HDFC Bank clarifies that its recent change to AMB rules will apply only to new savings accounts

HDFC Bank has clarified that its recent change to minimum balance rules will apply only to new savings accounts opened from August 1, 2025, and will not affect existing customers.

Under the revised structure, new customers in metro and urban branches will need to maintain a minimum average monthly balance (AMB) of ₹25,000, up from the earlier ₹10,000. For semi-urban branches, the AMB requirement has also been set at ₹25,000, compared to the previous ₹5,000. In rural branches, the new minimum is ₹10,000, up from ₹5,000.

For accounts opened before August 1, the old requirements remain in place — ₹10,000 for urban branches, ₹5,000 for semi-urban, and ₹5,000 for rural.

Salary accounts and Basic Savings Bank Deposit Accounts (BSBDA) are exempt from maintaining any minimum balance and will continue as zero-balance accounts.

HDFC Bank’s move comes after ICICI Bank also raised its minimum balance requirement for new accounts, while many public sector banks such as SBI and PNB have reduced or removed such requirements to attract customers. The Reserve Bank of India has said that setting minimum balance rules is a commercial decision left to individual banks.