Master Circular on Customer Service in Banks – July 2013
No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/69 · issued 01 Jul 2013 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI consolidated all customer service instructions up to June 30, 2013 into a single Master Circular. Banks must ensure copies are available at all branches for customer reference. Key areas include deposit policies, grievance redressal, ATM complaints, and financial inclusion.
What changed
RBI updated the previous Master Circular (July 2012) by incorporating all customer service instructions issued up to June 30, 2013. The new circular consolidates and supersedes earlier circulars listed in its appendix. Banks are now required to keep a physical copy at every branch for customer perusal.
What it means for you
Banks must align their branch-level customer service practices with the updated circular, covering areas like deposit account operations, cheque collection, and ATM dispute timelines. The requirement to display the circular at branches increases transparency and may lead to more customer queries. Lenders should review their internal policies to ensure compliance with the latest RBI directives.
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
Distribute the updated Master Circular to all branches and ensure a copy is available for customer viewing.
Review and update your bank's Board-approved policies (e.g., Deposit Policy, Cheque Collection Policy, Grievance Redressal Policy) to align with the circular.
Train branch staff on key changes, especially regarding ATM complaint lodging, passbook issuance, and basic savings account rules.
Ensure nodal departments for customer service are functional and reporting to the Board's Customer Service Committee.
Who it affects
All scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs), Branch managers and customer service teams, Board-level Customer Service Committees, Deposit operations and cheque processing departments
❓ Common questions
Regulatory timeline
Decoded by BankPulse2026-06-18 14:42 IST
Status change: withdrawn03 Aug 2026, 04:00 IST
Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).
Does this circular replace all earlier customer service instructions?
Yes, this Master Circular consolidates and updates all instructions issued up to June 30, 2013, as listed in its appendix. Earlier circulars are superseded.
Are banks required to keep a physical copy at every branch?
Yes, paragraph 3 of the circular explicitly advises banks to ensure copies are available in all branches so customers can peruse them.
What are the key policy areas covered in this circular?
The circular covers Board-approved policies on deposits, cheque collection, customer compensation, and grievance redressal, along with financial inclusion, ATM operations, and service charges.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2013-14/69
DBOD No.Leg.BC. 22/09.07.006/2013-14
July 1, 2013
Ashadha 10, 1935
All Scheduled Commercial Banks
(Excluding RRBs)
Dear Sir,
Master Circular on Customer Service in Banks
Please refer to the Master Circular DBOD.No.Leg.BC. 21/09.07.006/2012-13 dated July 02, 2012 consolidating many of the important instructions issued by us in the area of customer service up to June 30, 2012. The Master Circular has been suitably updated by incorporating the instructions issued up to June 30, 2013 and has also been placed on the RBI website ( http://www.rbi.org.in ). A copy of the Master Circular is enclosed.
2. It may be noted that the Master Circular consolidates and updates all the instructions contained in the circulars listed in the Appendix to the Master Circular.
3. Banks are also advised to ensure that copies of the circular are available in all their branches so that the customers can peruse the same.
Yours faithfully,
(Rajesh Verma)
Chief General Manager
Master Circular on Customer Service
Table of Contents
Para No.
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/69 · issued 01 Jul 2013. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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.
BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 03 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=8131&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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