lending. However, this does not preclude us from
instituting or participating in schemes framed for specified sections
of the society.
31
8.12.1 Loans
8.12.1.1 General Information
We will:
a. give you the Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC) governing
the loan / credit facility you have sought to avail.
b. give you information explaining the key features of our loan and credit
card products including applicable fees and charges while sourcing
the application and at the time of communicating the sanction of the
loan / credit card.
c. advise you about the information / documentation we need from you
to enable you to apply. We will also advise you what documentation
we need from you with respect to your identity, address, employment,
etc. and any other document that may be stipulated by statutory
authorities (e.g. PAN details), in order to comply with legal and
regulatory requirements.
d. verify the details mentioned by you in the loan / credit card application
by contacting you at your residence and / or on business telephone
numbers and / or through any alternative channels and / or physically
visiting your residence and / or business addresses through agencies
appointed by us for this purpose, if deemed necessary by us.
e. if we offer you an overdraft, or an increase in your existing overdraft
limit, we will tell you if your overdraft is repayable on demand
or otherwise. We will, if required, also advise about the method
of calculation of overdrawn amount and also the computation of
interest as well as penal interest.
f. in case we offer / approve a credit facility over the telephone, we
will credit your account with the amount only after receiving your
acceptance in writing or through any other mode such as sms /
e-mail and where your consent is obtained through authenticated
electronic means, after necessary validation.
g. not offer any unsolicited pre-approved credit facility in any form,
including enhancement of credit card limit and top up of personal
loan limits, etc.
8.12.1.2 Applications for loans and their processing
a. At the time of sourcing a loan product, we will provide as part of the
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
loan application form, information about the interest rates along
with the annualised rates of interest, whether floating or fixed, as
also the fees / charges payable for processing, the amount of such
fees refundable if loan is not sanctioned / disbursed, pre-payment
options and charges, if any, penal rate of interest for delayed
repayments, if any, conversion charges for switching your loan
from fixed to floating rates or vice-versa, existence of any interest
reset clause and any other matter which affects the interest of the
borrower, so that a meaningful comparison with those of other
banks can be made and an informed decision can be taken by you.
b. We will provide you with a checklist of the documents to be submitted
(compliant with legal and regulatory requirements) along with
the loan application form to enable you to submit the application
complete in all respects. If required, we will assist you in filling up
your loan application form.
c. We shall invariably provide you with an acknowledgement of your
loan application, whether submitted online or manually, indicating
therein the time frame within which the application will be processed.
d. We will convey our decision on your loan application as per our
prevailing policy, which is available on the website, provided your
application is complete in all respects and is submitted along with
all the documents as per ‘check list’ provided.
e. Normally all particulars required for processing the loan application
will be collected by us at the time of application. In case we need
any additional information, we will contact you immediately.
f. We will communicate, in writing, the reason(s) for rejection of your
loan application. We may communicate this through letter or e-mail
stating the reason(s) for such rejection of the loan application.
g. We will provide you the sanction letter detailing particulars of
amount sanctioned and the terms and conditions.
h. We will provide you an amortisation schedule (schedule of repayment
of principal and interest for the duration of the loan).
i. We will also inform you whether you have an option to let equated
monthly instalments stay constant and change tenure or vice-versa
when the interest rate changes.
j. We will, at your request, supply authenticated copies of all the loan
documents executed by you at our cost along with a copy each of
33
all enclosures quoted in the loan document as part of disbursement
welcome kit. However, reasonable charges will be levied for additional
authenticated copies as per our tariff.
k. We will give written receipt for all documents to title taken as
security / collateral for any loan.
l. We will endeavour to send you a communication through letter /
e-mail or SMS about the status of your account before it becomes a
Non Performing Asset (NPA).
m. We will give you notice, sufficiently in advance, if we decide to recall
/ accelerate payment or performance under the agreement or seek
additional securities.
n. We will provide you with an annual statement of account of your
term / demand loans.
o. We will provide you with the loan statement, more often, if required,
at a cost which will be indicated in the Tariff Schedule.
p. We will return to you all the securities / documents / title deeds
to mortgaged property within 15 working days of the repayment
of all dues agreed to or contracted and report to Central Registry
for Securitisation, Asset Reconstruction and Security Interest
(CERSAI) about satisfaction of our charge. If any right to set off
is to be exercised for any other claim, we will give due notice with
full particulars about the other claims and retain the securities /
documents / title to mortgaged property till the relevant claim is
settled / paid.
q. We will compensate you for any delay in return of securities / documents
/ title deeds to mortgaged property beyond 15 working days of the
repayment of all dues agreed to or contracted or in reporting to CERSAI
about satisfaction of our charge in line with our Compensation Policy.
r. In the event of our losing the securities / documents / title deeds
you have provided to us when you availed a loan, we will compensate
you for the loss. We will issue a certificate indicating the securities
/ documents / title deeds lost and extend all assistance to you for
obtaining duplicate documents, etc. at our cost.
s. We will process a request for transfer of borrowal account, either from
you or from a bank / financial institution, along with your explicit
consent in the normal course and convey our concurrence or otherwise
within two weeks of receipt of request.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
t. We will not levy foreclosure charges / pre-payment penalties on all
floating rate term loans sanctioned to you (in your individual capacity)
irrespective of whether paid from own funds or takeover by other Banks.
u. where a loan is eligible to be covered under any subsidy schemes or
subvention scheme in force we will explain to you features of such
scheme and any requirement you will need to fulfill.
8.13 Guarantee
a. If you want us to accept a guarantee or other security from a third
party for your liabilities, we may ask you for your permission to give
confidential information about your finances to the person giving
the guarantee or other security, or to their legal adviser.
b. We will also:
i. encourage them to take independent legal advice to make
sure that they understand their commitment and the possible
consequences of their decision (where appropriate, the
documents we ask them to sign will contain this recommendation
as a clear and obvious notice).
ii. inform them that by giving the guarantee or other security they
may become liable instead of, or as well as, you.
iii. inform them what their liability will be.
iv. give a copy of the terms and conditions of the loan sanctioned
/ loan agreement, free of cost, to the guarantor(s) of the credit
facility availed by you.
c. When you are considering to be a guarantor to a loan, we will tell you:
i. your liability as guarantor;
ii. the amount of liability you will be committing yourself to the
bank;
iii. circumstances in which we will call on you to pay up your liability;
iv. whether we have recourse to your other monies in the bank if
you fail to pay up as a guarantor;
v. whether your liabilities as a guarantor are limited to a specific
quantum or they are unlimited;
vi. time and circumstances in which your liabilities as a guarantor
will be discharged as also the manner in which we will notify
you about this;
35
vii. of any material or adverse change in the financial position of
the borrower to whom you stand as a guarantor.
d. We will return to you all the securities / documents / title deeds to
mortgaged property within 15 days of the repayment of all dues agreed
to or contracted.
e. We will compensate you for any delay in return of securities / documents
/ title deeds to mortgaged property beyond 15 days of the repayment of
all dues agreed to or contracted.
f. In the event of our losing the securities / documents, we will compensate
you for the loss. We will issue a certificate indicating the securities /
documents lost and extend all assistance to you for obtaining duplicate
documents, etc.
8.14 Central Registry of Securitisation, Asset Reconstruction and
Security Interest of India (CERSAI)
When you avail of a loan facility involving immovable property and /
or movables as primary or collateral security, we will advise you the
functioning of the CERSAI and the fact that their records will be available
for search by any lender or any other person desirous of dealing with the
property / assets. We will notify our charge to CERSAI.
8.15 Settlement of dues
a. You should let us know, as soon as possible, if you are not able to
make your payments in time.
b. We will consider all cases of genuine financial difficulties
sympathetically and positively, in consonance with regulatory
guidelines and our policy.
c. We will try to help you overcome your difficulties.
d. In case we offer you a One Time Settlement (OTS) for repayment of
dues, we will explain to you the details of the offer.
e. We will spell out, in writing, the terms and conditions of the OTS
offered to you.
f. If the dues are settled under OTS, we will explain to you the
implications of such settlement on your credit history maintained
by the CICs.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
8.16 Securitisation of loans / card dues
a. In case we securitise (sell) your loans / dues on your card to another
entity, we will advise you the name and contact details of such entity
along with the amount of your loan / dues transferred to them. In the
normal course, loans / credit card dues, which are Non Performing
Assets (NPAs) are considered for sale to Asset Reconstruction
Company (ARC) through assignments. Where dues are settled
through compromise, assigning such assets to ARC does not arise.
b. You will then be liable to pay the amount due to the entity to which
the loan / dues have been transferred.
c. The entity to which the loan / dues have been transferred will continue
to report your credit information to the CICs.
d. We will endeavour to assist you in case you have a grievance against
the entity to which your loan / dues have been transferred by us.
e. For all complaints against the entity to which your loan / dues have been
transferred by us, we will remain the Nodal Authority for resolution. We
will treat these complaints as if they are against us and ensure that
these are resolved promptly.
8.17. Electronic and Digital Banking
8.17.1 Internet and Mobile Banking
We will take appropriate measures to provide safe and secure Internet
and Mobile Banking. We will ensure that our systems and technology
are safe and secure and review and update them periodically.
a. We will implement robust and dynamic fraud prevention and
detection mechanisms to mitigate risks and protect customers from
liabilities arising from unauthorized transactions.
b. We will undertake various initiatives to educate you on Internet /
Mobile Banking security and on prevention from payment related
frauds, by way of:
i. Displaying relevant information on our website
ii. Displaying information at customer touchpoints like ATMs and
branches.
iii. Periodic educational e-mails
c. When you have access to Internet / Mobile Banking services, we
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will also inform you of the applicable terms and conditions relating
to such services. All Internet / Mobile Banking related services and
associated charges, if any, will be displayed on our website and
made available to you.
d. We will also inform you where to find the information you need
to safeguard your online information and to protect yourself while
using computer / mobile handset from fraud, scams or unauthorised
transactions. This information will be updated from time to time.
e. We will carry out adequate authentication processes for financial
transactions, as prescribed by the regulator from time to time.
f. We will send you SMS / online e-mail alerts for all types of transactions,
irrespective of the amount, undertaken by you. These alerts will be
sent to the contact details registered with us.
g. We will ask you for additional factor authentication / validation
based on information not visible on the cards for all on-line card not
present transactions as well as IVR transactions.
h. We will send you an SMS / e-mail on all payee / biller registration
done on Netbanking.
i. In case we offer you the facility of fixing a daily cap on the value,
mode of transactions, number of transactions and beneficiaries
for electronic modes of transactions, we will require an additional
authorization in the event of your changing the options. We will send
you an alert when a request for change in the option is received.
j. Mobile Banking service is network independent, i.e. customers
having mobile phones of any network of operator can transfer funds
from account in one bank to any other account in the same bank or
any other bank.
k. If you opt for Mobile Banking services we will, prior to your
registration for the service, inform you of:
i. the security procedure adopted by us for user authentication;
ii. time taken between registration of customers and activation of
services;
iii. the applicability or otherwise of stop payment instructions and
the terms and conditions for the acceptance, if any, for the
same.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
l. You can apply for registration of Mobile Banking services through
multiple channels such as ATMs, Websites, Phone Banking, IVR,
SMS, etc. You need not come to branches for the same.
m. Mobile Banking transactions are completely instantaneous and are
incapable of being reversed. Thus stop payment privileges are very
limited.
n. You may opt out of Internet / Mobile Banking Services at any point
of time. However, you must keep us informed of your decision and
ensure that you complete the requisite formalities.
o. In any dispute about receipt of Passwords or security information
that are not issued to you in person, we will not rely merely on proof
of dispatch to your correct registered address as proof that they
have been received by you.
p. Online banking is safe and convenient as long as you take adequate
and simple precautions. Please make sure you follow the advice
given below:
i. Visit our secure Internet banking site directly. Avoid accessing
the site through a link from another site or an e-mail and verify
the domain name displayed to avoid spoof websites.
ii. Log out of Internet banking when your session is complete. Use
the ‘Log Out’ button to log out so that the session closes. Do
not just close the window to log off.
iii. Log off your PC when not in use.
iv. Avoid using Internet Banking on unsecured networks like airports,
railway stations, cyber-cafes or any other public network / wi-fi,
etc.
v. Update your computer / laptop with the latest version of your
browser (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, etc.)
vi. Install security programmes to protect against hackers, virus
attacks or any malicious programmes. Update your security
programme or antivirus on regular basis.
vii. Install a suitable firewall to protect your device / laptop / mobile,
etc. and its contents from outsiders.
viii. Disable the ‘File and Printing Sharing’ feature on your operating
system.
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ix. Preferably use virtual keypad while conducting electronic
financial transactions / internet banking.
q. Apart from your obligations when using Internet Banking, you will
need to take additional care to protect your device when using a
mobile application or any other form of social media to access banking
services:
i. Do not leave your device unattended and logged into a Mobile
Banking service
ii. Lock your device to prevent unauthorised use of your Mobile
Banking service
iii. Notify us as soon as possible if your device is lost or stolen
iv. Update your Mobile Banking App as and when a new version /
upgrade is released.
v. Update your mobile operating system to ensure that the latest
security patches are available on your mobile.
vi. Purchase your mobile phone from an authorized dealer.
vii. Ensure to check the authenticity of all Apps downloaded on
your mobile. Do not download Apps from untrusted sources.
r. Log out of Mobile Banking application once you are done using it.
Check your account and transaction history regularly.
s. Do not share your internet / Mobile Banking security information or
disclose your password as response to any e-mail (even if it appears
to have been sent from our bank). Please inform us of the same for
us to investigate. Neither the police nor we will ever contact you
to ask you to reveal your online banking or payment card PINs, or
your password information.
t. Customer complaints / grievances arising out of Mobile Banking facility
are covered under Banking Ombudsman (BO) Scheme.
8.17.2.1 PINs and Passwords
a. A password is a string of characters used to verify the identity of a user
during the authentication process. Passwords are important so that
sensitive data or a critical information does not fall into wrong hands.
b. We will conform to internationally accepted standards for methods
of generation, storage and terminal security relating to PINs and
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
Passwords to ensure their confidentiality and security for your
protection.
c. We will deliver your PIN in a sealed cover to you at the registered
address we have on record or at our branch after due identification.
You may, also at your convenience, generate PIN online / via IVRS or
at ATMs.
d. We will ensure that your recent contact details (mobile number, e-mail
ID and landline number) are registered and updated with the Bank.
e. In order to safeguard your account, you must choose a strong PIN
/ password and change it regularly.
8.17.2.2 You should also adopt the following safe practices /
precautions to protect your PIN or Password.
For creating PIN / Password:
a. Use the following guidelines to create a strong password:
• Do not use familiar names which are easily discoverable (self,
spouse, children, parents, pets, etc.)
• Avoid using commonly known facts about yourself (hobbies,
birthdays, favourite sports, etc.)
• Do not use words found in the dictionary as software
programmes can search for probable words and guess the
password. Instead combine misspelt words to prevent a
dictionary attack
• Use at least six or more characters. More the characters in a
password, the more secure it is
• Utilize a combination of letters and numbers to make it more
difficult for a person / software programme to guess your password
• Use special characters (@, #, %, $, etc.) to make the password
more difficult to crack
• Use a combination of upper- and lower-case letters which helps
to create a more secure password
b. Do not use the following to create a *PIN:
• birth dates, months or years;
• sequential numbers (e.g. 3456);
• number combinations that may be easily guessed (e.g. 1111);
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• parts of your telephone number;
• parts of numbers in the order in which they are printed on any
of your cards;
• other easily accessible personal data (e.g. driving licence, your
vehicle number or other numbers easily connected with you)
*This is only an illustrative and not exhaustive list.
Precautions for preventing unauthorised transactions in your account:
Do not:
• Allow anyone else to use your card, PIN, password or other
security information.
• Write down or record your PIN, password or other security
information.
• Store your password(s) in your Browsers (such as Internet
Explorer, Google Chrome, Firefox, etc.) or on e-Commerce sites
or in mobile handset.
• Save your Mobile Banking Login and password on your phone
• Give your account details, password / PIN / OTP or other security
information to anyone, including those who claim to be authorized
representatives of the bank.
• Respond to any communication asking for your Bank account
credentials (Internet banking password, ATM PIN, CVV, Card
expiry date, etc.)
• Respond even if any message threatens discontinuation of
facility or makes an exciting offer or mentions any other reason.
All such communication through letters, e-mails, mobile
phones, SMSs, etc. should be ignored.
• Fall prey to fictitious offers / lottery winnings / remittance of cheap
funds in foreign currency from abroad by certain foreign entities
/ individuals. These could include Indian residents acting as
representatives of such entities / individuals.
These messages often appear to be from a friend, bank or other
legitimate source directing you to certain websites designed
to trick you into providing personal information such as your
user name and password or credit card information.
• Click a link in any suspicious e-mails / SMS, and don’t provide
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
your information unless you trust the source e-mail / SMS.
• Allow anyone else to see you enter your Password in a PC /
mobile handset or to see the PIN when you use your card at
ATMs or at Points of Sale (POS) counters.
Always:
• Change your PIN / Password at regular intervals – at least every
3 to 6 months. Do not repeat your previous passwords.
• Memorize your PIN, password and other security information
and destroy the written communication, if any, received by
you.
• Take reasonable steps to keep your card safe in your personal
custody and your PIN, password and other security information
secret at all times.
• Use different PINs or Passwords for different cards or devices
• Use a power-on / access password for your computer / laptop /
mobile and a screensaver password on your computer / laptop /
mobile so that no one else can use it without your consent.
Immediately inform (through authorized officials of bank or
authorized channel) your bank on change of your e-mail ID or
mobile number.
