ICICI Bank vs Bandhan Bank: Children’s Savings Accounts
ICICI Bank has two dedicated children’s accounts called the Young Stars Account and Smart Star Savings Account. Bandhan Bank does not offer a dedicated children’s savings account but it does offer its standard savings account to minors.
Children’s Savings Accounts from ICICI Bank
India’s second largest private sector bank offers two dedicated children’s accounts called the Young Stars Account and Smart Star Savings Account.
Young Stars Account
The account can be opened by a parent or guardian for the child who is between the ages of 1 day old and 18 years
Features
- The children get a debit card with per day limit of 2,500 for ATM and POS transactions (A caveat here: the wording on the site is not clear if the limit is Rs. 2,500 or Rs. 5,000 but the FAQs section of the account puts the limit as Rs. 2,500 (for withdrawal and spends?)
- The Young Star – Minor Under Guardianship Account has no transaction limit
- The card has a Zero Liability feature that protects against unauthorised transactions if the card is lost or misplaced provided the same is communicated to the bank within 15 days
- Kids can earn 1 reward point for every Rs. 200 spent on the card
- The minimum monthly average balance needed for the Young Stars Account is Rs. 2,500. The charges in case of non-maintenance of this minimum amount is 5% of the shortfall
- Parents can put in standing instructions to debit money directly from their account to the kid’s account
- The account has a Money Multiplier facility or the sweep in-sweep out option to put the money in a fixed deposit if the amount crosses a certain limit
Smart Star Savings Account
The account is available for kids above 10 years and up to 18 years of age to open and operate independently on their own. It comes in two options. More on the second point in the features below. Most of the features and fees and charges are same as the Young Stars Account
Features
- The account comes in two variants – with guardian consent and without guardian consent. In the former case, the account will have a limit of Rs. 2 lakh on debit transaction every fiscal. If the account does not have guardian consent, this limit is Rs. 50,000
- Accountholders get a debit card with per day limit of 5,000 each for ATM and POS transactions
- As with Young Stars Account, the card for Smart Star Savings Account has the Zero Liability feature that insures against unauthorised transactions if the card is lost, stolen or misplaced if the bank is told of the same within 15 days
- Even here, the child earns 1 reward point for every Rs. 200 spent through the card
- The minimum monthly average balance is also same at Rs. 2,500 and so are the fees for non-maintenance of this minimum amount
Children’s Savings Accounts from Bandhan Bank
Bandhan Bank is one of the most promising upcoming banks in India but it does not provide a dedicated children’s savings account. However, from a perusal of the account opening form, it appears the bank allows individuals to open and operate minor accounts. It also offers the option for minors above 10 years of age to open and maintain the account under their own name.
Standard Savings Account
Since it does not offer a dedicated children’s account (from a reading of the accounts in the bank’s website), here is a look at some features of the bank’s standard savings account.
Features
- The account holder needs a monthly average balance of Rs. 5,000
- One can deposit up to Rs. 5 lakh for free per month
- Offers chequebook of 20 leaves per month for free which is more than the usual practice of offering one every quarter by most banks
- Offers 5 free withdrawals at ATMs of other banks
Reference Facts
- ICICI Bank Website: www.icicibank.com
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Call Centre Number: 1800 200 3344, 1800-103-8181 (Private Banking). Has specific number for different cities
- Bandhan Bank Website: www.bandhanbank.com
- Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal
- Call Centre Number: 1800 258 8181