HomeCirculars › RBI/2005-06/77

Agency Commission Shift to Per-Transaction Rates

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2005-06/77 · issued 25 Jul 2005 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI revised agency commission for government business from a value-based rate (11.80 paise per Rs.100) to a per-transaction model: Rs.45 for receipts, Rs.50 for payments (non-pension), and Rs.60 for pension payments, effective July 1, 2005.

What changed

The commission structure moved from a percentage of transaction value to a flat fee per transaction. Receipts now earn Rs.45, non-pension payments Rs.50, and pension payments Rs.60 per transaction. The change applies to transactions from July 1, 2005, with a review planned by end-March 2006.

What it means for you

Banks will now earn a fixed amount per government transaction, which could increase revenue for high-volume, low-value transactions but may reduce earnings for large-value ones. Accurate record-keeping of daily branch scrolls is critical, as error scrolls are ineligible. Quality of service, especially for pensioners, will be monitored closely.

Historical instruction — do not use for current compliance. This is what was required at the time; it no longer reflects current RBI requirements. If no replacement rule is linked above, that only means none is recorded on our register yet — it does not prove no later applicable rule exists. Confirm on the official RBI source below.

What banks were required to do at the time

Who it affects

State Bank of India and its associates, All nationalised banks, HDFC Bank Ltd., ICICI Bank Ltd., UTI Bank Ltd., IDBI Ltd., Jammu & Kashmir Bank Ltd.

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).

What is the effective date for the new agency commission rates?

The new per-transaction rates apply to transactions from July 1, 2005 onwards, with the transaction date based on cheque/draft realization or cash deposit.

How will the number of transactions be calculated for commission?

The daily branch scroll submitted to Government Accounting authorities will be used to count transactions. Transactions reported in 'Error scrolls' are not eligible for commission.

Will there be any changes to PPF transaction commissions?

A separate review for Public Provident Fund (PPF) transactions is underway in consultation with the Government of India, with a detailed communication to follow.

📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)
Consolidated into Master Circular on Agency Commission for Government Business
RBI’s words: “RBI/2005-06/77 (Ref:DGBA.GAD. No. 379/31.12.010 (C)/2005-06) dated July 25, 2005”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2005-06/77 DGBA.GAD.No. 379 /31.12.010(C)/2005-06 July 25, 2005 The Chairman and Managing Director / Managing Director State Bank of India and its Associates/ All Nationalised Banks / HDFC Bank Ltd. / ICICI Bank Ltd./ UTI Bank Ltd./ IDBI Ltd./ Jammu & Kashmir Bank Ltd. Dear Sir, Conduct of Government Business – Agency Commission – Revision of Rates As you are aware, the agency banks are at present being paid a commission of 11.80 paise per Rs.100/- of Government transactions (receipts and payments). In this connection, we refer to our letter DO.DGBA.GAD.No. 3/31.12.010(C)/2005-06 dated July 8, 2005, proposing modifications in the method of calculation as well as the rates of agency commission and seeking banks' comments in this regard. After deliberations, it has now been decided to prescribe the rates of agency commission payable to banks as under based on number of transactions instead of value of transactions, as at present: a) Receipts …. Rs.45/- per transaction b) Payments other than pension …. Rs.50/- per transaction c) Pension payments …. Rs.60/- per transaction 2. The above rates will be effective in respect of transactions from July 1, 2005 and onwards. The date of realization of cheque/draft etc. as also deposit of cash will be treated as the date of transaction. A review of the rates will be taken up by end-March 2006. Based on the review, the agency commission rates may be revised either upwards or downwards depending on the analysis thereof. 3. As the agency commission is payable on per transaction basis, you are advised to maintain necessary records for claiming such commission which shall be made available to Reserve Bank or its authorized agencies for verification at any point of time. For calculating the number of transactions, the daily branch scroll rendered to the Government Accounting authorities will be reckoned. Transactions reported in the ‘Error scrolls’ shall not be eligible for agency commission. The instructions issued by us in regard to the bank’s own statutory liability for recovery/payment of various taxes as an assessee remain unchanged. Prescribed certificate to this effect should be furnished by the banks while claiming the commission. 4. As regards continuance of payment of agency commission in regard to Public Provident Fund (PPF) transactions, a separate review has been taken up in consultation with Government of India. A detailed communication will follow in this regard. 5. It may be carefully noted that quality of service rendered by agency banks will be monitored by RBI with special emphasis on service rendered by banks to pensioners. Please acknowledge receipt. Yours faithfully, (Prabal Sen) Chief General Manager-in-Charge
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2005-06/77 · issued 25 Jul 2005. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
🧰 Tools — save, print, templates & related

💬 Banker Discussion

Discuss this circular with fellow bankers — reply, upvote what helps, report what doesn’t belong. Be professional; no client data. Views are the commenter’s own, not BankPulse’s.

Loading comments…
BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 05 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly).
Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=2390&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
Public beta — plain-English informational summaries. Always verify against the official RBI source (circular number cited on every page) before making compliance, credit, treasury, audit, or operational decisions. · Join our WhatsApp channel ↗