8.17.3 ATM / Debit and Credit Cards
a. We will offer you an ATM / Debit Card if it is normally issued with
the type of account you have opted for.
b. New Cards / Replacement cards (debit as well as credit cards) will be
essentially EMV Chip and PIN enabled card only. You may decline
to accept the card if you do not want it.
c. Where cards are delivered to you personally, we must be satisfied
about your identity before allowing cards to be delivered.
d. We will send a service guide / member booklet giving detailed terms
and conditions, losses on your account that you may be liable if your
card is lost / misused and other relevant information with respect to
usage of your card along with your first card.
e. We will inform you which of your accounts your card can access.
We will also inform you whether the card issued to you has more
than one function and if so, what those functions are.
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f. We will advise you of the current transaction limits that apply at
POS counters, ATMs and forex transactions.
g. We will advise you of the fees and charges that apply to your card.
h. Please safeguard your card by taking the following measures:
• Sign your card as soon as you receive it
• Do not leave your card unattended (in a wallet / purse) or in
a location (e.g. your vehicle) from where it could be removed
without being noticed
• Do not give your card to anyone or let anyone else use your
card including at merchant establishments (e.g. restaurants,
petrol pump, etc.)
• Always remember to take your card back after using it
• Inform us if you change your address with documentary proof
so that, whenever required, a replacement card is sent to your
correct address.
• Complaints relating to disputed / failed ATM transactions are to
be lodged with card issuing bank (through authorized officials
or channel).
8.17.4.1 Reporting loss / theft / disputed transactions
a. We will inform you of the procedure you must follow to report the
loss, theft or unauthorised use of your card or PIN.
b. We will include in the terms and conditions what your liability will
be in relation to the loss or theft of your card or disclosure of your
PIN or Password.
c. We will provide the capability to register your mobile number and
wherever available, e-mail ID, before activating any electronic
transaction facility.
d. We will provide multiple channels for enabling you to report an
unauthorized transaction on 24 x 7 basis. These channels would
be helplines, SMS, e-mail, IVR, website, etc. You can also report
such transactions to your home branch during the working hours.
Further, we will also provide you the details of our channels
through which you can block your card. We will promptly send a
confirmation for having blocked usage of the card.
e. We will provide, if possible, inbuilt reply facility to SMS. However
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
all our SMS alerts will include alternate number / mobile number /
e-mail id to contact us immediately.
f. We will provide a direct link for lodging the complaints, on home
page of our website with specific option to report unauthorized
electronic transactions.
g. We will provide a loss / fraud reporting system that sends an immediate
response (including auto response) to you acknowledging the complaint
along with the registered complaint number.
h. You should inform us as soon as you discover that your card has been
lost or stolen or someone else knows your PIN, password or other
security information, apart from changing them immediately. On your
notifying us, we will take immediate steps (such as blocking of your
card or resetting the PIN, as the case may be) to prevent the misuse.
i. Once you have advised us that your card has been lost or stolen or
your PIN or Password disclosed, you will not be responsible for any
unauthorised use of your card after that time.
j. On receipt of your complaint of an unauthorised transaction, we will
take immediate steps to prevent further unauthorised transactions
in your account.
k. The liability for the losses due to an unauthorised transaction will
be based on the regulations from the regulator that are in force at
that time.
l. You will not be liable for losses before you receive your card or, if
applicable, your PIN and Password, provided you have notified us of
your current address.
m. We will display the telephone / Toll Free numbers of the help desk /
contact persons of the ATM owning bank at ATM locations for lodging
complaints and / or for reporting / blocking lost / compromised cards.
Please ensure to lodge complaints only to your card issuing bank for
redressal.
n. ATM Id has been displayed on all the ATMs. You should quote the
same while making a complaint / suggestion. Forms are available
within ATM premises for lodging ATM complaints.
o. We will reimburse amounts wrongly debited in failed ATM
transactions within the prescribed time limit. For any delay beyond
the prescribed time limit, we will pay compensation as prescribed,
45
provided the claim is lodged with us, (i.e. the ATM card issuing
bank) within 30 days of the transaction.
p. In case of disputed ATM transactions, we will retain the relevant
camera footage till the dispute is settled. Access to such footage
will be available only if the dispute is raised within the prescribed
preservation period of such records.
8.17.4.2 Limited Liability in respect of unauthorized electronic
banking transactions.
a. You will be entitled for Zero liability where the unauthorized
transaction occurs in the following events:
i. Contributory fraud / negligence / deficiency on our part.
ii. Third party breach where the deficiency lies elsewhere in the
system and you notify us within three working days of receiving
the communication from us regarding the unauthorised
transaction.
b. You shall be liable for the loss occurring due to unauthorised
transactions in the following cases:
i. In cases where the loss is due to your negligence such as where
you have shared the payment credentials, you will bear the
entire loss until you report the unauthorised transaction to
us. Any loss occurring after the reporting of the unauthorised
transaction shall be borne by us.
ii. In cases where the responsibility for the unauthorised
electronic banking transaction lies neither with us nor you, but
lies elsewhere in the system and when there is a delay (of four
to seven working days after receiving the communication from
us) on your part in notifying us of such a transaction, your per
transaction liability shall be limited to that transaction value or
the amount whichever is lower as mentioned in RBI guidelines
issued from time to time on the subject.
iii. Further, if the delay in reporting by you is beyond seven working
days, your liability shall be determined as per our Board
approved policy which will be available in public domain / our
website. We shall provide the details of our policy in regard to
your liability formulated in pursuance of the RBI directions on
the subject at the time of opening the accounts. We will inform all
the customers individually also about our policy on the subject.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
8.17.4.3 Reversal Timeline for Zero Liability / Limited Liability
On being notified by you, we shall credit (shadow reversal) the amount
involved in the unauthorised electronic transaction to your account
within 10 working days from the date of such notification by you (without
waiting for settlement of insurance claim, if any). The credit shall be
value dated to be as of the date of the unauthorised transaction.
Further, we will ensure that:
i. your complaint is resolved and liability, if any, established within
such time, as may be specified in our Board approved policy, but
not exceeding 90 days from the date of receipt of the complaint and
you will be compensated as per RBI guidelines on the subject.
ii. where we are unable to resolve the complaint or determine your
liability, if any, within 90 days, the compensation as per RBI
guidelines will be paid; and
iii. in case of debit card / bank account, you will not suffer loss of interest,
and in case of credit card, you do not bear any additional burden of
interest.
8.17.5 Credit Card
a. When you apply for a credit card, we will explain the relevant terms
and conditions such as fees, interest and other charges, billing and
payment, method of computation of overdues, financial implications
of paying only ‘the minimum amount due’, renewal and termination
procedures, and any other information that you may require to
operate the card.
b. We will disclose the Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC)
in a font of ten as below:
i. During marketing-MITCs on “Fees and Charges”
ii. At application / Welcome kit-All MITCs, including, inter-alia,*
iii. On Credit card Billing-MITCs on Fees & Charges, drawing limits.
iv. On an ongoing basis, any change of the terms and conditions.
* your liability in case of third party fraud or where you have not
contributed to the fraud.
c. We will advise you of our targeted turnaround time while you are
availing / applying for a credit card. We will quote annual fee and
Annualized Percentage Rates (APR) on card products (separately
47
for retail purchase and for cash advance, (if different) with equal
prominence). The method of calculation of APR, late payment
charges, and calculation of interest will be explained clearly with
examples. These aspects will be shown in the Welcome Kit in
addition to being shown in the monthly statement. A notice to the
effect making only the minimum payment every month would result
in the repayment stretching with consequent interest payment on
your outstanding balance will be prominently displayed in all the
monthly statements. We will also mention the rate of interest that
will be charged on the unpaid amount and other charges if you
choose to pay only the “minimum amount due” as mentioned in the
monthly credit card statement.
In MITC, we would specifically explain that the “free credit period”
is lost if any balance of the previous month’s bill is outstanding.
d. We may also issue a deactivated (not ready to use) credit card if
we consider your profile appropriate for issuing credit card and
such deactivated card will become active only after you convey your
acceptance of the card and take steps for its activation as required
and subject to such other conditions as may be specified.
e. In case we activate the card without your consent or bill you for the
card for which you have not given your consent, we will not only
reverse the charges forthwith but will also pay a penalty amounting
to twice the value of the charges reversed.
f. We will extend a loan / credit facility or enhance the credit limit on
your card only with your consent in writing. Consent received through
electronic means where you specifically validate the transaction and
having read the MITC and where digital records of such consent can
be retrieved as a proof of consent, will also be treated as consent.
g. We may issue an add-on card(s) to the person(s) nominated by
you. We will, at your request, set a credit limit (within the overall
limit) for the add-on card(s) issued to you. You will be liable for all
transactions made by such additional card holders.
h. If the limit on your credit card is proposed to be reduced, we will
give you thirty days notice unless at your request and also inform
you the reason therefor, by SMS / e-mail / letter .
i. We will ensure that we comply with your request for cancellation
/ reduction of limit and confirm cancellation / reduction of limit /
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
closure of the credit card to you within 7 working days of the request
being received in writing or through an e-mail id registered with us,
provided that the outstanding amount, if any, is settled / paid.
j. We will have right to place a lien and right to set off on all monies
belonging to you, being the card holder, standing to your credit, in
the same capacity, in any account whatsoever with the Bank or in
the possession or custody of the Bank if you are in default to us
in payment of our dues. We will send you intimation to this effect
by e-mail on your registered e-mail id / registered mobile number
or letter within three days from placing lien / hold on your deposit
account.
k. In case we are offering any insurance cover to our credit card holders,
in tie up with insurance companies, we will obtain in writing from
you the details of nominee/s for the insurance cover in respect of
accidental death and disablement benefits. We will ensure that the
relevant nomination details are recorded by the insurance company
which will handle the claims relating to the insurance cover.
l. To facilitate low value online Card Not Present (CNP) transactions,
the requirement of Additional Factor Authentication (AFA) has been
relaxed. Accordingly, we (card issuing bank) will offer the “payment
authentication solutions” to you on an optional basis. To seek your
consent and to activate your option, we shall provide a one-time
registration process facility. The relaxation for AFA under such
solutions shall be applicable for CNP transactions for a maximum
value of `2000/-per transaction (or as decided by regulator from
time to time). We will also facilitate you to set lower per transaction
limits.
m. We will bear the liability of any unauthorized electronic transaction
as per Clause 8.17.4.2 of this Code.
8.17.5.1 Credit card statements
a. To help you manage your credit card account and check details
of purchases / cash withdrawals, we will send you a monthly
statement, free of cost, with details of the transactions made
with / using your credit card. The credit card statement will be
dispatched on a predetermined date every month, by post / courier
to your mailing address or, if you so desire, by e-mail to the address
registered with us. The statement will also be made available for
viewing on internet banking.
49
We will ensure that wrong bills are not raised and issued nor will
we levy charges which have not been notified by us. In case, a
complaint is raised against any bill, we will provide explanation
and, if necessary, documentary evidence will also be provided to
you within a maximum period of sixty days with a spirit to amicably
redress the grievances. In case erroneous charges are reversed, the
reversal will not be deemed as settlement of dues.
b. In the event of non-receipt of this statement, we expect you to get in
touch with us so that we can arrange to resend the details to enable
you to make the payment and highlight exception, if any, in a timely
manner.
c. We will let you know / notify changes in the schedule of fees and
charges and terms and conditions. Normally, changes (other than
interest rates and those which are a result of regulatory requirements)
will be made with prospective effect after giving notice of at least
one month. The changes will be notified along with the monthly
statement of account or copy thereof. In case of a default, the same
will be reported to Credit Information Companies (CICs).
d. Before reporting to Credit Information Companies about default
status of a credit card holder, we will adhere to a procedure approved
by the Board, including issuing of sufficient notice to the card
holder. Notwithstanding the reversal of a wrong billing, unnotified
charges will not be the cause of reporting to CICs. In case we treat
the reversal of charges as SETTLED, we will inform CIC about the
settlement and inform you of the same being reported to CIC.
8.18 Third Party Products
We distribute third party products like pension funds,mutual funds
and insurance etc. under corporate agency arrangements in terms
of Certificate of Registration issued by respective regulators viz SEBI
(mutual fund) and IRDAI (insurance products). We have Board approved
policy for sale of insurance products in line with IRDAI (Registration of
Corporate Agents) Regulations 2015.
a. We will inform you if we, as agents of any investment / asset
management company or insurance company, offer any type of
investment products including mutual funds or insurance products.
We are responsible for any person using our premises for selling or
marketing third party products on our behalf.
b. We will ensure that all investment and insurance products we sell
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
are in accordance with extant rules and regulations.
c. When you avail a banking service or product from us, we will not
compel you to purchase / subscribe to any third party product as a
quid pro quo.
d. In the case of securities provided by you for loans availed from us, we
will not insist on your obtaining insurance cover from any particular
provider / same organisation. Obtention of insurance products, if
any, offered by us will be purely on voluntary basis. You will be free
to obtain insurance cover from a service provider of your choice.
e. We will, at regular intervals, educate you by way of advertisement /
notice board / information on website / distribution of pamphlets
etc. the benefit of the products being sold at our branch, and also
through e-mails and SMS, unless you have opted not to receive such
information.
f. We will ensure that all investment and insurance products sold
at the branch will be explained to you by personnel who are duly
qualified and trained to sell the products.
g. We will provide detailed terms and conditions of the product which
is being offered to you (Key information Memorandum in case of
mutual fund and product brochure, sales illustration in case of
insurance products).
h. We will apply appropriate customer due diligence measures before
selling investment / insurance products to you.
i. We will sell a product to you only if we believe it is suitable and
appropriate for you.
j. We will obtain the requisite application and documentation for a
product offered only after you have consented to subscribe / avail of
the product, in writing or through authenticated electronic means /
after necessary validation.
k. We will ensure that the statement / policy documents will be delivered
to you within 30 days from the completion of all the formalities
(including medical examination) as per the scheme.
l. We will arrange to provide maximum possible “After Sales Service”
like reminder of SIP, latest NAV, date of maturity, due date of
payment of premium, etc.
m. The service providers will be providing you periodical information
51
on the performance of the scheme / products you have availed from
them. In case you require any specific service, we will facilitate the
same on receiving specific request from you.
n. We will disclose details of all commissions / other fees received, if any,
from mutual fund / insurance / other financial companies on the Bank’s
website for distributing their products.
o. We will adhere to RBI guidelines on para banking activities like sale
of insurance / mutual fund / other third party investment products.
p. We will ensure that the charges for related services for selling of
various products will be displayed and made available to you.
8.19 Credit Counselling Facility
We will endeavour to provide credit counselling facility. Wherever such
facility is available, we will display, at our branch in a particular centre,
the address, timings, etc. of the counselling centres set up by any bank
at that centre to enable you to avail of the service.
8.20 G etting Records
We will, on request, make available to you, at a cost, records pertaining
to your transactions, provided this is within the prescribed preservation
period of such record.
9. BRANCH CLOSURE / SHIFTING
a. If we plan to close our branch or if we move our branch or we are not
able to continue to provide banking services to you, we will give youi.
Notice of two months if there is no branch of any bank
functioning at that centre;
ii. Notice of one month in all other cases.
b. In case we shift the branch, we will inform you of the complete
address of the new location of our branch.
c. We will inform you of any change in the timings of the working of
the branch.
10. FINANCIAL INCLUSION
a. We will make available ‘Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account’
(BSBD Account) / Small Account and Jan-dhan Account without
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
the requirement of any minimum balance subject to compliance
with the instructions on Know Your Customer (KYC) / Anti-Money
Laundering (AML) for opening of bank accounts issued by RBI /
Government of India(GOI) from time to time. We will also offer /
provide minimum common facilities including the facility of ATM
card or ATM-cum-Debit Card without any charges, which will be
made known to you. The relevant details will be made known to you
in a transparent manner at the time of opening of the account.
b. We will also extend the facility of opening such accounts on the basis
of simplified KYC norms. However, such accounts will be additionally
treated as “Small Accounts” and subjected to restrictions which will
be made known to you in an easy to understand manner and in the
local language.
c. We will also prominently display at all our branches in bilingual /
trilingual, the requirements for opening “Basic Savings Bank Deposit
Account” and also the documentation required under simplified
KYC norms for opening “Small Account” / Jan-dhan account.
d. We will also take steps, including training, to create awareness
about the above among our staff, particularly the frontline staff.
e. We will make available, free of cost, basic banking facilities like
maintaining of accounts with a specified number of withdrawals in
a month, General Credit Card and transfer of benefits from State
and Central Governments through electronic platforms.
f. We will provide value added services, if so desired, by you either free
of cost or with low charges, to be notified upfront in the language
known and understood by you.
g. If there are any changes in the services, transactions or the charges,
these will be made known at least one month prior to these becoming
effective.
h. The changes, if any, will be communicated through means appropriate
to you such as by display on the Notice Board of the branch, or
through the Business Correspondent or through letters, etc.
i. Where we do not have a branch, we will endeavour to have a Business
Correspondent (BC) / Business Facilitator (BF) in unbanked areas
as per guidelines and road map agreed to, if any, with RBI to enable
the opening of accounts, deposit and withdrawal of money, subject
to amount and number of transactions, balance enquiry, etc., as
also to facilitate transfer of money from one place to another.
