Zero Balance Freedom by PNB: Now no penalty will be charged for not maintaining Minimum Average Balance (MAB) in any savings account of the bank.
Zero Balance Freedom by PNB: Giving relief to millions of customers of the country, Punjab National Bank (PNB) has taken an important decision. Now no penalty will be charged for not maintaining the minimum average balance (MAB) in any savings account of the bank. This rule has come into effect from July 1, 2025.
Now running an account has become easier
This step will provide great relief especially to women, farmers, elderly and low-income group people, who earlier had to maintain some amount in the account for fear of it being closed. Now they will be able to use the account without any worry, even if the balance in it is zero.
PNB became the second bank in the country
PNB is the second government bank in the country to give this relief. Earlier, Canara Bank had removed the condition of minimum balance on its savings accounts in June 2025. Now PNB customers will also be able to run zero balance accounts without any additional charge.
What is MAB i.e. Minimum Average Balance?
MAB means that an average amount should remain in your account every month. If that amount decreases, the bank charges a penalty.
For example, if a bank has a condition that there should be an average of ₹ 5,000 in the account every month and your balance is less than that, then the bank charges a penalty.
But now this condition has been removed in PNB and Canara Bank.
Which accounts will get direct benefit?
This decision of PNB will benefit all the savings account holders, which include:
- Regular savings account
- Salary account
- NRI savings account
This will encourage more people to adopt banking and banking services will reach those people also who were left behind till now only due to balance conditions.
Are all charges abolished?
No, only the minimum balance penalty has been removed. Some charges will still apply:
SMS alert charges:
The bank sends SMS to inform about transactions in accounts. A nominal fee is charged for this.
ATM transaction charges:
5 ATM transactions (like cash withdrawal, balance check) are free every month.
After this, every additional transaction will be charged ₹23.
What should customers do?
If you have a savings account in PNB, then now you can operate the account without worrying about the minimum balance.
If you have not opened an account yet, then this is a good opportunity to open an account in PNB.
Keep an eye on SMS and ATM transaction limits to avoid unexpected charges.
