SBI vs Punjab and Sind Bank: Children’s Savings Accounts

SBI vs Punjab and Sind Bank: Children’s Savings Accounts

SBI offers two children’s savings accounts, Pehla Kadam and Pehli Udaan while Punjab and Sind Bank does not offer a dedicated children’s savings account.

Children’s Savings Accounts from SBI

Pehla Kadam

This account is meant for all children and may be opened jointly with a parent or guardian.

Features

  • There are no minimum balance requirements in this account
  • There is a limit of Rs. 5,000 on daily transactions. Transactions such as bill payments, prepaid mobile top-ups have a limit of Rs. 2,000 within the Rs. 5,000 limit
  • SBI offers an auto-sweep option with this account called SBI Multi Option Deposit Scheme (MODS). If the accountholders opt for this, then any amount above Rs. 20,000 in the account is put in a term deposit. The MOD is initially for a sum of Rs. 10,000 and in Rs. 1,000 multiples thereafter. As is common for banks, there is no clarity on the website if the auto-sweep facility kicks in if the account has a balance of Rs. 30,000
  • There is a cap of Rs. 10 lakh on the maximum balance in a Pehla Kadam account
  • The kid is eligible to get a specially branded chequebook and passbook, and also a personalised debit card with her own photo

Note: The links to specific accounts may not work. The above data was taken from internet searches. We have put the links here in the hope that they work some day. Even the WayBack Machine shows an error when we tried to pull a page from July 5, 2017.

Pehli Udaan

The account is meant for kids above 10 years of age. They are allowed to open and operate the account on their own.

Features

  • As mentioned, any child above the age of 10 years who can read and write, may open the account in her own name without the need for any parent or guardian
  • Except for the age criteria, the other features of the Pehli Udaan account are same as for the Pehli Kadam account

Children’s Savings Accounts from Punjab and Sind Bank

The bank does not offer any children centric savings account, though its website does say that student beneficiaries of Government schemes can open a Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account.

Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account

This account as the name suggests is a basic savings account with some minimum levels of savings account services.

Features

  • There is no minimum balance requirement
  • Students who are beneficiaries of Government schemes can open the account with an initial deposit of Rs.10 only
  • Account holders can make up to four withdrawals in a month though there is no limit on the number of deposits

Savings Bank Account

Though it is not mentioned specifically, it is likely that the bank offers its savings account for minors also jointly with a parent or guardian.

Features

  • Has a minimum balance requirement of Rs. 500 for rural branches and urban ones that do not need a chequebook. Urban account holders who need chequebooks need to keep a minimum balance of Rs. 1,000
  • Accountholders cannot make more than 50 withdrawals every half year

Reference Facts

  • State Bank of India Website: https://sbi.co.in and www.onlinesbi.com (net banking)
  • Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
  • Call Centre Number: 1800 425 3800, 1800 112 211, 1800 110 009 (pensioners only)
  • Punjab & Sind Bank Website: www.psbindia.com
  • Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi
  • Call Centre Number: 1800 419 8300