53
j. We will also endeavour to provide Mobile Banking facilities.
k. We will also endeavour to provide other modes of remittance including
mobile phones, electronic platforms like NECS, NEFT, etc.
l. We will be responsible for all acts of omission and commission of
Banking Outlet / BC / BF and any complaint lodged against them
will be investigated.
m. We will offer, in case of need, a credit facility at affordable cost,
subject to terms and conditions which will be made known to you
at the time of applying for the credit facility.
n. We will explain to you the various credit plans available, including
minimum information which the bank may need for processing
your loan application, the most important terms and conditions
applicable to such loans, the security which may be charged to
the bank, the manner and periodicity of application of interest,
repayment procedure, etc.
o. We will not insist on collateral security for credit limits up to Rupees
One lakh for Government sponsored schemes under Priority Sector
Lending except loans to MSE customers where higher collateral
free limit of ` 10 lakh is applicable. We will not insist on collateral
security for education loans, upto ` 4 lakh or as revised from time
to time under Education Loan Scheme.
p. In case you face any financial difficulty in relation to the credit
facility availed by you, we will consider such cases sympathetically
and positively.
q. You may keep us informed of any financial difficulty you may face,
as above, to help us assist you overcome your difficulties. While
processing your loan application we will not insist on obtaining
“No Dues” Certificate from you (individual borrowers and Self Help
Groups (SHGs) & Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) for all types of loans
unless a particular Government sponsored scheme itself provides
for obtention of “No Dues” Certificate.
r. We will endeavour to help you to overcome your difficulties by,
where desirable, drawing up a revival package, if such package is
considered desirable in the interest of both of us.
s. We will educate and guide the account holders the manner of
operating bank accounts either under normal branch or through
alternate channel including using devices under Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) enabled platforms.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
t. We will undertake financial literacy activities to educate customers.
u. We will organize camps, stalls and town hall events to promote the
cause of financial inclusion in towns and villages with participation
by the target group.
v. We will introduce a mechanism in the bank to educate our staff
across levels about the financial inclusion efforts in the country in
general and in the bank, in particular.
w. We will put in place a system of regular / ongoing visits by the bank’s
officials to the unbanked areas where financial inclusion initiatives have
been undertaken to ensure end-implementation of the bank’s efforts.
x. We will endeavour to attend promptly to your complaints, if any,
and resolve them at the earliest.
y. In case you have any grievance about the bank or its Banking Outlet
/ BC / BF, we will make known the manner of lodging complaints
and the mechanism in the bank for resolution of complaints, as
also the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, in case your complaint is
not resolved or resolved to your satisfaction by the bank.
z. We will give wide publicity to the financial inclusion programme and
educate the customers about various products and services.
11. SENIOR CITIZENS AND DIFFERENTLY
ABLED PERSONS
a. We will make our best efforts to make it easy and convenient for our
special customers like senior citizens, differently abled and illiterate
persons to bank with us. This will include making convenient
policies, products and services for such applicants and customers.
b. We will endeavour to develop systems and procedures to improve
access to banking services by you.
c. We will endeavour to make physical access to our branches and ATMs
convenient to you. We will endeavour to provide ramps and hand
railings at bank branches and ATMs to make it easier for senior citizens
and differently abled persons to access various banking facilities.
d. We will sensitise our staff interacting with you to assist you in
carrying out your banking transactions.
e. In addition to all the other commitments made in this Code:
i. We will accord due priority to you. We will endeavour to
55
provide you personalized services for banking transactions and
redressal of grievances.
ii. We will endeavour to provide seating arrangements in the
banking hall.
iii. We will endeavour to provide you our services through a Single
Window mechanism.
iv. We will permit withdrawal of your funds, up to limits set
by you, by persons authorized by you on production of the
authorization letter and passbook.
v. We will endeavour to provide ‘Doorstep’ banking (pick up of cash /
instruments for credit to the account or delivery of cash / demand
drafts against issue of cheque / requisition in writing) in special
circumstances like ill health, inability to come to the branch, etc.
For senior citizens more than 70 years of age and differently
abled or infirm persons (having medically certified chronic
illness or disability) including those who are visually impaired,
we will make concerted effort to provide door step banking for
basic banking facilities such as pick up of cash and instruments
against receipt, delivery of demand drafts, submission of KYC
documents and Life Certificate at the premises / residence of
such customers.
vi. We will issue a pension slip to you (pensioners) containing
details of the pension credited to your account.
vii. We will endeavour to arrange to disburse the pension at the
doorstep, in special circumstances.
viii. We will accept the Life Certificate that is required to be
submitted by you (pensioners) at any branch of our bank by
maintaining centralized data for the same.
ix. We will guide relatives / parents of disabled persons on how
to appoint a legal guardian, under the National Trust Act,
1999, for disabled persons with autism, cerebral palsy, mental
retardation and multiple disabilities who can then open and
operate accounts for such persons.
x. We will ensure that all the banking facilities such as cheque
book facility, ATM facility, net banking facility, locker facility,
retail loans, credit cards etc., are invariably offered to the
visually challenged without any discrimination.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
xi. We will render all possible assistance to the visually challenged
for availing various banking facilities.
xii. We will endeavour to arrange regular meetings so that you may
voice your concerns and benefit from collective experience.
12. PROTECTING YOUR ACCOUNTS
12.1 Secure and reliable banking and payment systems
a. We will make best efforts to ensure that you enjoy secure and
reliable banking and payment systems which you can trust.
b. We will install CCTV, wherever feasible, for close surveillance as
part of security arrangements.
12.2 Keeping us up to date
a. Please make sure you register your current address, phone number,
mobile phone number and / or e-mail id with us to enable us to
send you necessary alerts.
b. Please make sure you let us know, promptly, when you change your
name, address with supporting documents of change of name and
address proof as required, phone numbers and e-mail id so that we
are able to contact you when required.
12.3 Checking your account
a. We recommend that you check your statement or passbook
regularly. If there is an entry, which seems to be wrong, you should
tell us as soon as possible so that we can investigate the same.
Regular checks on direct debits and standing orders will help you
ensure the money is going where you want it to.
b. If we need to investigate a transaction on your account, you should
co-operate with us and with the police / other investigative agencies
if we need to involve them.
12.4 Taking care
Taking care of your cheques, passbook and other security information is
essential to help prevent fraud and protect your accounts. Please make
sure that you follow the advice given below:
a.
i. Do not keep your cheque book and cards together.
57
ii. Do not keep the blank cheque leaves signed.
iii. Do not give your account details, password or other security
information to anyone.
b. We will advise you what you can do to protect your card / cheque
book from misuse.
c. In the event your cheque book, passbook or ATM / Debit card has
been lost or stolen, or that someone else knows your PIN or other
security information, we will, on your notifying us, take immediate
steps to try to prevent these from being misused. You should also
change your PIN / Password if someone else knows them.
d. It is essential that you tell us as soon as you can if you suspect or
discover that your cheque book, passbook, card has been lost or
stolen or someone else knows your PIN, password or other security
information.
e. You could tell us about the loss of the above by phone at our 24 hour
toll free number given to you and send us a written confirmation to
that effect immediately. Alternatively, you may advise us by e-mail
to the address we have given you for this purpose.
f. You may be liable for misuses until the time that we have been notified.
12.5 Cancelling payments
a. To stop payment of a cheque or cancel standing instruction given,
or cancel a direct debit instruction, you must tell us in writing.
b. We will accept any instruction on withdrawal of mandate by you
without necessitating you to obtain the prior concurrence / approval
for withdrawal from the beneficiary / user institution.
c. It may not be possible to cancel payments if you do not give notice
of your decision to cancel.
d. Cancellation of credit card payments will be subject to other terms
and conditions as may be stipulated.
12.6 Liability for losses
If you act fraudulently, you will be responsible for all losses on your
account. If you act without reasonable care, which results in losses, you
may be responsible for them.
**********
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
Annexure – Glossary
These definitions explain the meaning of words and terms used in the
Code. They are not precise legal or technical definitions.
Aadhaar Pay:
A mobile app which enables digital payments using biometric card.
App:
App is an abbreviated form of the word “application”. An application is
a software programme that is designed to perform a specific function
directly for the user.
ATM
An Automated Teller Machine [ATM] is a machine in which a customer
can use his card along with PIN to get cash, information and other
services.
Banking Ombudsman
An independent dispute resolution authority set up by the Reserve Bank
of India to deal with disputes that individuals and small businesses have
with their banks.
Banking Outlet
A fixed point service delivery unit, manned by either Bank’s staff or
it’s business correspondent where services of acceptance of deposits,
encashment of cheques / cash withdrawal or lending of money are provided
for a minimum of four hours per day for at least five days a week.
BHIM: Bharat Interface for Money is a mobile App developed by National
Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) based on the Unified Payment
Interface (UPI).
Card
A general term for any plastic card, which a customer may use to pay for
goods and services or to withdraw cash. In this Code, it includes debit,
credit, smart and ATM cards.
Credit Card
A Credit Card is a plastic card with a credit facility, which allows you to
pay for goods and services or to withdraw cash.
Cheque Collection Policy
Cheque Collection Policy refers to the policy followed by a bank in respect
59
of the various local and outstation cheques and instruments deposited
with the bank for credit to an account. The policy inter alia deals with
• cheque purchase requests
• timeframe for credit of cheques
• payment of interest in case of delay in collection of cheques
• instant credit of local and outstation cheques
• cheques / instruments lost in transit and charges for such collection.
Customer
A person who has an account [including a joint account with another
person or an account held as an executor or trustee or as a “Karta” of an
HUF, but not including the accounts of sole traders / proprietorships,
partnerships, companies, clubs and societies] or who avails of other
products / services from a bank.
Current Account
A form of demand deposit wherefrom withdrawals are allowed any
number of times depending upon the balance in the account or up to a
particular agreed amount.
Deceased Account
A Deceased account is a deposit account in which case either the single
account holder has deceased or in case of joint accounts one or more of
joint account holders has / have deceased.
Demat Account
A Demat account refers to dematerialised account and is an account in
which the stocks of investors are held in electronic form.
Deposit Accounts
• “Savings deposit” means a form of demand deposit which is subject
to restrictions as to the number of withdrawals as also the amounts
of withdrawals permitted by the bank during any specified period.
• “Term deposit” means a deposit received by the bank for a fixed period
withdrawable only after the expiry of the fixed period and includes
deposits such as Recurring / Double Benefit Deposits / Short Deposits
/ Fixed Deposits / Monthly Income Certificate / Quarterly Income
Certificate, etc.
• “Notice Deposit” means term deposit for specific period but
withdrawable on giving at least one complete banking day’s notice.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
Equity
Equity means a part of capital of a corporate entity which is represented by
the shares of the company whether in physical or in dematerialised form.
Electronic Clearing Service
It is a mode of electronic funds transfer from one bank account to another
bank account using the services of a Clearing House.
Fixed rate of interest
Fixed Rate of Interest on a loan means that interest rate is fixed for the
entire period of the loan or it may be revised after the first few years
depending upon the terms and conditions of loan.
Floating rate of interest
Floating Rate of Interest on a loan means that interest rate is not fixed
but is linked to Reference Rate and would vary with changes in the latter.
Guarantee
An undertaking in writing to assure the payment or performance of
another person’s debt or obligations in the event of a default by the
person primarily responsible for it.
Government Bond
Government bond means a security created and issued by the
Government for the purpose of raising a public loan.
Inoperative / Dormant Account
An inoperative / dormant account is a savings bank or current account
in which there are no transactions for over a period of two years.
IMPS
Immediate Payment Service is an interbank electronic instant mobile
money transfer service through mobile phones.
National Electronic Clearing Service
It is a system introduced by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for electronic
fund transfer within India.
National Automated Clearing House
It is a web based platform to facilitate interbank, high volume electronic
transactions for bank, financial institutions, corporate and government.
61
NEFT
National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) system is a nationwide funds
transfer system to facilitate transfer of funds from one bank branch to
any other bank branch in the country.
Nomination facility
The nomination facility enables the bank to: make payment to the
nominee of a deceased depositor, of the amount standing to the credit
of the depositor; return to the nominee the articles left by a deceased
person in the bank’s safe custody; release to the nominee of the hirer, the
contents of a safe deposit locker, in the event of the death of the hirer.
Out-of-date [stale] cheque
A cheque, presented for collection, three months after the date of issue
of the cheque.
PAN (Permanent Account Number)
The Permanent Account Number is an all India unique number having
ten alphanumeric characters allotted by the Income Tax Department,
Government of India. It is issued in the form of a laminated card. It is
permanent and will not change with change of address of the assessee
or change of Assessing Officer.
Part time Banking Outlet
A Banking Outlet which provides delivery of service for a minimum of
four hours per day and for at least five days a week.
Password
A word or numbers or a combination on an access Code, which the
customer has chosen, to allow him to use a phone or Internet banking
service. It is also used for identification.
PIN [Personal Identification Number]
A confidential number, use of which along with a card allows customers
to pay for articles / services, withdraw cash and use other electronic
services offered by the bank.
PoS (Point of Sales)
PoS or Swipe Machine as it is popularly known is a technological
instrument provided to a Merchant Establishment (ME) to carry out the
sale of goods or services to customers in a cashless environment. All the
customer has to do is swipe his / her Debit, Credit or Prepaid Card
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
RTGS
The acronym ‘RTGS’ stands for Real Time Gross Settlement. RTGS
system offers the fastest means of transfer of funds through banking
channel. Settlement of transactions under RTGS takes place on one-toone
basis, which is termed as ‘Gross’ settlement and in ‘real time’ i.e.
without any waiting period.
Reference rate
It is the benchmark rate of interest of a bank to which interest on loans
sanctioned under floating rate of interest is linked. The Reference rate
of interest is determined / modified by individual banks in accordance
with their policies.
Senior Citizen
Senior Citizen is a person of over sixty years of age.
Settled account
A loan account which is settled under “One Time Settlement” (OTS)
Scheme offered by a Bank for repayment of overdues. This suggests
that while the borrower paid some amount it probably was not the full
amount originally agreed to. Such settled accounts are reported to CICs
for updating the credit history of the borrower.
Smart Card
A smart card is a plastic card about the size of a credit card, with an
embedded microchip which can process data. It provides a secure way
of identification, authentication and storage of data. It can be used for
telephone calling, electronic cash payments, and other applications.
Tariff Schedule
A schedule detailing charges levied by a bank on the products and
services offered by it to its customers.
Unified Payment Interface (UPI)
A payment system that allows money transfer by using predefined e-mail
id, between any two bank accounts by using a smart phone.
Unpaid Cheque
This is a cheque, which is returned ‘unpaid’ [bounced] by the bank.
63
Referance BANKING CODES AND STANDARDS
BOARD OF INDIA
www.bcsbi.org.in
1.1 Objectives of the Code
The Code has been developed to:
a. promote good and fair banking practices by setting minimum
standards in our dealings with you;
b. increase transparency so that you can have a better understanding
of what you can reasonably expect from us;
c. encourage market forces, through competition, to achieve higher
operating standards;
d. promote a fair and cordial relationship between you and your bank;
e. foster confidence in the banking system;
f. promote safe and fair customer dealing in case of banking in a
digitized environment;
g. increase awareness of customers and to enhance customer
protection.
The standards of the Code are covered by the Key Commitments in
Chapter 2.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
1.2 Application of the Code
This Code applies to all the products and services listed below, whether
they are provided by our branch or agents acting on our behalf, whether
across the counter, over the phone, by post, through interactive electronic
devices, on the internet or by any other method. However, all products
discussed here may or may not be offered by us.
a. Current accounts, savings accounts, term deposits, recurring
deposits, PPF accounts and all other deposit accounts;
b. Payment services such as pension, payment orders, remittances by
way of demand drafts, wire transfers and all electronic transactions
e.g. RTGS, NEFT, IMPS, UPI;
c. Banking services related to Government transactions;
d. Demat accounts, Equity, Government bonds;
e. Indian currency notes / coins exchange facility;
f. Collection of cheques, safe custody services, safe deposit locker
facility;
g. Loans, overdrafts and guarantees;
h. Foreign exchange services including money changing;
i. Third party insurance and investment products marketed through
our branch and / or our authorised representatives or agents;
j. Card products including credit cards, debits cards, ATM cards,
smart cards and POS services (including credit cards offered by our
subsidiaries / companies promoted by us);
k. Digital Products such as e-wallet, Mobile Banking, internet banking,
UPI, BHIM, Aadhaar Pay.
The meanings of key words appearing in bold black have been given in
the Glossary.
2. KEY COMMITMENTS
2.1 Our Key Commitments to you
2.1.1 Right to Fair Treatment
Act fairly and reasonably in all our dealings with you by:
3
a. Providing minimum banking facilities of receipt and payment of
cash / cheques, remittances, exchange of soiled notes, etc. at the
bank’s counter and also providing cashless transactions through
alternate delivery channels.
b. Meeting the commitments and standards set in this Code, for the
products and services we offer, and in the procedures and practices
we follow.
c. Making sure our products and services meet relevant laws and
regulations in letter and spirit and are appropriate to your needs
and in line with the banking scenario, including digital banking.
d. Ensuring that our dealings with you rest on ethical principles of
integrity and transparency.
e. Offering digital banking and payment systems in a secure,
convenient and robust technological environment.
f. Not discriminating against you on the basis of age, race, gender,
marital status, religion, disability or financial status when offering
and delivering our products and services.
g. Promoting good and fair banking practices by setting minimum
standards in all dealings with you.
h. Promoting a fair and equitable relationship with you.
i. Training our staff attending to you adequately and appropriately and
ensuring that our staff attends to you promptly and courteously and
to deal quickly and sympathetically with things that may go wrong
by correcting mistakes and handling your complaints expeditiously.
2.1.2 Right to Transparency, Fair and Honest Dealing
We will help you to understand how our financial products and services
work by:
a. Giving you timely and adequate information about them and the
necessary safeguards in any one or more of the following languages
- Hindi, English or the appropriate local language.
b. Ensuring that our advertising and promotional literature is clear and
not misleading. We will make every effort to ensure that the contracts
or agreements we frame are transparent, easily understood by and
well communicated to you. The product’s price, the associated risks,
the terms and conditions that govern use over the product’s life cycle
4
Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
and mutual responsibilities will be clearly disclosed. We will ensure
that you are not subjected to unfair business or marketing practices,
coercive contractual terms, negative confirmations or misleading
representations.
