SBI ATM Charges From 1 October 2026: Salary Accounts Get Only 5 Free Other-Bank ATM Transactions
From 1 October 2026, State Bank of India salary package account holders get only 5 free transactions a month at other banks’ ATMs, down from 10. The cap applies at all centres and counts cash withdrawals and non-financial transactions such as balance enquiries together, according to an SBI public notice listed on the bank’s service charges page. SBI ATM charges beyond the free limit are unchanged at ₹23 plus GST per cash withdrawal and ₹11 plus GST per non-financial transaction.
Transactions at SBI’s own ATMs, cardless cash withdrawals and customers with other types of savings accounts are not affected by this change.
SBI ATM charges from 1 October: what changes
| Item | Until 30 Sep 2026 | From 1 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Free other-bank ATM/ADWM transactions for salary package accounts (all variants) | 10 a month | 5 a month |
| What counts towards the limit | Financial and non-financial, combined | Financial and non-financial, combined |
| Centres | All centres | All centres |
| Charge per cash withdrawal beyond the limit | ₹23 + GST | ₹23 + GST (unchanged) |
| Charge per non-financial transaction beyond the limit | ₹11 + GST | ₹11 + GST (unchanged) |
| SBI own-ATM charges | No change | No change |
| Cardless cash withdrawal | Free, unlimited | Free, unlimited |
Source: SBI public notice on revised ATM/ADWM service charges, listed on the SBI revised service charges page. ADWM stands for automated deposit-cum-withdrawal machine. The change was also reported by CNBC-TV18, The Economic Times, Mint and ABP Live.
Who is affected?
Only customers with an SBI salary package account. The notice says the change applies to all variants of the salary package. If you are unsure whether your account is a salary package account, check your passbook or the account type shown in YONO, or ask your branch.
Customers with regular savings accounts continue under the existing SBI ATM charges. Holders of Basic Savings Bank Deposit (BSBD) accounts get 4 free withdrawals a month, after which SBI charges ₹15 plus GST, The Economic Times and India Today reported. Our explainer on SBI BSBDA cash withdrawal charges covers those accounts in detail.
How much extra could you pay?
Say a salary account holder in a city uses other banks’ ATMs 8 times in a month: 7 cash withdrawals and 1 balance enquiry. Under the old limit of 10, all 8 were free. From October, 5 are free and 3 are charged. The table assumes the chargeable transactions are 2 cash withdrawals and the balance enquiry.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| 2 cash withdrawals × ₹23 | ₹46 |
| 1 balance enquiry × ₹11 | ₹11 |
| GST at 18% | ₹10.26 |
| Total for the month | ₹67.26 |
| Over a year, if the pattern repeats | About ₹807 |
A balance enquiry or mini statement at another bank’s ATM uses up one of the free transactions, just like a withdrawal. Checking your balance on the SBI app or by SMS avoids that.
How the new limit compares with RBI rules
The Reserve Bank of India sets a floor, not a ceiling, for free ATM use. Under its circular on ATM interchange fee and customer charges, updated on 28 March 2025, customers get at least 5 free transactions a month at their own bank’s ATMs, and at least 3 at other banks’ ATMs in metro centres and 5 in non-metro centres, with financial and non-financial transactions counted together. Beyond that, banks may charge up to ₹23 per transaction, plus taxes, from 1 May 2025.
So SBI’s new limit of 5 at other-bank ATMs, applied at all centres, is still above the RBI minimum of 3 in metros and equal to it elsewhere. Salary account holders have lost the extra benefit they had, but they are not below what every bank customer is entitled to.
How to avoid the charges
- Use SBI ATMs. The notice says SBI’s own-ATM charges are unchanged. Mint and ABP Live reported that salary account holders get 10 free transactions a month at SBI ATMs.
- Use YONO cash. Cardless withdrawals at SBI ATMs through YONO remain free and unlimited.
- Pay digitally where you can. Small payments by UPI avoid the need for cash; our guide to UPI Lite and UPI limits explains the caps.
- Withdraw larger amounts less often. Charges are per transaction, not per rupee, so two withdrawals of ₹10,000 cost the same in fees as two of ₹500.
- Move money online instead of in cash. For larger transfers, see our comparison of NEFT, IMPS and RTGS.
If a charge appears on your statement even though you stayed within the free transactions, raise a complaint with SBI first. Keep ATM receipts or note the date and location of each withdrawal so you can check the count. For rules on cash deposits, see our guide to bank cash deposit rules.
FAQ
How many free ATM transactions does an SBI salary account get from 1 October 2026?
5 a month at other banks’ ATMs, at all centres, counting financial and non-financial transactions together. It was 10 until 30 September.
What are SBI ATM charges after the free limit?
₹23 plus GST per cash withdrawal and ₹11 plus GST per non-financial transaction at other banks’ ATMs.
Does this apply to SBI’s own ATMs?
No. SBI says charges at its own ATMs are unchanged, and cardless withdrawals remain free.
The change to SBI ATM charges affects only salary package accounts, and only at other banks’ ATMs.
Disclaimer: Charges are as per SBI’s public notice effective 1 October 2026 and RBI’s ATM circular. The monthly cost example is illustrative. Check the SBI website or your branch for the charges that apply to your account.
