Indian expats in UAE, take note: ATM withdrawals get costlier from May
Indian expats in the UAE planning to travel to India should be aware of upcoming changes to ATM transaction charges, which will take effect on May 1, 2025.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revised its ATM fee structure, increasing the charges for withdrawals beyond the free transaction limits.
Additionally, the number of free withdrawals permitted each month has been adjusted, with different limits set for metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. These changes may impact your ATM usage during trips to India, so it's important to plan ahead and consider alternative payment methods to avoid additional costs.
Starting May 1, 2025, the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) revised ATM transaction charges will take effect. The move introduces higher fees for additional transactions and changes to the number of free withdrawals allowed each month.
New maximum transaction fee
Customers will now be charged a maximum of Rs 23 per transaction beyond the free usage limit, up from the earlier Rs 21. This applies to both financial and non-financial transactions at ATMs, as well as at Cash Recycler Machines (CRMs), excluding cash deposits.
Under the updated framework:
In metro areas: 3 free transactions per month at other bank ATMs
In non-metro areas: 5 free transactions per month at other bank ATMs
5 free monthly transactions at your own bank's ATMs, across all locations
These limits apply to both financial (withdrawals, deposits) and non-financial (balance inquiry, PIN changes) transactions.
Applies across all banks and operators
The new fee structure is applicable to all commercial banks, regional rural banks (RRBs), co-operative banks, authorised ATM network operators, and white-label ATM operators.
ATM interchange fee explained
The interchange fee—charged between banks when customers use ATMs not owned by their bank—remains set at Rs 19 for financial transactions and Rs 7 for non-financial ones. ATM networks will continue to determine the exact charges.
Impact on customers
According to BLS E-Services Chairman Shikhar Aggarwal, this change may push more users toward digital options or fee-free alternatives like MicroATMs and Business Correspondent (BC) networks, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas.
Tips for ATM users:
Not just ATMs: CRMs affected too
As per the RBI, these rules will also apply to transactions conducted at CRMs, with the exception of deposits. The interchange fees for CRMs match those of ATMs: Rs 17 for financial and Rs 6 for non-financial transactions.
As of January 2025, India has 1,30,902 on-site and 85,804 off-site ATMs and CRMs nationwide. Customers are encouraged to make informed decisions regarding their cash withdrawals and consider digital banking options to avoid rising transaction fees.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Dubai Eye
14 hours ago
- Dubai Eye
Air India warned for breaching pilots' flight duty timings
India's aviation watchdog has issued a warning to Air India for "repeated and serious violations" related to pilot duty scheduling and oversight, according to government directives reviewed by Reuters on Saturday. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) directed Air India to remove three company executives from crew scheduling roles - a divisional vice president, a chief manager of crew scheduling and one planning executive - for lapses linked to flights from Bengaluru to London on May 16 and May 17 that exceeded the stipulated pilot flight time limit of 10 hours. The June 20 order cited "systemic failures in scheduling protocol and oversights" and criticised the lack of strict disciplinary measures against responsible officials. The latest action by the aviation authority against the airline is unrelated to this month's crash of an Air India Boeing plane that killed all but one of the 242 people onboard but signal heightened scrutiny of the airline. On Thursday, Reuters reported the authorities had also warned Air India for breaching safety rules after three of its Airbus planes flew despite being overdue for checks on emergency equipment of escape slides. The latest order by assistant director of operations at the DGCA, Himanshu Srivastava, said: "Of particular concern is the absence of strict disciplinary measures against key officials directly responsible." In a statement to Reuters, Air India said it has implemented the DGCA order and in the interim, the company's chief operations officer will provide direct oversight to the Integrated Operations Control Centre. "Air India is committed to ensuring that there is total adherence to safety protocols and standard practices," it added. The DGCA stated in its order that Air India had voluntarily disclosed the violations. Air India was taken over by the Tata Group in 2022 and faces many challenges in its attempts to rebuild its image, after years of criticism from travellers for poor service. The Indian regulator, like many abroad, often fines airlines for compliance lapses. India's government in February told parliament that authorities had warned or fined airlines in 23 instances for safety violations last year. Around half of them - 12 - involved Air India and Air India Express. The biggest fine was $127,000 on Air India for "insufficient oxygen on board" during some international flights.