For achieving this, we will be following the practices and procedures
given in Chapter 3 on Information Transparency and Chapter 4 on
Advertising, Marketing and Sales.
c. Ensuring that you are given complete information about our products
and services, minimum balance requirements, the interest rates
and service charges, besides the terms and conditions applicable
to them in a transparent manner through the following methods as
per your preference.
i. By sending SMS or e-mails
ii. Through electronic or print media
iii. Display on our website
iv. Display on branch notice board
[Display on website and branch notice board will be in addition to
the other modes of information dissemination mentioned above.]
d. Giving you information on the facilities provided to you and how
you can avail of these and whom and how you may contact for
addressing your queries.
e. Displaying in our branch, for your information
i. Services we provide.
ii. Minimum balance requirement, if any, for Savings Bank Accounts
and Current Accounts and the charges for non-maintenance
thereof.
iii. Information available in booklet form.
f. Displaying on our website our policies on
i. Deposits
ii. Cheque collection
iii. Grievance Redressal
iv. Compensation
v. Collection of Dues and Security Repossession
5
vi. Charter of Customer Rights
vii. Customer Protection Policy (including protection from cyber
fraud)
viii. Limited Liability in respect of unauthorized electronic banking
transactions
ix. Facilities for senior citizens and differently abled persons.
g. To increase awareness of the Code among customers we will
i. provide you with a copy of the Code when you open an account
with us and otherwise on request.
ii. make available this Code at our every branch and on our
website.
iii. ensure that our staff are trained to provide relevant information
about the Code and to effectively put the Code into practice.
iv. hold customer meetings on provisions of the Code periodically.
2.1.3 Right to Suitability
We will offer you products appropriate to your needs and based on
an assessment of your financial circumstances and understanding as
detailed in Chapter 4 on Advertising, Marketing and Sales and Clause
8.18 on Third Party Products.
2.1.4 Right to Privacy
We will treat all your personal information as private and confidential
subject to matters mentioned in Chapter 5 on Privacy and Confidentiality.
2.1.5 Right to Grievance Redressal and Compensation
We will deal quickly and sympathetically with things that go wrong by:
a. Correcting our mistakes promptly and cancelling any bank charges
that we apply by mistake and compensate you for any financial
loss you may have incurred due to our mistake, in terms of our
compensation policy.
b. Handling your complaints promptly.
c. Telling you how to take your complaint forward if you are still not
satisfied.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
d. Providing suitable alternative avenues to alleviate problems arising
out of technological failures.
e. We will display in our branch for your information
i. Name of the official at the branch whom you may approach if
you have a grievance.
ii. Name and address of the Regional / Zonal Manager / Principal
Nodal Officer (PNO) whom you can approach if your grievance is
not redressed at the branch.
iii. Name and contact details of the Banking Ombudsman under
whose jurisdiction the branch falls.
We will advise you the internal procedures for redressing your complaints
including details of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme as explained in
Chapter 6 of the Code.
3. INFORMATION - TRANSPARENCY
We will display the information on products, services, Most Important
Terms and Conditions (MITC) in our premises on a Comprehensive Notice
Board (CNB) as prescribed in bilingual / trilingual language as applicable
(Annexure 1) and we will update the information on CNB on realtime
basis alongwith effective date of change.
You can get information on interest rates, fees and charges through
various modes mentioned below.
a. Notice Board in our branch.
b. Contacting our branch or helplines.
c. Our website.
d. Asking our designated staff / help desk.
e. Referring to the Tariff Schedule at our branch / on our website.
3.1 G eneral information
We will:
a. give you information on the types of products and services we offer
and those that may suit your needs.
b. prominently display in bilingual / trilingual language at all our branches
7
the documents required for opening Basic Savings Bank Deposit (BSBD)
Accounts. We will also display the relaxed requirements for opening
“Small Accounts”.
c. give you clear information explaining the key features of the services
and products you are interested in, including applicable interest
rates, fees and charges.
d. tell you the different channels through which our products and
services may be availed e.g. Branches, Banking Outlets, Business
Correspondents, Business Facilitators, ATMs, Micro ATMs, Phone
Banking, Mobile Banking, Net banking and tell you how to find out
more about them.
e. tell you the information needed from you to prove your identity and
address, for us to comply with legal, regulatory and internal policy
requirements.
f. give you information on your rights and responsibilities especially
regarding availing of nomination facility offered on all deposit
accounts, articles in safe custody and safe deposit lockers.
g. provide you Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC) for your
record in respect of Savings Bank (SB) / Current Account (CA) and
all other deposit accounts before opening the account.
3.2 ‘Do Not Call’ service
We will not transmit to you any unsolicited commercial information
regarding our products and services, through telephone calls / SMS if
you have registered with the ‘Do Not Call Registry’ of our bank or with
the ‘National Do Not Call Registry’ directly or through your Service
Provider. However, this will not apply to receipt of information regarding
your account statements and other important advices and information
including SMS alerts relating to transactions in your account as also the
products and services you are currently availing.
3.3 Interest rates
We will give you information on:
a. the interest rates which apply to your deposit and loan accounts.
b. in case of loans at fixed rate of interest, details of interest reset
clause, if any, in the loan agreement and the effective date thereof.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
c. in case of loans at floating rate of interest, the reference rate to
which your floating rate will be linked and the premium or discount
applied to the reference rate for determining the actual rate of
interest on your loan.
d. whether you have the option for converting your loan from fixed rate
to floating rate and vice versa and, if so, one time applicable charges
thereof.
e. periodicity at which we pay interest on your deposits or charge
interest on your loan accounts.
f. how we apply interest to your deposit and loan accounts and how
we calculate interest thereon.
3.3.1 Changes in interest rates
We will inform you of changes in interest rates on our loan products and
changes in the reference rate periodically by any of the following means
at the last updated customer contact details available with us:
a. Letter
b. E-mail
c. SMS
d. Media
We will also display this information on the Notice Board in our branch
as also on our website.
3.4 Tariff schedule
3.4.1 Fees & charges
a. We will ensure that our fees and service charges for various services
are approved by our Board or any competent authority duly
authorized by the Board to take decisions in this regard and that
they would be reasonable and non-discriminatory for similar class
of customers.
b. We will place our Tariff Schedule on our website and make a copy
available at every branch for your perusal. We will display in our
branches a notice about the availability of the Tariff Schedule at the
branch.
9
c. We will give you details in our Tariff Schedule of any charges
applicable to the products and services chosen by you.
d. We will also provide you information about the penalties leviable in
case of non-observance / violation of any of the terms and conditions
governing the product / services chosen by you.
3.4.2 Changes in fees & charges
If we increase any fee or charge or introduce a new fee or charge, it will
be notified through statements of accounts / e-mail / SMS alerts / notice
board at our branch one month prior to the revised charges becoming
effective. This information will also be made available on our website
prominently.
3.5 Terms and conditions
a. We will advise you the relevant terms and conditions for the products /
services you have asked us to provide.
b. All terms and conditions will be fair and will set out the respective
rights, liabilities and obligations clearly and as far as possible in
plain and simple language.
3.5.1 Changes in terms and conditions
a. We will tell you of changes in terms and conditions through any one
or more of the following channels one month prior to the revised
terms and conditions becoming effective:
i. Letter
ii. Statement of account
iii. SMS
iv. E-mail
This information will also be made available on the Notice Boards in our
branch and our website.
b. Normally, changes will be made with prospective effect after giving
notice of one month.
c. If we have made any change without notice, we will notify the change
within 30 days. If such change is to your disadvantage, you may
within 60 days of the notice, close your account or switch to any other
eligible account without having to pay revised charge or interest.
d. We will immediately update, on our website, any changes in the
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
terms and conditions. We will give you, on request, a copy of the
new terms and conditions.
4. ADVERTISING, MARKETING AND SALES
a. We will make sure that all our advertising and promotional material
is clear and not misleading.
b. In any advertisement and promotional literature that draws
attention to a banking service or product or includes a reference to
an interest rate, we will also indicate whether other fees and charges
will apply and full details of the relevant terms and conditions will
be made available on request.
c. If we avail of the services of third parties for providing support
services, we will ensure that they handle your personal information (if
available to such third parties) with the same degree of confidentiality
and security as we would.
d. We may, from time to time, communicate to you various features of
our products availed by you by e-mail, SMS or over the telephone.
Information about our other products or promotional offers in respect
of our products / services will be conveyed to you only if you have
not registered for the ‘Do Not Call’ facility. As regards the information
shared through e-mail, you have the option to unsubscribe from
such future communications.
e. We have prescribed a code of conduct for our Direct Selling Agencies
(DSAs) whose services we may avail to market our products / services
which, amongst other matters, requires them to identify themselves
as only selling agents of our bank when they approach you for selling
our products personally or through phone. We will ensure that any
third party or agent acting on our behalf or selling our product
complies with the code of conduct.
f. In the event of receipt of any complaint from you that our representative
/ courier or DSA has engaged in any improper conduct or acted in
violation of this Code, we shall take appropriate steps to investigate
and to handle the complaint and to make good the loss as per our
compensation policy.
g. We will ensure that any third party or agent acting on our behalf or
selling our product discloses the fee or commission they are paid
upon completion of the sale.
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h. We will ensure that our advertisements will also include all relevant
messages which require to be conveyed for enhancing awareness
against unscrupulous / fictitious offers.
5. PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY
We will treat all your personal information as private and confidential
(even when you are no longer our customer), and shall be guided by the
following principles and policies:
a. We will not reveal information or data relating to your accounts, whether
provided by you or otherwise, to anyone, including other companies /
entities in our group, other than in the following exceptional cases:
i. Providing information to the Credit Information Companies
(CICs) as per Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act
(CICA) about the loans, unsecured loans, credit card, etc.
ii. Giving the information required by law or by the banking
regulator.
iii. Fulfilling a duty towards the public to reveal the information.
iv. Our interests require us to give the information (for example,
to prevent fraud) but we will not use this as a reason for giving
information about you or your accounts (including your name
and address) to anyone else, including other companies in our
group, for marketing purposes.
v. You authorise us to reveal the information.
vi. When required to give a banker’s reference about you, we will
need, unless provided earlier, your written permission before
we give it.
b. We will not use your personal information for marketing purposes
by anyone including ourselves unless you specifically authorize us
to do so.
c. If we collect any information from you other than KYC requirement,
we will collect it separately and not as a part of account opening
form. In case we collect any additional information, we will explain
the purpose for which we are collecting this information and take
your specific consent for the same.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
5.1 Credit Information Companies
When you apply for a credit facility:
a. We will explain to you the role of Credit Information Companies
(CICs) as also the checks we may make with them and the effect that
the information they provide can have on your ability to get credit.
b. We will, on request and on payment of the prescribed fee, furnish
you a copy of the credit information report obtained by us from the
CICs.
c. We will provide correct information about credit availed by you from
us to the CICs at periodic intervals.
d. Information reported to CICs will also include personal debts you
owe us when
i. You have fallen behind with your payments
ii. The amount owed is in dispute
e. We will update the credit status immediately but not later than 30
days on repayment of overdues. We will report closure of loan to CICs
within 30 days of the event. If your loan account has been in default,
but thereafter regularised, we will update this information with the
CICs in the next report. If there is partial / delayed / any settlement
of credit dues, it will impact your credit score.
f. In case of dispute about the information provided to the CICs, we
will resolve the matter by satisfactorily explaining the reasons for
reporting to CICs.
g. We will, on request, inform you of the details of the CIC(s) to whom
we submit information regarding the credit / loan facility you have
availed from us.
h. We will identify and declare the names of wilful defaulters of `25 lakh*
and above and names of such wilful defaulters will be furnished to
Credit Information Companies, strictly as per the guidelines of RBI.
i. We will furnish the names of defaulters of `1.00 crore* and above
whose accounts have been classified as doubtful or loss assets to
Credit Information Companies strictly as per the guidelines of RBI.
*( or as amended from time to time.)
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6. COMPLAINTS, GRIEVANCES AND FEEDBACK
6.1 Internal procedures
a. If you want to make a complaint, we will tell you:
i. How to do so.
ii. Where a complaint can be made.
iii. To whom a complaint can be made.
iv. When to expect a reply.
v. Whom to approach for redressal.
vi. What to do if you are not satisfied about the outcome.
b. Our staff will help you with any questions you have.
c. We will tell you where to find details of our procedure for handling
complaints fairly and quickly.
d. We will display the name of the official at the branch whom you may
approach if you have a grievance. If your complaint is unresolved at
the branch level, we will ensure to escalate it to the topmost level of
grievance redressal authority within the Bank and give you a final
response within 30 days. You may approach our Regional / Zonal
Manager / Principal Nodal Officer (PNO) at the address displayed at
the branch, if you so desire.
e. If your written complaint is hand delivered, we shall immediately
provide an acknowledgement and a “complaint reference number”
will be separately sent by SMS on the registered mobile number. If
your complaint is relayed over phone at our designated telephone
helpdesk or customer service number, we shall provide you a
complaint reference number and keep you informed of the progress
within a reasonable period of time.
f. After examining the matter, we will send you our final response or
explain why we need more time to respond and shall endeavour to
do so within 30 days of receipt of your complaint and will tell you
how to take your complaint further, if you are still not satisfied.
g. Within 30 days of lodging a complaint with us, if you do not get
response / satisfactory response from us and you wish to pursue
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
other avenues for redressal of grievances, you may approach Banking
Ombudsman appointed by RBI under the Banking Ombudsman
Scheme. Our staff would explain the procedure in this regard.
6.2 Banking Ombudsman Scheme
We will display the Banking Ombudsman Scheme on our website. A
copy will be made available on request at a nominal charge. We will
display at our branch the name and contact details of the Banking
Ombudsman under whose jurisdiction the branch falls. In case the
Banking Ombudsman passes an award and we do not have any ground
to appeal against the award, we will comply with the Award within 30
days from the date of receipt of the acceptance in writing of the Award
by the complainant.
6.3 Customers’ Meetings
We shall endeavour to organize meetings of customers at periodic
intervals as a regular channel for exchange of ideas and suggestions.
6.4 Branch Level Customer Service Committee Meetings
We will display in our branch, the date of our monthly branch Level
Customer Service Committee meeting, which you may attend, if you so
desire.
7. COLLECTION OF DUES
a. Whenever we give loans, we will explain to you the repayment
schedule viz. amount, tenure and periodicity of repayment. However,
if you do not adhere to the repayment schedule, a defined process in
accordance with the laws of the land will be followed for recovery of
dues.
b. We will have a Board approved policy for Collection of Dues and
Security Repossession as also appointment of Recovery Agents.
c. All relevant laws, regulations, guidelines and conditions of approval,
licensing or registration will be taken into account while appointing
Recovery Agents.
d. We will ensure that our Recovery Agents are properly trained to
handle their responsibilities with care and sensitivity. We will also
ensure that they do not exceed their brief.
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e. Our collection policy is built on courtesy, fair treatment and
persuasion. We believe in fostering customer confidence and longterm
relationship.
f. We will provide you with all the information regarding your dues
and will endeavour to give sufficient notice for payment of dues.
g. We will have a system of checks before passing on a default case to
recovery agencies so that you are not inconvenienced on account of
lapses on our part.
h. We will write to you when we initiate recovery proceedings against
you and will inform you of the name of the recovery agency / agent,
to whom your case has been assigned as also their address and
telephone numbers.
i. We will provide details of the recovery agency firms / companies
engaged by us on our website.
j. We will also make available, on request, details of the recovery
agency firms / companies relevant to you at our branch.
k. Our staff or any person authorized to represent us in collection of
dues and / or security repossession will identify himself / herself
and produce the authority letter issued by us and upon request show
you his / her identity card issued by the bank or under authority of
the bank.
l. All the members of our staff or any person authorised to represent us
in collection and / or security repossession would follow the guidelines
set out below:
i. You would be contacted ordinarily at the place of your choice
and in the absence of any specified place at the place of your
residence and if unavailable at your residence, at the place of
business / occupation.
ii. Their identity and authority to represent us would be made
known to you.
iii. Your privacy would be respected.
iv. Interaction with you would be in a civil manner.
v. Normally our representatives will contact you between 0700
hrs and 1900 hrs, unless the special circumstances of your
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
business or occupation require otherwise.
vi. Your requests to avoid calls at a particular time or at a particular
place would be honoured as far as possible.
vii. Time and number of calls and contents of conversation would
be documented.
viii. All assistance would be given to resolve disputes or differences
regarding dues in a mutually acceptable and in an orderly
manner.
ix. During visits to your place for dues collection, decency and
decorum would be maintained. Our officials / agents will not
resort to intimidation or harassment of any kind, either verbal
or physical against any person, including acts intended to
humiliate publicly or intrude the privacy of your family members,
referees and friends, making threatening and anonymous calls
or making false and misleading representations.
However, it is your responsibility to keep updating your contact
details. In case the bank is unable to contact you at the details
provided, the bank will access information available from public
sources and approach your friends / relatives to trace you.
x. Inappropriate occasions such as bereavement in the family
or other important family functions like marriages would be
avoided for making calls / visits to collect dues.
xi. We will investigate any complaint from you about unfair
practices of our recovery agents.
7.1 Collection of Dues and Security Repossession Policy
We will follow collection of dues and security repossession policy in
consonance with the law. The policy will be displayed on our website
and a copy of the same will be made available at our branch for perusal.
8. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
8.1 Deposit accounts
a. You may open different types of accounts with us such as, savings
accounts, term deposits, current accounts, etc. You may open such
accounts in the following styles:
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i. Single
ii. Joint
iii. Joint (Either or Survivor)
iv. Joint (Former or Survivor)
v. Joint (Latter or Survivor);
or
vi. In any other style.
b. We will make available ‘Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account’ (BSBD
Account) to you without the requirement of any minimum balance. We
will offer / provide minimum common facilities, including passbooks*
without any charges. The relevant details will be made known to you
in a transparent manner at the time of opening of the account.
