HomeCirculars › RBI/2012-13/155

RBI Ends IBA's Role in Prescribing Out-of-Pocket Expenses for Banks

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2012-13/155 · issued 01 Aug 2012 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI has decided to discontinue the practice of IBA prescribing out-of-pocket expenses for member banks. Individual banks can now decide their own charges for courier, telecom, and SWIFT, provided they are reasonable and based on actual costs.

What changed

Previously, the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) prescribed out-of-pocket expense rates for member banks. RBI has now decided to do away with that practice, allowing each bank to independently determine and recover these expenses.

What it means for you

Banks gain pricing flexibility for ancillary services like courier and SWIFT, enabling them to align charges with their actual cost structures. However, they must ensure charges remain reasonable and cost-based to avoid customer disputes or regulatory scrutiny.

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

All scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs), Bank operations and treasury departments

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

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

What are out-of-pocket expenses in banking?

They are costs banks incur for specific activities like courier, document dispatch, telecommunications, and SWIFT operations, which are passed on to customers.

Can banks now charge any amount for these expenses?

No, charges must be reasonable and strictly on an actual cost basis. Banks cannot arbitrarily set high fees.

Does this circular apply to Regional Rural Banks (RRBs)?

No, it explicitly excludes RRBs. Only scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs) are covered.

📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)
Repealed by RBI/2025-26/100 — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
RBI’s words: “Official withdrawal register entry #1245: DBOD.DIR.No.34/04.02.001/2012-13 — "Advances - Out of pocket expenses" dated August 1, 2012”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2012-13/155 DBOD.DIR.No.34/04.02.001/2012-13 August 1, 2012 All Scheduled Commercial Banks (Excluding RRBs) Dear Sir / Madam Advances - Out of pocket expenses Please refer to the instructions contained in para 3 of our circular DBOD.No. Dir.BC. 131/C.96-97 dated November 15, 1976 and Note (i) of Annex to RBI Directive DBOD. DIR.BC.No.51/ 04.02.001/2011-12 dated November 15, 2011 on the captioned subject. 2. Hitherto, Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) had been prescribing out of pocket expenses for member banks. IBA has since reviewed the matter in consultation with member banks and it has been observed that out of pocket expenses are linked to actual costs incurred by banks towards specific activities like courier/dispatch of documents, telecommunications and Swift operations and that the rates vary depending on the agencies involved as well as the efficacy of services, which differ from bank to bank. 3. It has, therefore, been decided that the practice of IBA prescribing out of pocket expenses on behalf of member banks should be done away with and the decision to recover out of pocket expenses should be left to the individual banks. Banks are advised that while recovering out of pocket expenses, they should ensure that the charges are reasonable and on an actual cost basis. Yours faithfully (Sudha Damodar) Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2012-13/155 · issued 01 Aug 2012. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=7487&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.
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