Gulf Today
2 days ago
- Gulf Today
Maersk halts stops in Israel's Haifa due to Iran-Israel conflict
Danish shipping giant Maersk announced on Friday that it was temporarily suspending vessel calls in Israel's Haifa port due to the country's conflict with Iran. Maersk said it made the decision after "careful analysis of threat risk reports in the context of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, specifically regarding the potential risks of calling Israeli ports and the ensuing implications for the safety of our vessel crews". "At the moment we are not experiencing further disruptions to our scheduled operations in the region," it added in a statement. The conflict erupted a week ago when Israel launched air strikes on Iran, saying its arch foe was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon. The Danish company said it had not experienced any further disruptions to its scheduled operations in the region. Haifa port, which was privatized in 2022, is owned 70% by India's Adani Ports while the remaining 30% is held by Israel's Gadot Group. Adani Ports is the ports operating arm of Adani Group, led by billionaire Gautam Adani. Including Haifa port, the company operates four ports outside Indian waters. A spokesperson for the Adani Group did not immediately respond to Reuters' email and text messages requesting comment. Israel has been hitting Iran from the air since last Friday in what it describes as an effort to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran has denied plans to develop such weapons and has retaliated by launching counterstrikes on Israel. On Thursday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said it had launched combined missile and drone attacks at military and industrial sites linked to Israel's defence industry in Haifa and Tel Aviv. Agencies
Campaign ME
2 days ago
- Campaign ME
Ranveer Singh enters the chat to promote Experience Abu Dhabi
Experience Abu Dhabi has launched a campaign targeting Indian travellers, starring Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh and set entirely within the familiar digital setting of a family WhatsApp group chat. The campaign brings to life a behavioural truth: most Indian family holidays begin not at a travel agency or with a Google search – but with a message to the family group. With more than 500 million active users, India is WhatsApp's largest market globally, making it a natural storytelling platform for the campaign's concept. The campaign was developed by Serviceplan Middle East and produced by Déjà vu. It was supported by Spark Foundry, Ogilvy India and Memac Ogilvy. The video opens with Singh seated at a family dining table, excitedly announcing a holiday in Abu Dhabi. One by one, other family members begin to appear – both at the table and in the group chat – mirroring the way Indian families often plan trips through emojis, voice notes, and back-and-forth banter. Characters include a tech-challenged auntie who's always typing but never sending, a good-morning-forwarding uncle, and the younger, Gen Z cousins with cool filters and hotter takes. As each character weighs in, scenes shift fluidly from chat to real-world, showcasing what Abu Dhabi has to offer for every family member – from luxury shopping and theme parks to street food and serene beaches. The film closes with a cheerful CTA from Singh: 'Habibis, so when are you going to Abu Dhabi?' Beyond the film, the campaign extended into digital touchpoints with custom WhatsApp sticker packs featuring Ranveer Singh in playful poses and travel-themed captions like 'Flight mode: on' and 'No kaam, only araam. #InAbuDhabi.' These stickers were designed to organically integrate into Indian WhatsApp conversations, reinforcing both recall and relatability. 'A family holiday is not an easy agreement. Options are proposed, drafted like resolutions, debated in group chats, amended mid-call, and sometimes vetoed by the youngest delegate with the biggest opinions,' said Sajju Ambat, Director of Creative Strategy and Insights. The Ranveer Singh campaign recorded over 143 million impressions, 18.5 million video views, and 254,000 engagements across digital and social channels – highlighting the value of insight-led, culturally resonant creative in travel marketing. Credits Agency – Serviceplan Middle East Executive Creative Director: Nishant Shah Creative Director: Andre Couto Associate Creative Director: Kunal Gagwani Copywriter – Mariyam Maroof Senior Producer: Geetika Sood Junior Production Manager: Saquib Wakankar Business Director: Solange Constantin Account Manager: Mohamad Saboury Production House – Déjà vu Executive Producer – Manasvi Gosalia Head of Production – Kavya Iyer Producer – Nadine Gibbs Head of Postproduction – Rafic Sawaya Post Producer – Adnan Plummer Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi H.E. Nouf Mohamed Al-Boushelaibi – Executive Director of Strategic Marketing & Communications at The Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi Imane Zebrini – Special Projects Lead, Strategic Communications Department Kenneth Daniel Monis – Acting Destination Marketing Section Head Ghadeer Khub – Creative & Production Department Director at The Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi Emma Campbell – Sector Marketing Director and Acting Director of Strategic Communications at The Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi Nada Assaf – Campaigns Section Head at The Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi Mohamed ElShorafa – Campaigns Unit Head at The Department at The Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi Zain Variawa – Acting Media Planning Unit Head Ady Badawi – Media Planning Specialist Nishita Virkar – Consumer Communications Section Head Muhimma Alriyami – Consumer PR Specialist Spark Foundry Skander Naaman – Media Manager Asad Khan – Senior Executive Anilyn Abitria – Media Executive Anees Abdul Rehman – Senior Executive Frankie Warren – Senior Media Manager Vedrana Strong – Associate Business Director Ogilvy India Arneeta Vasudeva – National Head – PR & Influence Nakul Sagar – Partner – PR & Influence Hetika Gala – Associate Partner – PR & Influence Laksh Kapri – Sr. Consultant – PR & Influence Memac Ogilvy Sarah Edwards – Managing Partner Lameez Mohd – Senior Account Director Mina Kiwan – Media Relations Director Zainab Damji – Senior English Editor Aamina Mohamed – Senior Account Manager Rami Farrah – Senior Account Executive Nayla Ibrahim – Account Executive