*For Payment Banks and Small Finance Banks, the norms relating to
passbook / statement of account shall be as per Operating Guidelines
applicable. Payment Banks and Small Finance Banks are allowed to
provide statement of account in paper form / electronic form instead
of a passbook.
c. The above accounts may be opened by you with nomination facility,
wherever permissible. We will include, in the account opening form,
the option for nomination as also the option for indicating the name
of the nominee in passbooks / account statements / Fixed Deposit
Receipts (FDRs).
We will explain the implications of the foregoing accounts as also
the nomination facilities at the time of opening of the account.
d. We will acknowledge the receipt of your nomination details and
record the fact of nomination on the passbook / account statement
/ FDRs. At your written request, we will also indicate the name of
the nominee thereon.
e. We will provide information about deposit insurance cover in the
passbooks.
f. We will provide sufficient details of all transactions in the passbooks.
g. We will also inform you about liquid deposit facility, sweep account
and similar types of products offered by us and their implications
and procedures involved, at the time of opening of account.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
8.1.1 Account opening and operation of deposit accounts
Before opening any deposit account, we will:
a. carry out due diligence as required under “Know Your Customer”
(KYC) guidelines.
b. ask you to submit or provide necessary documents or proofs to do so.
c. obtain only such information to meet with our KYC, Prevention of
Money Laundering or any other statutory requirements. In case any
additional information is asked for, it will be sought separately and
we will explain the reason for obtaining such additional information.
Providing such information will be voluntary, unless required by law.
The information will be kept confidential, unless required by law
enforcing agency / banking regulator.
d. provide the account opening forms which will contain details of
essential information required to be furnished and documents to
be produced for verification and / or for record for meeting the KYC
requirements.
e. require you to submit documents in respect of KYC at periodic
intervals to enable us to update our records as required.
f. explain the procedural formalities and provide necessary
clarifications sought by you while opening a deposit account.
g. give you the Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC) governing
the deposit facility you have sought to avail.
h. at the time of opening of the account, make available to you as part
of MITC, the details of the deposit insurance scheme, offered by
the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation of India
(DICGC) and the terms and conditions thereof.
8.1.2 Changing your account
a. If you are not happy about your choice of current / savings account,
you may within 14 days of opening the account, approach us to switch
to any of our other account / products offered by us. Alternatively,
you may ask for closure of the account along with any interest it
may have earned. No penal charges will be applied in such cases.
b. If you decide to close your current / savings account we will do so
within three working days of receiving your instructions, subject to your
completing all formalities and submitting all required documents.
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c. If you want to transfer your active and operative account to another
branch of our bank, we will do so. On receiving your request, we will
transfer the account to the transferee branch within 3 (three) working
days without insisting on fresh proof of address and on the basis of a
self-declaration from you giving your current address. You will have to
submit documentary proof of this address within a period of six months.
We will intimate you as soon as the account is operationalised. The
transferee branch will be provided with information on your existing
standing instructions / direct debits, if any.
8.1.3 Savings / Current accounts
When you open a Deposit Account, we will:
a. inform you about number of transactions, cash / ATM withdrawals,
etc. that can be done free of charge in a given period.
b. inform you about the kind of charges, if any, in case of exceeding such
limits. Details of the charges will be included in our Tariff Schedule.
c. inform you of the rate at which interest is paid on your savings
deposits, how it is calculated and the periodicity of its payment.
8.1.3.1 Minimum balance
a. The minimum balance to be maintained in the Savings Bank
account will be displayed in our branch.
b. We will inform you in respect of deposit products like Savings Bank
Account and Current Account or any other type of Deposit Account:
i. the minimum balance to be maintained as part of terms and
conditions governing operation of such accounts.
ii. the charges which will be levied in case of failure to maintain
the minimum balance in the account by you. Details of the
charges will be included in the Tariff Schedule.
iii. 30 days in advance, of any change in minimum balance to be
maintained. During this Notice period, we will not levy any
charge for non-maintenance of such higher minimum balance
prescribed. Further, there will be an option to switch to BSBD
Account for which we will notify you before levying any charges.
iv. we will ensure that the balance in the savings account does
not turn negative solely on account of levy of charges for non20
Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
maintenance of minimum balance. In case the account is to be
closed or revived, we will not seek payment of unpaid charges
levied due to non-maintenance of minimum balance.
v. the charges for non-maintenance of minimum balance to
be maintained by you will be proportionate to the extent of
shortfall observed.
8.1.3.2 Charges
Specific charges for issue of cheque books, additional / duplicate statement
of accounts, duplicate passbook, copies of paid cheques, folio charges,
debit card, ATM card, verification of signature, return of cheque, change in
mandate or style of account, closure of Savings Bank / Current accounts,
withdrawal / deposit of cash at home / non-home branches, cash / noncash
transactions at Bank’s own / other Bank’s ATMs / Micro ATMs, etc.,
will be included in our Tariff Schedule. Concessions or relief given will not
be withdrawn during the original validity period of the concession / relief.
8.1.3.3 Passbook / statements *
a. To help you manage your account and check entries in it, we will
provide you with a monthly statement / e-mail statement (subject to
your acceptance) of account unless you have opted for a passbook.
This can be available through digital channels also.
b. You can ask us to provide you with account statements more often
than is normally available for your type of account, at a charge. This
charge will be indicated in our Tariff Schedule.
c. We will indicate our MICR Code and IFS Code in cheque books,
passbooks and statements of accounts.
d. We will make available the Customer Care number of the bank / contact
number of the branch in passbooks and statements of accounts.
e. We will provide a detailed “Statement of Loan account” free of charge
once in a financial year. The statement shall be made available by
providing the facility of online access or by e-mail and in absence of
these channels, by post. In case you need duplicate or more copies
of the statement of loan account, charges will be payable, which will
be disclosed in the tariff schedule on our website and in the loan
related documents.
*For Payment Banks and Small Finance Banks, the norms relating to
passbook / statement of account shall be as per Operating Guidelines
21
applicable. Payment Banks and Small Finance Banks are allowed to
provide statement of account in paper form / electronic form instead
of a passbook.
8.1.3.4 Upgradation of deposit accounts and addition of value added
services.
In case your account meets the terms for upgradation or value added
services, we will do it only after obtaining your consent in writing or
through any other mode or where your consent is obtained through
authenticated electronic means after necessary validation.
8.1.3.5 Downgrading of deposit accounts
We will intimate you once the account gets downgraded from higher
product version to a lower product version. We will downgrade the account
after giving thirty days notice.
8.1.4 Accounts of minors
a. We will tell you, on request, how a Deposit Account can be opened
in the name of a minor and how it can be operated.
b. We will intimate the date on which the minor becomes major.
8.1.5 Inoperative / Dormant accounts
We will:
a. inform you when you open your account, the circumstances under
which your account will be classified as inoperative / dormant.
You will also be informed at least three months before your account
is classified as inoperative / dormant and the consequences thereof
at your last recorded address and / or e-mail.
b. also endeavour to send an SMS / e-mail advising that your account
is being classified as inoperative / dormant.
c. notify the joint holder/s also before an account is classified as
inoperative / dormant.
d. inform you of the procedure to be followed if you want to activate
the account.
e. not levy any charge merely because an account is inoperative /
dormant.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
f. not charge you for activation of the inoperative account.
g. intimate you upon activation of Dormant account at your request
through various channels including SMS / e-mail or letter.
8.1.6 Closing your account
Under normal circumstances, we will not close your account without
giving you at least 30 days’ notice indicating the reasons for such closure.
In such cases, you will be required to make alternate arrangements
for cheques already issued by you and desist from issuing any fresh
cheques on such account.
8.2 Clearing cycle / collection services
a. We may provide a drop box facility to enable you to deposit cheques
to be sent for collection. Necessary precaution will be taken to
ensure that cheques deposited in the drop box are properly and
promptly accounted for. However, you may, if you so desire, hand
over cheques at the counter against acknowledgement instead of
depositing them in the drop box.
b. We will inform you about the clearing cycle for local and outstation
instruments, including details such as cut-off time for lodging
of instruments for same day clearing, when you can withdraw
money after lodging instruments and when you will be entitled to
earn interest on delayed collection as per our Cheque Collection
Policy.
c. We will pay you compensation, as per our Cheque Collection /
Compensation Policy for any delay in collection of instruments,
without waiting for a demand from you.
d. We will inform you immediately by SMS / e-mail when a cheque
deposited by you for collection is returned unpaid.
e. We will return a cheque unpaid / dishonoured along with a duly
signed return memo indicating the date of return as also the reason
for return / refusal of payment within 24 hours.
f. If immediate credit for outstation cheques is offered, we will provide
relevant information including the applicable terms and conditions,
such as the limit up to which instruments tendered by you can be
credited in satisfactorily operated accounts.
23
g. We will proceed as per our Cheque Collection Policy and provide
all assistance for you to obtain a duplicate cheque / instrument in
case a cheque / instrument tendered by you is lost in transit and
compensate you as per our Cheque Collection / Compensation Policy.
h. We will give the above information when you open your account
and whenever you ask for it. If there is any change in our Cheque
Collection Policy, the revised Policy will be displayed on our website
and will be made available at all our branches.
8.3 Cash transactions
a. We will accept and dispense cash at any of our branches under
core banking, subject to any restrictions on type of transaction or
charges, if any, applicable to such transactions.
b. We will exchange soiled / mutilated notes and / or small coins and
issue good quality, clean bank notes / coins at all our branches upto a
prescribed limit per day. We will extend this facility, within prescribed
limits to walk-in customers too.
c. For transactions above a specified amount, we will require you to
furnish your PAN.
8.4 Direct debits and standing instructions
We will:
a. at the time of opening the account tell you how direct debits / standing
instructions work and how you may record / cancel them and the
charges connected with them. Charges will be levied as per our Tariff
Schedule.
b. act upon mandates given by you for direct debits [Under National
Electronic Clearing Service (NECS)] / National Automated Clearing
House (NACH) and other standing instructions. In case of any delay or
failure in executing the mandate resulting in financial loss or additional
cost, we will compensate you as per the compensation policy of the
bank. If the mandate cannot be executed due to insufficient balance
in your account, we will levy charges as per our Tariff Schedule.
c. credit your account along with interest as soon as it is determined
that any amount has been unauthorisedly / erroneously debited from
your account and compensate you as per our Compensation Policy.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
8.5 Stop payment facility
We will:
a. accept stop payment instructions from you in respect of cheques
issued by you. Immediately on receipt of your instructions, we will
give an acknowledgement and take action provided these cheques
have not already been cleared by us.
b. levy charges, if any, as indicated in our Tariff Schedule.
c. reimburse and compensate you as per our Compensation Policy in
case a cheque is paid subsequent to the receipt of stop payment
instructions by us.
8.6 Cheques / debit instructions issued by you
We will:
a. keep original cheques / debit instructions acted upon from your account
or copies or images of the cheques received from the presenting bank
under Cheque Truncation System (CTS), for such periods as required
by law.
b. give you the cheque / image of cheque / debit instruction acted upon
or a copy thereof as evidence as long as records are available with us.
If there is a dispute about a cheque paid / debit instructions from
your account and in case the request for such cheque, etc. is made
within a period of one year from the date of cheque / debit instruction,
no charge will be levied. In respect of requests received beyond this
period, charges will be levied as per the Tariff Schedule.
c. inform you how we will deal with unpaid cheques and out-of-date
[stale] cheques. The details of charges to be levied will be included
in our Tariff Schedule.
8.7 Term deposits
a. When you place a term deposit with us, we will obtain instructions
from you in the account opening form for the disposal of your
deposit at maturity.
b. Where there are no instructions for disposal of the deposit at
maturity, we will inform you well in advance through letter / e-mail
/ SMS about its impending date of maturity.
c. In case we still do not receive any instruction from you, we will
25
renew the deposit, excluding deposits like tax savings deposits, etc.,
for the same period as the matured deposit at the prevailing rate of
interest.
d. We will inform you the procedure for withdrawal of term deposits
before maturity. This information will also be made available in the
account opening form / MITC / reverse of the FDR.
e. We will inform you of the interest rates applicable and charges for
premature withdrawal of term deposits.
f. We will permit premature withdrawals of term deposits in accordance
with the mandate ‘Former or Survivor / Either or Survivor’, provided
a specific joint mandate from all the depositors has been given for
the purpose. We will provide for such a mandate in the account
opening form.
g. We will inform you, at the time of acceptance of the deposit, the terms
and conditions and interest rate applicable in case you renew the
deposits on a date after the date of maturity. This information will
also be made available in the account opening form / MITC / reverse
of the FDR.
h. We will advise you of provisions of Income Tax Act applicable to the
interest income accruing to you on your deposits, our obligations
under the Act and provisions available to you for seeking exemption
from Tax Deduction at Source.
i. We will accept Form 15 G or 15 H as applicable from you at the time
of application if you are not liable to pay tax on your interest income.
You may submit to us such Form as required, at the beginning of
the financial year, if you are not liable to pay tax on your interest
income. We will acknowledge receipt of such Forms.
j. We will issue the requisite certificate within the stipulated period if
we deduct tax from interest paid / accrued on your deposits.
8.7.1 Advances against term deposits
We will explain the facility of loan / overdraft available against term deposits.
8.8 Settlement of claims in respect of deceased account holders
a. The operational procedure for settlement of claims of deceased
depositors is available in our branch and on our website as a part
of our Deposits Policy.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
b. We will provide claim forms for settlement of claims of the accounts
of deceased persons, to those who approach us for the forms. We
will also place the claim forms on our website.
8.8.1 Accounts with survivor / nominee clause
a. In the case of a deposit account of a deceased depositor, where
the depositor had utilized the nomination facility and made a valid
nomination or where the account was opened with the survivorship
clause (“either or survivor” or “anyone or survivor” or “former or
survivor” or “latter or survivor”), payment of the balance in the
deposit account to the survivor(s) / nominee of a deceased deposit
account holder will be made, provided:
i. the identity of the survivor(s) / nominee and the fact of the
death of the account holder, is established through appropriate
documentary evidence.
ii. there is no order from the competent court restraining the bank
from making the payment from the account of the deceased.
In such cases, payment to the survivor(s) / nominee of the deceased
depositors will be made without insisting on production of succession
certificate, letter of administration or probate, etc. or obtaining
any bond of indemnity or surety from the survivor(s) / nominee,
irrespective of the amount standing to the credit of the deceased
account holder.
b. The survivor(s) / nominee would be receiving the payment from the
bank as a trustee of the legal heirs of the deceased depositor, i.e.,
such payment shall not affect the right or claim which any person may
have against the survivor(s) / nominee to whom the payment is made.
c. The payment made to the survivor(s) / nominee, subject to the foregoing
conditions, would constitute a full discharge of the bank’s liability.
d. In case of term deposits with “Either or Survivor” or “Former or
Survivor” mandate, premature withdrawal of the deposit, on death
of one of the depositors, by the surviving joint depositor will be
permitted only if there is a mandate from all the depositors to this
effect. The premature withdrawal will be allowed at the rate of
interest applicable on the date of deposit for the period the deposit
remained with us and without penalty.
e. It may be noted that in case of a joint deposit account, nominee’s right
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arises only after the unfortunate event of death of all the depositors.
f. At the time of registration of nomination, you will have the option to
indicate or not to indicate the name of the nominee in the passbook
/ statement of account / FDR.
8.8.2 Accounts without the survivor / nominee clause
In case the deceased depositor had not made any nomination or for
the accounts other than those styled as “either or survivor” (such as
single or jointly operated accounts), we will adopt a simplified procedure
for repayment to the legal heir(s) of the depositor, keeping in view the
imperative need to avoid inconvenience and undue hardship to the
common person. In conformity with our risk management policy, we will
fix a minimum threshold limit (which will be made known on demand
at our branch) upto which claims in respect of the deceased depositor(s)
will be settled without insisting on production of any documents other
than a letter of indemnity.
8.8.3 Time limit for settlement of claims
We will settle the claims in respect of deceased depositors and release
payments to survivor(s) / nominee within a period not exceeding 15 days
from the date of receipt of the claim subject to the production of proof of
death of the depositor and suitable identification of the claimant(s), to
the bank’s satisfaction.
8.8.4 Premature termination of term deposit accounts
In the case of term deposits, we will incorporate a clause in the account
opening form itself to the effect that in the event of the death of the
depositor, premature termination of term deposits would be allowed.
The conditions subject to which such premature withdrawal would be
permitted would also be specified in the account opening form. Such
premature withdrawal would not attract any penal charge.
8.8.5 Treatment of flows in the name of the deceased depositor
In order to avoid hardship to the survivor(s) / nominee of a deposit
account, we will obtain appropriate agreement / authorization from the
survivor (s) / nominee with regard to the treatment of pipeline flows in
the name of the deceased account holder. In this regard, we will consider
adopting either of the following two approaches:
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
i. We could be authorized by the survivor(s) / nominee of a deceased
account holder to open an account styled as ‘Estate of ________________,
the Deceased’ where all the pipeline flows in the name of the
deceased account holder could be allowed to be credited, provided no
withdrawals are made.
OR
ii. We could be authorized by the survivor(s) / nominee to return the
pipeline flows to the remitter with the remark “Account holder deceased”
and to intimate the survivor(s) / nominee accordingly. The survivor(s)
/ nominee / legal heir(s) could then approach the remitter to effect
payment through a negotiable instrument or through electronic transfer
in the name of the appropriate beneficiary.
8.8.5.1 PENSION ACCOUNTS*
i. We will inform you that Nomination facility is available for Savings
Bank Account opened for credit of pension.
ii. We will inform you that Banking Companies (Nomination) Rules, 1985
are distinct from the Arrears of Pension (Nomination) Rules, 1983.
iii. We will inform you that nomination exercised by you under Arrears
of Pension (Nomination) Rules for receipt of arrears of pension will
not be valid for the purpose of deposit accounts held by you with us.
For this a separate nomination is necessary in terms of the Banking
Companies (Nomination) Rules, 1985 in case you desire to avail of
nomination facility.
* [Note: Provisions of 8.8.5 of the Code does not apply in case of
deposit account held with us by pensioners]*.
8.9 Safe deposit lockers
a. We will give you the complete details of the rules and the procedures
applicable for allotment of the safe deposit lockers and also safe
deposit of valuables, in case we offer the service and will explain
the differences between the same and also the charges and unique
features of these services. We will allot lockers without linking it to
placement of fixed deposits. However, to ensure prompt payment of
locker rent, we may at the time of allotment, obtain a Fixed Deposit
which would cover 3 years’ rent and the charges for breaking open
the locker in case of an eventuality. We will send reminders for the
overdue rent of your safe deposit locker at the last recorded address
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and / or e-mail. We would have the right to restrict operations of the
locker till the rent due is paid as per the locker agreement. We will
include this clause in the agreement.
b. We will advise you that hiring of a safe deposit locker creates relation
of a lessor and lessee and the lessee has the right for free access to
safe deposit locker in a safe and secure environment.
8.10 Foreign Exchange services
a. When you buy or sell foreign exchange, we will give you information
on the services, details of the exchange rate and other charges
which apply to foreign exchange transactions. If this is not possible,
we will tell you how these will be worked out.
b. If you want to transfer money abroad, we will inform you how to do
this and will give you:
i. a description of the services and how to use them.
ii. details of when the money you have sent abroad should get
there and the reasons for delays, if any.
iii. the exchange rate applied for conversion of the foreign currency
(if this is not possible at the time of the transaction, we will let
you know later what the rate was).
iv. details of any commission or charges, which you will have to
pay and a caution that the person receiving the money may
also have to pay the correspondent bank’s charges.
c. We will tell you if the information provided by you for making a
payment abroad is adequate or not. In case of any discrepancies
or incomplete documentation, we will advise you immediately and
assist you to rectify / complete the same.
d. If money is transferred to your bank account from abroad, we will
tell you the original amount received and charges, if any, levied.
Even if the sender has agreed to pay all charges, we shall still
deduct our charges / statutory taxes from the proceeds at the time
of crediting the money into your account.
e. We will guide you about the regulatory requirements or conditions
relating to foreign exchange services offered by us as and when
requested by you.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
f. In case of delay beyond the day when the amount is due for credit,
you will be compensated (i) for any loss on account of interest for
due period beyond the due date and (ii) also for adverse movement
of forex rate as per the Compensation Policy of the bank.
g. All certificates required to be issued under regulatory / statutory
instructions will be issued at nominal charges which will be displayed
on our website except the certificates which are statutory and to be
issued free of charge.
8.11 Remittances within India
If you want to remit money within India, we will inform you how to effect
it and
a. give a description of our services and how to use them.
b. suggest to you the best way to send the money to suit your needs.
c. disclose the details of all charges including commission that you
will have to pay for the service as per the Tariff Schedule.
d. send you an SMS / e-mail informing you of the fate / status of the
remittance made by you through Mobile Banking / NEFT / RTGS.
e. make available on our website updated contact details of our
Customer Facilitation Centres to handle your queries / complaints
regarding NEFT / RTGS transactions / digital banking.
f. In case of any delay we will compensate you for the delay and any
loss / additional expense incurred by you as per our Compensation
Policy.
g. We will extend remittance facilities within prescribed limits to walkin
customers too.
8.12 Lending
a. We will have a Board approved policy on Loans and Advances.
b. We will base our lending decisions on a careful and prudent
assessment of your financial position and capacity to repay.
c. We will not discriminate on grounds of sex, caste and religion in
the matter of lending. However, this does not preclude us from
instituting or participating in schemes framed for specified sections
of the society.
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8.12.1 Loans
8.12.1.1 General Information
We will:
a. give you the Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC) governing
the loan / credit facility you have sought to avail.
b. give you information explaining the key features of our loan and credit
card products including applicable fees and charges while sourcing
the application and at the time of communicating the sanction of the
loan / credit card.
c. advise you about the information / documentation we need from you
to enable you to apply. We will also advise you what documentation
we need from you with respect to your identity, address, employment,
etc. and any other document that may be stipulated by statutory
authorities (e.g. PAN details), in order to comply with legal and
regulatory requirements.
d. verify the details mentioned by you in the loan / credit card application
by contacting you at your residence and / or on business telephone
numbers and / or through any alternative channels and / or physically
visiting your residence and / or business addresses through agencies
appointed by us for this purpose, if deemed necessary by us.
e. if we offer you an overdraft, or an increase in your existing overdraft
limit, we will tell you if your overdraft is repayable on demand
or otherwise. We will, if required, also advise about the method
of calculation of overdrawn amount and also the computation of
interest as well as penal interest.
f. in case we offer / approve a credit facility over the telephone, we
will credit your account with the amount only after receiving your
acceptance in writing or through any other mode such as sms /
e-mail and where your consent is obtained through authenticated
electronic means, after necessary validation.
g. not offer any unsolicited pre-approved credit facility in any form,
including enhancement of credit card limit and top up of personal
loan limits, etc.
8.12.1.2 Applications for loans and their processing
a. At the time of sourcing a loan product, we will provide as part of the
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
loan application form, information about the interest rates along
with the annualised rates of interest, whether floating or fixed, as
also the fees / charges payable for processing, the amount of such
fees refundable if loan is not sanctioned / disbursed, pre-payment
options and charges, if any, penal rate of interest for delayed
repayments, if any, conversion charges for switching your loan
from fixed to floating rates or vice-versa, existence of any interest
reset clause and any other matter which affects the interest of the
borrower, so that a meaningful comparison with those of other
banks can be made and an informed decision can be taken by you.
b. We will provide you with a checklist of the documents to be submitted
(compliant with legal and regulatory requirements) along with
the loan application form to enable you to submit the application
complete in all respects. If required, we will assist you in filling up
your loan application form.
c. We shall invariably provide you with an acknowledgement of your
loan application, whether submitted online or manually, indicating
therein the time frame within which the application will be processed.
d. We will convey our decision on your loan application as per our
prevailing policy, which is available on the website, provided your
application is complete in all respects and is submitted along with
all the documents as per ‘check list’ provided.
e. Normally all particulars required for processing the loan application
will be collected by us at the time of application. In case we need
any additional information, we will contact you immediately.
f. We will communicate, in writing, the reason(s) for rejection of your
loan application. We may communicate this through letter or e-mail
stating the reason(s) for such rejection of the loan application.
g. We will provide you the sanction letter detailing particulars of
amount sanctioned and the terms and conditions.
h. We will provide you an amortisation schedule (schedule of repayment
of principal and interest for the duration of the loan).
i. We will also inform you whether you have an option to let equated
monthly instalments stay constant and change tenure or vice-versa
when the interest rate changes.
j. We will, at your request, supply authenticated copies of all the loan
documents executed by you at our cost along with a copy each of
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all enclosures quoted in the loan document as part of disbursement
welcome kit. However, reasonable charges will be levied for additional
authenticated copies as per our tariff.
k. We will give written receipt for all documents to title taken as
security / collateral for any loan.
l. We will endeavour to send you a communication through letter /
e-mail or SMS about the status of your account before it becomes a
Non Performing Asset (NPA).
m. We will give you notice, sufficiently in advance, if we decide to recall
/ accelerate payment or performance under the agreement or seek
additional securities.
n. We will provide you with an annual statement of account of your
term / demand loans.
o. We will provide you with the loan statement, more often, if required,
at a cost which will be indicated in the Tariff Schedule.
p. We will return to you all the securities / documents / title deeds
to mortgaged property within 15 working days of the repayment
of all dues agreed to or contracted and report to Central Registry
for Securitisation, Asset Reconstruction and Security Interest
(CERSAI) about satisfaction of our charge. If any right to set off
is to be exercised for any other claim, we will give due notice with
full particulars about the other claims and retain the securities /
documents / title to mortgaged property till the relevant claim is
settled / paid.
q. We will compensate you for any delay in return of securities / documents
/ title deeds to mortgaged property beyond 15 working days of the
repayment of all dues agreed to or contracted or in reporting to CERSAI
about satisfaction of our charge in line with our Compensation Policy.
r. In the event of our losing the securities / documents / title deeds
you have provided to us when you availed a loan, we will compensate
you for the loss. We will issue a certificate indicating the securities
/ documents / title deeds lost and extend all assistance to you for
obtaining duplicate documents, etc. at our cost.
s. We will process a request for transfer of borrowal account, either from
you or from a bank / financial institution, along with your explicit
consent in the normal course and convey our concurrence or otherwise
within two weeks of receipt of request.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
t. We will not levy foreclosure charges / pre-payment penalties on all
floating rate term loans sanctioned to you (in your individual capacity)
irrespective of whether paid from own funds or takeover by other Banks.
u. where a loan is eligible to be covered under any subsidy schemes or
subvention scheme in force we will explain to you features of such
scheme and any requirement you will need to fulfill.
8.13 Guarantee
a. If you want us to accept a guarantee or other security from a third
party for your liabilities, we may ask you for your permission to give
confidential information about your finances to the person giving
the guarantee or other security, or to their legal adviser.
b. We will also:
i. encourage them to take independent legal advice to make
sure that they understand their commitment and the possible
consequences of their decision (where appropriate, the
documents we ask them to sign will contain this recommendation
as a clear and obvious notice).
ii. inform them that by giving the guarantee or other security they
may become liable instead of, or as well as, you.
iii. inform them what their liability will be.
iv. give a copy of the terms and conditions of the loan sanctioned
/ loan agreement, free of cost, to the guarantor(s) of the credit
facility availed by you.
c. When you are considering to be a guarantor to a loan, we will tell you:
i. your liability as guarantor;
ii. the amount of liability you will be committing yourself to the
bank;
iii. circumstances in which we will call on you to pay up your liability;
iv. whether we have recourse to your other monies in the bank if
you fail to pay up as a guarantor;
v. whether your liabilities as a guarantor are limited to a specific
quantum or they are unlimited;
vi. time and circumstances in which your liabilities as a guarantor
will be discharged as also the manner in which we will notify
you about this;
35
vii. of any material or adverse change in the financial position of
the borrower to whom you stand as a guarantor.
d. We will return to you all the securities / documents / title deeds to
mortgaged property within 15 days of the repayment of all dues agreed
to or contracted.
e. We will compensate you for any delay in return of securities / documents
/ title deeds to mortgaged property beyond 15 days of the repayment of
all dues agreed to or contracted.
f. In the event of our losing the securities / documents, we will compensate
you for the loss. We will issue a certificate indicating the securities /
documents lost and extend all assistance to you for obtaining duplicate
documents, etc.
8.14 Central Registry of Securitisation, Asset Reconstruction and
Security Interest of India (CERSAI)
When you avail of a loan facility involving immovable property and /
or movables as primary or collateral security, we will advise you the
functioning of the CERSAI and the fact that their records will be available
for search by any lender or any other person desirous of dealing with the
property / assets. We will notify our charge to CERSAI.
8.15 Settlement of dues
a. You should let us know, as soon as possible, if you are not able to
make your payments in time.
b. We will consider all cases of genuine financial difficulties
sympathetically and positively, in consonance with regulatory
guidelines and our policy.
c. We will try to help you overcome your difficulties.
d. In case we offer you a One Time Settlement (OTS) for repayment of
dues, we will explain to you the details of the offer.
e. We will spell out, in writing, the terms and conditions of the OTS
offered to you.
f. If the dues are settled under OTS, we will explain to you the
implications of such settlement on your credit history maintained
by the CICs.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
8.16 Securitisation of loans / card dues
a. In case we securitise (sell) your loans / dues on your card to another
entity, we will advise you the name and contact details of such entity
along with the amount of your loan / dues transferred to them. In the
normal course, loans / credit card dues, which are Non Performing
Assets (NPAs) are considered for sale to Asset Reconstruction
Company (ARC) through assignments. Where dues are settled
through compromise, assigning such assets to ARC does not arise.
b. You will then be liable to pay the amount due to the entity to which
the loan / dues have been transferred.
c. The entity to which the loan / dues have been transferred will continue
to report your credit information to the CICs.
d. We will endeavour to assist you in case you have a grievance against
the entity to which your loan / dues have been transferred by us.
e. For all complaints against the entity to which your loan / dues have been
transferred by us, we will remain the Nodal Authority for resolution. We
will treat these complaints as if they are against us and ensure that
these are resolved promptly.
8.17. Electronic and Digital Banking
8.17.1 Internet and Mobile Banking
We will take appropriate measures to provide safe and secure Internet
and Mobile Banking. We will ensure that our systems and technology
are safe and secure and review and update them periodically.
a. We will implement robust and dynamic fraud prevention and
detection mechanisms to mitigate risks and protect customers from
liabilities arising from unauthorized transactions.
b. We will undertake various initiatives to educate you on Internet /
Mobile Banking security and on prevention from payment related
frauds, by way of:
i. Displaying relevant information on our website
ii. Displaying information at customer touchpoints like ATMs and
branches.
iii. Periodic educational e-mails
c. When you have access to Internet / Mobile Banking services, we
37
will also inform you of the applicable terms and conditions relating
to such services. All Internet / Mobile Banking related services and
associated charges, if any, will be displayed on our website and
made available to you.
d. We will also inform you where to find the information you need
to safeguard your online information and to protect yourself while
using computer / mobile handset from fraud, scams or unauthorised
transactions. This information will be updated from time to time.
e. We will carry out adequate authentication processes for financial
transactions, as prescribed by the regulator from time to time.
f. We will send you SMS / online e-mail alerts for all types of transactions,
irrespective of the amount, undertaken by you. These alerts will be
sent to the contact details registered with us.
g. We will ask you for additional factor authentication / validation
based on information not visible on the cards for all on-line card not
present transactions as well as IVR transactions.
h. We will send you an SMS / e-mail on all payee / biller registration
done on Netbanking.
i. In case we offer you the facility of fixing a daily cap on the value,
mode of transactions, number of transactions and beneficiaries
for electronic modes of transactions, we will require an additional
authorization in the event of your changing the options. We will send
you an alert when a request for change in the option is received.
j. Mobile Banking service is network independent, i.e. customers
having mobile phones of any network of operator can transfer funds
from account in one bank to any other account in the same bank or
any other bank.
k. If you opt for Mobile Banking services we will, prior to your
registration for the service, inform you of:
i. the security procedure adopted by us for user authentication;
ii. time taken between registration of customers and activation of
services;
iii. the applicability or otherwise of stop payment instructions and
the terms and conditions for the acceptance, if any, for the
same.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
l. You can apply for registration of Mobile Banking services through
multiple channels such as ATMs, Websites, Phone Banking, IVR,
SMS, etc. You need not come to branches for the same.
m. Mobile Banking transactions are completely instantaneous and are
incapable of being reversed. Thus stop payment privileges are very
limited.
n. You may opt out of Internet / Mobile Banking Services at any point
of time. However, you must keep us informed of your decision and
ensure that you complete the requisite formalities.
o. In any dispute about receipt of Passwords or security information
that are not issued to you in person, we will not rely merely on proof
of dispatch to your correct registered address as proof that they
have been received by you.
p. Online banking is safe and convenient as long as you take adequate
and simple precautions. Please make sure you follow the advice
given below:
i. Visit our secure Internet banking site directly. Avoid accessing
the site through a link from another site or an e-mail and verify
the domain name displayed to avoid spoof websites.
ii. Log out of Internet banking when your session is complete. Use
the ‘Log Out’ button to log out so that the session closes. Do
not just close the window to log off.
iii. Log off your PC when not in use.
iv. Avoid using Internet Banking on unsecured networks like airports,
railway stations, cyber-cafes or any other public network / wi-fi,
etc.
v. Update your computer / laptop with the latest version of your
browser (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, etc.)
vi. Install security programmes to protect against hackers, virus
attacks or any malicious programmes. Update your security
programme or antivirus on regular basis.
vii. Install a suitable firewall to protect your device / laptop / mobile,
etc. and its contents from outsiders.
viii. Disable the ‘File and Printing Sharing’ feature on your operating
system.
39
ix. Preferably use virtual keypad while conducting electronic
financial transactions / internet banking.
q. Apart from your obligations when using Internet Banking, you will
need to take additional care to protect your device when using a
mobile application or any other form of social media to access banking
services:
i. Do not leave your device unattended and logged into a Mobile
Banking service
ii. Lock your device to prevent unauthorised use of your Mobile
Banking service
iii. Notify us as soon as possible if your device is lost or stolen
iv. Update your Mobile Banking App as and when a new version /
upgrade is released.
v. Update your mobile operating system to ensure that the latest
security patches are available on your mobile.
vi. Purchase your mobile phone from an authorized dealer.
vii. Ensure to check the authenticity of all Apps downloaded on
your mobile. Do not download Apps from untrusted sources.
r. Log out of Mobile Banking application once you are done using it.
Check your account and transaction history regularly.
s. Do not share your internet / Mobile Banking security information or
disclose your password as response to any e-mail (even if it appears
to have been sent from our bank). Please inform us of the same for
us to investigate. Neither the police nor we will ever contact you
to ask you to reveal your online banking or payment card PINs, or
your password information.
t. Customer complaints / grievances arising out of Mobile Banking facility
are covered under Banking Ombudsman (BO) Scheme.
8.17.2.1 PINs and Passwords
a. A password is a string of characters used to verify the identity of a user
during the authentication process. Passwords are important so that
sensitive data or a critical information does not fall into wrong hands.
b. We will conform to internationally accepted standards for methods
of generation, storage and terminal security relating to PINs and
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
Passwords to ensure their confidentiality and security for your
protection.
c. We will deliver your PIN in a sealed cover to you at the registered
address we have on record or at our branch after due identification.
You may, also at your convenience, generate PIN online / via IVRS or
at ATMs.
d. We will ensure that your recent contact details (mobile number, e-mail
ID and landline number) are registered and updated with the Bank.
e. In order to safeguard your account, you must choose a strong PIN
/ password and change it regularly.
8.17.2.2 You should also adopt the following safe practices /
precautions to protect your PIN or Password.
For creating PIN / Password:
a. Use the following guidelines to create a strong password:
• Do not use familiar names which are easily discoverable (self,
spouse, children, parents, pets, etc.)
• Avoid using commonly known facts about yourself (hobbies,
birthdays, favourite sports, etc.)
• Do not use words found in the dictionary as software
programmes can search for probable words and guess the
password. Instead combine misspelt words to prevent a
dictionary attack
• Use at least six or more characters. More the characters in a
password, the more secure it is
• Utilize a combination of letters and numbers to make it more
difficult for a person / software programme to guess your password
• Use special characters (@, #, %, $, etc.) to make the password
more difficult to crack
• Use a combination of upper- and lower-case letters which helps
to create a more secure password
b. Do not use the following to create a *PIN:
• birth dates, months or years;
• sequential numbers (e.g. 3456);
• number combinations that may be easily guessed (e.g. 1111);
41
• parts of your telephone number;
• parts of numbers in the order in which they are printed on any
of your cards;
• other easily accessible personal data (e.g. driving licence, your
vehicle number or other numbers easily connected with you)
*This is only an illustrative and not exhaustive list.
Precautions for preventing unauthorised transactions in your account:
Do not:
• Allow anyone else to use your card, PIN, password or other
security information.
• Write down or record your PIN, password or other security
information.
• Store your password(s) in your Browsers (such as Internet
Explorer, Google Chrome, Firefox, etc.) or on e-Commerce sites
or in mobile handset.
• Save your Mobile Banking Login and password on your phone
• Give your account details, password / PIN / OTP or other security
information to anyone, including those who claim to be authorized
representatives of the bank.
• Respond to any communication asking for your Bank account
credentials (Internet banking password, ATM PIN, CVV, Card
expiry date, etc.)
• Respond even if any message threatens discontinuation of
facility or makes an exciting offer or mentions any other reason.
All such communication through letters, e-mails, mobile
phones, SMSs, etc. should be ignored.
• Fall prey to fictitious offers / lottery winnings / remittance of cheap
funds in foreign currency from abroad by certain foreign entities
/ individuals. These could include Indian residents acting as
representatives of such entities / individuals.
These messages often appear to be from a friend, bank or other
legitimate source directing you to certain websites designed
to trick you into providing personal information such as your
user name and password or credit card information.
• Click a link in any suspicious e-mails / SMS, and don’t provide
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
your information unless you trust the source e-mail / SMS.
• Allow anyone else to see you enter your Password in a PC /
mobile handset or to see the PIN when you use your card at
ATMs or at Points of Sale (POS) counters.
Always:
• Change your PIN / Password at regular intervals – at least every
3 to 6 months. Do not repeat your previous passwords.
• Memorize your PIN, password and other security information
and destroy the written communication, if any, received by
you.
• Take reasonable steps to keep your card safe in your personal
custody and your PIN, password and other security information
secret at all times.
• Use different PINs or Passwords for different cards or devices
• Use a power-on / access password for your computer / laptop /
mobile and a screensaver password on your computer / laptop /
mobile so that no one else can use it without your consent.
Immediately inform (through authorized officials of bank or
authorized channel) your bank on change of your e-mail ID or
mobile number.
8.17.3 ATM / Debit and Credit Cards
a. We will offer you an ATM / Debit Card if it is normally issued with
the type of account you have opted for.
b. New Cards / Replacement cards (debit as well as credit cards) will be
essentially EMV Chip and PIN enabled card only. You may decline
to accept the card if you do not want it.
c. Where cards are delivered to you personally, we must be satisfied
about your identity before allowing cards to be delivered.
d. We will send a service guide / member booklet giving detailed terms
and conditions, losses on your account that you may be liable if your
card is lost / misused and other relevant information with respect to
usage of your card along with your first card.
e. We will inform you which of your accounts your card can access.
We will also inform you whether the card issued to you has more
than one function and if so, what those functions are.
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f. We will advise you of the current transaction limits that apply at
POS counters, ATMs and forex transactions.
g. We will advise you of the fees and charges that apply to your card.
h. Please safeguard your card by taking the following measures:
• Sign your card as soon as you receive it
• Do not leave your card unattended (in a wallet / purse) or in
a location (e.g. your vehicle) from where it could be removed
without being noticed
• Do not give your card to anyone or let anyone else use your
card including at merchant establishments (e.g. restaurants,
petrol pump, etc.)
• Always remember to take your card back after using it
• Inform us if you change your address with documentary proof
so that, whenever required, a replacement card is sent to your
correct address.
• Complaints relating to disputed / failed ATM transactions are to
be lodged with card issuing bank (through authorized officials
or channel).
8.17.4.1 Reporting loss / theft / disputed transactions
a. We will inform you of the procedure you must follow to report the
loss, theft or unauthorised use of your card or PIN.
b. We will include in the terms and conditions what your liability will
be in relation to the loss or theft of your card or disclosure of your
PIN or Password.
c. We will provide the capability to register your mobile number and
wherever available, e-mail ID, before activating any electronic
transaction facility.
d. We will provide multiple channels for enabling you to report an
unauthorized transaction on 24 x 7 basis. These channels would
be helplines, SMS, e-mail, IVR, website, etc. You can also report
such transactions to your home branch during the working hours.
Further, we will also provide you the details of our channels
through which you can block your card. We will promptly send a
confirmation for having blocked usage of the card.
e. We will provide, if possible, inbuilt reply facility to SMS. However
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
all our SMS alerts will include alternate number / mobile number /
e-mail id to contact us immediately.
f. We will provide a direct link for lodging the complaints, on home
page of our website with specific option to report unauthorized
electronic transactions.
g. We will provide a loss / fraud reporting system that sends an immediate
response (including auto response) to you acknowledging the complaint
along with the registered complaint number.
h. You should inform us as soon as you discover that your card has been
lost or stolen or someone else knows your PIN, password or other
security information, apart from changing them immediately. On your
notifying us, we will take immediate steps (such as blocking of your
card or resetting the PIN, as the case may be) to prevent the misuse.
i. Once you have advised us that your card has been lost or stolen or
your PIN or Password disclosed, you will not be responsible for any
unauthorised use of your card after that time.
j. On receipt of your complaint of an unauthorised transaction, we will
take immediate steps to prevent further unauthorised transactions
in your account.
k. The liability for the losses due to an unauthorised transaction will
be based on the regulations from the regulator that are in force at
that time.
l. You will not be liable for losses before you receive your card or, if
applicable, your PIN and Password, provided you have notified us of
your current address.
m. We will display the telephone / Toll Free numbers of the help desk /
contact persons of the ATM owning bank at ATM locations for lodging
complaints and / or for reporting / blocking lost / compromised cards.
Please ensure to lodge complaints only to your card issuing bank for
redressal.
n. ATM Id has been displayed on all the ATMs. You should quote the
same while making a complaint / suggestion. Forms are available
within ATM premises for lodging ATM complaints.
o. We will reimburse amounts wrongly debited in failed ATM
transactions within the prescribed time limit. For any delay beyond
the prescribed time limit, we will pay compensation as prescribed,
45
provided the claim is lodged with us, (i.e. the ATM card issuing
bank) within 30 days of the transaction.
p. In case of disputed ATM transactions, we will retain the relevant
camera footage till the dispute is settled. Access to such footage
will be available only if the dispute is raised within the prescribed
preservation period of such records.
8.17.4.2 Limited Liability in respect of unauthorized electronic
banking transactions.
a. You will be entitled for Zero liability where the unauthorized
transaction occurs in the following events:
i. Contributory fraud / negligence / deficiency on our part.
ii. Third party breach where the deficiency lies elsewhere in the
system and you notify us within three working days of receiving
the communication from us regarding the unauthorised
transaction.
b. You shall be liable for the loss occurring due to unauthorised
transactions in the following cases:
i. In cases where the loss is due to your negligence such as where
you have shared the payment credentials, you will bear the
entire loss until you report the unauthorised transaction to
us. Any loss occurring after the reporting of the unauthorised
transaction shall be borne by us.
ii. In cases where the responsibility for the unauthorised
electronic banking transaction lies neither with us nor you, but
lies elsewhere in the system and when there is a delay (of four
to seven working days after receiving the communication from
us) on your part in notifying us of such a transaction, your per
transaction liability shall be limited to that transaction value or
the amount whichever is lower as mentioned in RBI guidelines
issued from time to time on the subject.
iii. Further, if the delay in reporting by you is beyond seven working
days, your liability shall be determined as per our Board
approved policy which will be available in public domain / our
website. We shall provide the details of our policy in regard to
your liability formulated in pursuance of the RBI directions on
the subject at the time of opening the accounts. We will inform all
the customers individually also about our policy on the subject.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
8.17.4.3 Reversal Timeline for Zero Liability / Limited Liability
On being notified by you, we shall credit (shadow reversal) the amount
involved in the unauthorised electronic transaction to your account
within 10 working days from the date of such notification by you (without
waiting for settlement of insurance claim, if any). The credit shall be
value dated to be as of the date of the unauthorised transaction.
Further, we will ensure that:
i. your complaint is resolved and liability, if any, established within
such time, as may be specified in our Board approved policy, but
not exceeding 90 days from the date of receipt of the complaint and
you will be compensated as per RBI guidelines on the subject.
ii. where we are unable to resolve the complaint or determine your
liability, if any, within 90 days, the compensation as per RBI
guidelines will be paid; and
iii. in case of debit card / bank account, you will not suffer loss of interest,
and in case of credit card, you do not bear any additional burden of
interest.
8.17.5 Credit Card
a. When you apply for a credit card, we will explain the relevant terms
and conditions such as fees, interest and other charges, billing and
payment, method of computation of overdues, financial implications
of paying only ‘the minimum amount due’, renewal and termination
procedures, and any other information that you may require to
operate the card.
b. We will disclose the Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC)
in a font of ten as below:
i. During marketing-MITCs on “Fees and Charges”
ii. At application / Welcome kit-All MITCs, including, inter-alia,*
iii. On Credit card Billing-MITCs on Fees & Charges, drawing limits.
iv. On an ongoing basis, any change of the terms and conditions.
* your liability in case of third party fraud or where you have not
contributed to the fraud.
c. We will advise you of our targeted turnaround time while you are
availing / applying for a credit card. We will quote annual fee and
Annualized Percentage Rates (APR) on card products (separately
47
for retail purchase and for cash advance, (if different) with equal
prominence). The method of calculation of APR, late payment
charges, and calculation of interest will be explained clearly with
examples. These aspects will be shown in the Welcome Kit in
addition to being shown in the monthly statement. A notice to the
effect making only the minimum payment every month would result
in the repayment stretching with consequent interest payment on
your outstanding balance will be prominently displayed in all the
monthly statements. We will also mention the rate of interest that
will be charged on the unpaid amount and other charges if you
choose to pay only the “minimum amount due” as mentioned in the
monthly credit card statement.
In MITC, we would specifically explain that the “free credit period”
is lost if any balance of the previous month’s bill is outstanding.
d. We may also issue a deactivated (not ready to use) credit card if
we consider your profile appropriate for issuing credit card and
such deactivated card will become active only after you convey your
acceptance of the card and take steps for its activation as required
and subject to such other conditions as may be specified.
e. In case we activate the card without your consent or bill you for the
card for which you have not given your consent, we will not only
reverse the charges forthwith but will also pay a penalty amounting
to twice the value of the charges reversed.
f. We will extend a loan / credit facility or enhance the credit limit on
your card only with your consent in writing. Consent received through
electronic means where you specifically validate the transaction and
having read the MITC and where digital records of such consent can
be retrieved as a proof of consent, will also be treated as consent.
g. We may issue an add-on card(s) to the person(s) nominated by
you. We will, at your request, set a credit limit (within the overall
limit) for the add-on card(s) issued to you. You will be liable for all
transactions made by such additional card holders.
h. If the limit on your credit card is proposed to be reduced, we will
give you thirty days notice unless at your request and also inform
you the reason therefor, by SMS / e-mail / letter .
i. We will ensure that we comply with your request for cancellation
/ reduction of limit and confirm cancellation / reduction of limit /
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
closure of the credit card to you within 7 working days of the request
being received in writing or through an e-mail id registered with us,
provided that the outstanding amount, if any, is settled / paid.
j. We will have right to place a lien and right to set off on all monies
belonging to you, being the card holder, standing to your credit, in
the same capacity, in any account whatsoever with the Bank or in
the possession or custody of the Bank if you are in default to us
in payment of our dues. We will send you intimation to this effect
by e-mail on your registered e-mail id / registered mobile number
or letter within three days from placing lien / hold on your deposit
account.
k. In case we are offering any insurance cover to our credit card holders,
in tie up with insurance companies, we will obtain in writing from
you the details of nominee/s for the insurance cover in respect of
accidental death and disablement benefits. We will ensure that the
relevant nomination details are recorded by the insurance company
which will handle the claims relating to the insurance cover.
l. To facilitate low value online Card Not Present (CNP) transactions,
the requirement of Additional Factor Authentication (AFA) has been
relaxed. Accordingly, we (card issuing bank) will offer the “payment
authentication solutions” to you on an optional basis. To seek your
consent and to activate your option, we shall provide a one-time
registration process facility. The relaxation for AFA under such
solutions shall be applicable for CNP transactions for a maximum
value of `2000/-per transaction (or as decided by regulator from
time to time). We will also facilitate you to set lower per transaction
limits.
m. We will bear the liability of any unauthorized electronic transaction
as per Clause 8.17.4.2 of this Code.
8.17.5.1 Credit card statements
a. To help you manage your credit card account and check details
of purchases / cash withdrawals, we will send you a monthly
statement, free of cost, with details of the transactions made
with / using your credit card. The credit card statement will be
dispatched on a predetermined date every month, by post / courier
to your mailing address or, if you so desire, by e-mail to the address
registered with us. The statement will also be made available for
viewing on internet banking.
49
We will ensure that wrong bills are not raised and issued nor will
we levy charges which have not been notified by us. In case, a
complaint is raised against any bill, we will provide explanation
and, if necessary, documentary evidence will also be provided to
you within a maximum period of sixty days with a spirit to amicably
redress the grievances. In case erroneous charges are reversed, the
reversal will not be deemed as settlement of dues.
b. In the event of non-receipt of this statement, we expect you to get in
touch with us so that we can arrange to resend the details to enable
you to make the payment and highlight exception, if any, in a timely
manner.
c. We will let you know / notify changes in the schedule of fees and
charges and terms and conditions. Normally, changes (other than
interest rates and those which are a result of regulatory requirements)
will be made with prospective effect after giving notice of at least
one month. The changes will be notified along with the monthly
statement of account or copy thereof. In case of a default, the same
will be reported to Credit Information Companies (CICs).
d. Before reporting to Credit Information Companies about default
status of a credit card holder, we will adhere to a procedure approved
by the Board, including issuing of sufficient notice to the card
holder. Notwithstanding the reversal of a wrong billing, unnotified
charges will not be the cause of reporting to CICs. In case we treat
the reversal of charges as SETTLED, we will inform CIC about the
settlement and inform you of the same being reported to CIC.
8.18 Third Party Products
We distribute third party products like pension funds,mutual funds
and insurance etc. under corporate agency arrangements in terms
of Certificate of Registration issued by respective regulators viz SEBI
(mutual fund) and IRDAI (insurance products). We have Board approved
policy for sale of insurance products in line with IRDAI (Registration of
Corporate Agents) Regulations 2015.
a. We will inform you if we, as agents of any investment / asset
management company or insurance company, offer any type of
investment products including mutual funds or insurance products.
We are responsible for any person using our premises for selling or
marketing third party products on our behalf.
b. We will ensure that all investment and insurance products we sell
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
are in accordance with extant rules and regulations.
c. When you avail a banking service or product from us, we will not
compel you to purchase / subscribe to any third party product as a
quid pro quo.
d. In the case of securities provided by you for loans availed from us, we
will not insist on your obtaining insurance cover from any particular
provider / same organisation. Obtention of insurance products, if
any, offered by us will be purely on voluntary basis. You will be free
to obtain insurance cover from a service provider of your choice.
e. We will, at regular intervals, educate you by way of advertisement /
notice board / information on website / distribution of pamphlets
etc. the benefit of the products being sold at our branch, and also
through e-mails and SMS, unless you have opted not to receive such
information.
f. We will ensure that all investment and insurance products sold
at the branch will be explained to you by personnel who are duly
qualified and trained to sell the products.
g. We will provide detailed terms and conditions of the product which
is being offered to you (Key information Memorandum in case of
mutual fund and product brochure, sales illustration in case of
insurance products).
h. We will apply appropriate customer due diligence measures before
selling investment / insurance products to you.
i. We will sell a product to you only if we believe it is suitable and
appropriate for you.
j. We will obtain the requisite application and documentation for a
product offered only after you have consented to subscribe / avail of
the product, in writing or through authenticated electronic means /
after necessary validation.
k. We will ensure that the statement / policy documents will be delivered
to you within 30 days from the completion of all the formalities
(including medical examination) as per the scheme.
l. We will arrange to provide maximum possible “After Sales Service”
like reminder of SIP, latest NAV, date of maturity, due date of
payment of premium, etc.
m. The service providers will be providing you periodical information
51
on the performance of the scheme / products you have availed from
them. In case you require any specific service, we will facilitate the
same on receiving specific request from you.
n. We will disclose details of all commissions / other fees received, if any,
from mutual fund / insurance / other financial companies on the Bank’s
website for distributing their products.
o. We will adhere to RBI guidelines on para banking activities like sale
of insurance / mutual fund / other third party investment products.
p. We will ensure that the charges for related services for selling of
various products will be displayed and made available to you.
8.19 Credit Counselling Facility
We will endeavour to provide credit counselling facility. Wherever such
facility is available, we will display, at our branch in a particular centre,
the address, timings, etc. of the counselling centres set up by any bank
at that centre to enable you to avail of the service.
8.20 G etting Records
We will, on request, make available to you, at a cost, records pertaining
to your transactions, provided this is within the prescribed preservation
period of such record.
9. BRANCH CLOSURE / SHIFTING
a. If we plan to close our branch or if we move our branch or we are not
able to continue to provide banking services to you, we will give youi.
Notice of two months if there is no branch of any bank
functioning at that centre;
ii. Notice of one month in all other cases.
b. In case we shift the branch, we will inform you of the complete
address of the new location of our branch.
c. We will inform you of any change in the timings of the working of
the branch.
10. FINANCIAL INCLUSION
a. We will make available ‘Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account’
(BSBD Account) / Small Account and Jan-dhan Account without
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
the requirement of any minimum balance subject to compliance
with the instructions on Know Your Customer (KYC) / Anti-Money
Laundering (AML) for opening of bank accounts issued by RBI /
Government of India(GOI) from time to time. We will also offer /
provide minimum common facilities including the facility of ATM
card or ATM-cum-Debit Card without any charges, which will be
made known to you. The relevant details will be made known to you
in a transparent manner at the time of opening of the account.
b. We will also extend the facility of opening such accounts on the basis
of simplified KYC norms. However, such accounts will be additionally
treated as “Small Accounts” and subjected to restrictions which will
be made known to you in an easy to understand manner and in the
local language.
c. We will also prominently display at all our branches in bilingual /
trilingual, the requirements for opening “Basic Savings Bank Deposit
Account” and also the documentation required under simplified
KYC norms for opening “Small Account” / Jan-dhan account.
d. We will also take steps, including training, to create awareness
about the above among our staff, particularly the frontline staff.
e. We will make available, free of cost, basic banking facilities like
maintaining of accounts with a specified number of withdrawals in
a month, General Credit Card and transfer of benefits from State
and Central Governments through electronic platforms.
f. We will provide value added services, if so desired, by you either free
of cost or with low charges, to be notified upfront in the language
known and understood by you.
g. If there are any changes in the services, transactions or the charges,
these will be made known at least one month prior to these becoming
effective.
h. The changes, if any, will be communicated through means appropriate
to you such as by display on the Notice Board of the branch, or
through the Business Correspondent or through letters, etc.
i. Where we do not have a branch, we will endeavour to have a Business
Correspondent (BC) / Business Facilitator (BF) in unbanked areas
as per guidelines and road map agreed to, if any, with RBI to enable
the opening of accounts, deposit and withdrawal of money, subject
to amount and number of transactions, balance enquiry, etc., as
also to facilitate transfer of money from one place to another.
53
j. We will also endeavour to provide Mobile Banking facilities.
k. We will also endeavour to provide other modes of remittance including
mobile phones, electronic platforms like NECS, NEFT, etc.
l. We will be responsible for all acts of omission and commission of
Banking Outlet / BC / BF and any complaint lodged against them
will be investigated.
m. We will offer, in case of need, a credit facility at affordable cost,
subject to terms and conditions which will be made known to you
at the time of applying for the credit facility.
n. We will explain to you the various credit plans available, including
minimum information which the bank may need for processing
your loan application, the most important terms and conditions
applicable to such loans, the security which may be charged to
the bank, the manner and periodicity of application of interest,
repayment procedure, etc.
o. We will not insist on collateral security for credit limits up to Rupees
One lakh for Government sponsored schemes under Priority Sector
Lending except loans to MSE customers where higher collateral
free limit of ` 10 lakh is applicable. We will not insist on collateral
security for education loans, upto ` 4 lakh or as revised from time
to time under Education Loan Scheme.
p. In case you face any financial difficulty in relation to the credit
facility availed by you, we will consider such cases sympathetically
and positively.
q. You may keep us informed of any financial difficulty you may face,
as above, to help us assist you overcome your difficulties. While
processing your loan application we will not insist on obtaining
“No Dues” Certificate from you (individual borrowers and Self Help
Groups (SHGs) & Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) for all types of loans
unless a particular Government sponsored scheme itself provides
for obtention of “No Dues” Certificate.
r. We will endeavour to help you to overcome your difficulties by,
where desirable, drawing up a revival package, if such package is
considered desirable in the interest of both of us.
s. We will educate and guide the account holders the manner of
operating bank accounts either under normal branch or through
alternate channel including using devices under Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) enabled platforms.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
t. We will undertake financial literacy activities to educate customers.
u. We will organize camps, stalls and town hall events to promote the
cause of financial inclusion in towns and villages with participation
by the target group.
v. We will introduce a mechanism in the bank to educate our staff
across levels about the financial inclusion efforts in the country in
general and in the bank, in particular.
w. We will put in place a system of regular / ongoing visits by the bank’s
officials to the unbanked areas where financial inclusion initiatives have
been undertaken to ensure end-implementation of the bank’s efforts.
x. We will endeavour to attend promptly to your complaints, if any,
and resolve them at the earliest.
y. In case you have any grievance about the bank or its Banking Outlet
/ BC / BF, we will make known the manner of lodging complaints
and the mechanism in the bank for resolution of complaints, as
also the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, in case your complaint is
not resolved or resolved to your satisfaction by the bank.
z. We will give wide publicity to the financial inclusion programme and
educate the customers about various products and services.
11. SENIOR CITIZENS AND DIFFERENTLY
ABLED PERSONS
a. We will make our best efforts to make it easy and convenient for our
special customers like senior citizens, differently abled and illiterate
persons to bank with us. This will include making convenient
policies, products and services for such applicants and customers.
b. We will endeavour to develop systems and procedures to improve
access to banking services by you.
c. We will endeavour to make physical access to our branches and ATMs
convenient to you. We will endeavour to provide ramps and hand
railings at bank branches and ATMs to make it easier for senior citizens
and differently abled persons to access various banking facilities.
d. We will sensitise our staff interacting with you to assist you in
carrying out your banking transactions.
e. In addition to all the other commitments made in this Code:
i. We will accord due priority to you. We will endeavour to
55
provide you personalized services for banking transactions and
redressal of grievances.
ii. We will endeavour to provide seating arrangements in the
banking hall.
iii. We will endeavour to provide you our services through a Single
Window mechanism.
iv. We will permit withdrawal of your funds, up to limits set
by you, by persons authorized by you on production of the
authorization letter and passbook.
v. We will endeavour to provide ‘Doorstep’ banking (pick up of cash /
instruments for credit to the account or delivery of cash / demand
drafts against issue of cheque / requisition in writing) in special
circumstances like ill health, inability to come to the branch, etc.
For senior citizens more than 70 years of age and differently
abled or infirm persons (having medically certified chronic
illness or disability) including those who are visually impaired,
we will make concerted effort to provide door step banking for
basic banking facilities such as pick up of cash and instruments
against receipt, delivery of demand drafts, submission of KYC
documents and Life Certificate at the premises / residence of
such customers.
vi. We will issue a pension slip to you (pensioners) containing
details of the pension credited to your account.
vii. We will endeavour to arrange to disburse the pension at the
doorstep, in special circumstances.
viii. We will accept the Life Certificate that is required to be
submitted by you (pensioners) at any branch of our bank by
maintaining centralized data for the same.
ix. We will guide relatives / parents of disabled persons on how
to appoint a legal guardian, under the National Trust Act,
1999, for disabled persons with autism, cerebral palsy, mental
retardation and multiple disabilities who can then open and
operate accounts for such persons.
x. We will ensure that all the banking facilities such as cheque
book facility, ATM facility, net banking facility, locker facility,
retail loans, credit cards etc., are invariably offered to the
visually challenged without any discrimination.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
xi. We will render all possible assistance to the visually challenged
for availing various banking facilities.
xii. We will endeavour to arrange regular meetings so that you may
voice your concerns and benefit from collective experience.
12. PROTECTING YOUR ACCOUNTS
12.1 Secure and reliable banking and payment systems
a. We will make best efforts to ensure that you enjoy secure and
reliable banking and payment systems which you can trust.
b. We will install CCTV, wherever feasible, for close surveillance as
part of security arrangements.
12.2 Keeping us up to date
a. Please make sure you register your current address, phone number,
mobile phone number and / or e-mail id with us to enable us to
send you necessary alerts.
b. Please make sure you let us know, promptly, when you change your
name, address with supporting documents of change of name and
address proof as required, phone numbers and e-mail id so that we
are able to contact you when required.
12.3 Checking your account
a. We recommend that you check your statement or passbook
regularly. If there is an entry, which seems to be wrong, you should
tell us as soon as possible so that we can investigate the same.
Regular checks on direct debits and standing orders will help you
ensure the money is going where you want it to.
b. If we need to investigate a transaction on your account, you should
co-operate with us and with the police / other investigative agencies
if we need to involve them.
12.4 Taking care
Taking care of your cheques, passbook and other security information is
essential to help prevent fraud and protect your accounts. Please make
sure that you follow the advice given below:
a.
i. Do not keep your cheque book and cards together.
57
ii. Do not keep the blank cheque leaves signed.
iii. Do not give your account details, password or other security
information to anyone.
b. We will advise you what you can do to protect your card / cheque
book from misuse.
c. In the event your cheque book, passbook or ATM / Debit card has
been lost or stolen, or that someone else knows your PIN or other
security information, we will, on your notifying us, take immediate
steps to try to prevent these from being misused. You should also
change your PIN / Password if someone else knows them.
d. It is essential that you tell us as soon as you can if you suspect or
discover that your cheque book, passbook, card has been lost or
stolen or someone else knows your PIN, password or other security
information.
e. You could tell us about the loss of the above by phone at our 24 hour
toll free number given to you and send us a written confirmation to
that effect immediately. Alternatively, you may advise us by e-mail
to the address we have given you for this purpose.
f. You may be liable for misuses until the time that we have been notified.
12.5 Cancelling payments
a. To stop payment of a cheque or cancel standing instruction given,
or cancel a direct debit instruction, you must tell us in writing.
b. We will accept any instruction on withdrawal of mandate by you
without necessitating you to obtain the prior concurrence / approval
for withdrawal from the beneficiary / user institution.
c. It may not be possible to cancel payments if you do not give notice
of your decision to cancel.
d. Cancellation of credit card payments will be subject to other terms
and conditions as may be stipulated.
12.6 Liability for losses
If you act fraudulently, you will be responsible for all losses on your
account. If you act without reasonable care, which results in losses, you
may be responsible for them.
**********
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
Annexure – Glossary
These definitions explain the meaning of words and terms used in the
Code. They are not precise legal or technical definitions.
Aadhaar Pay:
A mobile app which enables digital payments using biometric card.
App:
App is an abbreviated form of the word “application”. An application is
a software programme that is designed to perform a specific function
directly for the user.
ATM
An Automated Teller Machine [ATM] is a machine in which a customer
can use his card along with PIN to get cash, information and other
services.
Banking Ombudsman
An independent dispute resolution authority set up by the Reserve Bank
of India to deal with disputes that individuals and small businesses have
with their banks.
Banking Outlet
A fixed point service delivery unit, manned by either Bank’s staff or
it’s business correspondent where services of acceptance of deposits,
encashment of cheques / cash withdrawal or lending of money are provided
for a minimum of four hours per day for at least five days a week.
BHIM: Bharat Interface for Money is a mobile App developed by National
Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) based on the Unified Payment
Interface (UPI).
Card
A general term for any plastic card, which a customer may use to pay for
goods and services or to withdraw cash. In this Code, it includes debit,
credit, smart and ATM cards.
Credit Card
A Credit Card is a plastic card with a credit facility, which allows you to
pay for goods and services or to withdraw cash.
Cheque Collection Policy
Cheque Collection Policy refers to the policy followed by a bank in respect
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of the various local and outstation cheques and instruments deposited
with the bank for credit to an account. The policy inter alia deals with
• cheque purchase requests
• timeframe for credit of cheques
• payment of interest in case of delay in collection of cheques
• instant credit of local and outstation cheques
• cheques / instruments lost in transit and charges for such collection.
Customer
A person who has an account [including a joint account with another
person or an account held as an executor or trustee or as a “Karta” of an
HUF, but not including the accounts of sole traders / proprietorships,
partnerships, companies, clubs and societies] or who avails of other
products / services from a bank.
Current Account
A form of demand deposit wherefrom withdrawals are allowed any
number of times depending upon the balance in the account or up to a
particular agreed amount.
Deceased Account
A Deceased account is a deposit account in which case either the single
account holder has deceased or in case of joint accounts one or more of
joint account holders has / have deceased.
Demat Account
A Demat account refers to dematerialised account and is an account in
which the stocks of investors are held in electronic form.
Deposit Accounts
• “Savings deposit” means a form of demand deposit which is subject
to restrictions as to the number of withdrawals as also the amounts
of withdrawals permitted by the bank during any specified period.
• “Term deposit” means a deposit received by the bank for a fixed period
withdrawable only after the expiry of the fixed period and includes
deposits such as Recurring / Double Benefit Deposits / Short Deposits
/ Fixed Deposits / Monthly Income Certificate / Quarterly Income
Certificate, etc.
• “Notice Deposit” means term deposit for specific period but
withdrawable on giving at least one complete banking day’s notice.
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
Equity
Equity means a part of capital of a corporate entity which is represented by
the shares of the company whether in physical or in dematerialised form.
Electronic Clearing Service
It is a mode of electronic funds transfer from one bank account to another
bank account using the services of a Clearing House.
Fixed rate of interest
Fixed Rate of Interest on a loan means that interest rate is fixed for the
entire period of the loan or it may be revised after the first few years
depending upon the terms and conditions of loan.
Floating rate of interest
Floating Rate of Interest on a loan means that interest rate is not fixed
but is linked to Reference Rate and would vary with changes in the latter.
Guarantee
An undertaking in writing to assure the payment or performance of
another person’s debt or obligations in the event of a default by the
person primarily responsible for it.
Government Bond
Government bond means a security created and issued by the
Government for the purpose of raising a public loan.
Inoperative / Dormant Account
An inoperative / dormant account is a savings bank or current account
in which there are no transactions for over a period of two years.
IMPS
Immediate Payment Service is an interbank electronic instant mobile
money transfer service through mobile phones.
National Electronic Clearing Service
It is a system introduced by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for electronic
fund transfer within India.
National Automated Clearing House
It is a web based platform to facilitate interbank, high volume electronic
transactions for bank, financial institutions, corporate and government.
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NEFT
National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) system is a nationwide funds
transfer system to facilitate transfer of funds from one bank branch to
any other bank branch in the country.
Nomination facility
The nomination facility enables the bank to: make payment to the
nominee of a deceased depositor, of the amount standing to the credit
of the depositor; return to the nominee the articles left by a deceased
person in the bank’s safe custody; release to the nominee of the hirer, the
contents of a safe deposit locker, in the event of the death of the hirer.
Out-of-date [stale] cheque
A cheque, presented for collection, three months after the date of issue
of the cheque.
PAN (Permanent Account Number)
The Permanent Account Number is an all India unique number having
ten alphanumeric characters allotted by the Income Tax Department,
Government of India. It is issued in the form of a laminated card. It is
permanent and will not change with change of address of the assessee
or change of Assessing Officer.
Part time Banking Outlet
A Banking Outlet which provides delivery of service for a minimum of
four hours per day and for at least five days a week.
Password
A word or numbers or a combination on an access Code, which the
customer has chosen, to allow him to use a phone or Internet banking
service. It is also used for identification.
PIN [Personal Identification Number]
A confidential number, use of which along with a card allows customers
to pay for articles / services, withdraw cash and use other electronic
services offered by the bank.
PoS (Point of Sales)
PoS or Swipe Machine as it is popularly known is a technological
instrument provided to a Merchant Establishment (ME) to carry out the
sale of goods or services to customers in a cashless environment. All the
customer has to do is swipe his / her Debit, Credit or Prepaid Card
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Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers – January 2018
RTGS
The acronym ‘RTGS’ stands for Real Time Gross Settlement. RTGS
system offers the fastest means of transfer of funds through banking
channel. Settlement of transactions under RTGS takes place on one-toone
basis, which is termed as ‘Gross’ settlement and in ‘real time’ i.e.
without any waiting period.
Reference rate
It is the benchmark rate of interest of a bank to which interest on loans
sanctioned under floating rate of interest is linked. The Reference rate
of interest is determined / modified by individual banks in accordance
with their policies.
Senior Citizen
Senior Citizen is a person of over sixty years of age.
Settled account
A loan account which is settled under “One Time Settlement” (OTS)
Scheme offered by a Bank for repayment of overdues. This suggests
that while the borrower paid some amount it probably was not the full
amount originally agreed to. Such settled accounts are reported to CICs
for updating the credit history of the borrower.
Smart Card
A smart card is a plastic card about the size of a credit card, with an
embedded microchip which can process data. It provides a secure way
of identification, authentication and storage of data. It can be used for
telephone calling, electronic cash payments, and other applications.
Tariff Schedule
A schedule detailing charges levied by a bank on the products and
services offered by it to its customers.
Unified Payment Interface (UPI)
A payment system that allows money transfer by using predefined e-mail
id, between any two bank accounts by using a smart phone.
Unpaid Cheque
This is a cheque, which is returned ‘unpaid’ [bounced] by the bank.
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