IndusInd Bank vs ICICI Bank: Children’s Savings Accounts
IndusInd Bank offers a dedicated children’s account called the Indus Young Saver account. ICICI Bank has two dedicated children’s accounts called the Young Stars Account and Smart Star Savings Account.
Children’s Savings Accounts from IndusInd Bank
IndusInd Bank, originally a bank focussed on the non-resident Indian community, has now become one of the leading private sector banks in India. It offers a dedicated children’s account called the Indus Young Saver account.
Indus Young Saver Account
The account helps parents get an optimal mix of savings and investment options for their children.
Features
- Can be opened under the parent’s name as a guardian account or under the child’s name if she has crossed the 12 years age limit
- The account needs an average monthly balance of Rs. 5,000, which can be waived off if it is linked to a privilege account of the parent or there is a recurring deposit of at least Rs. 2,500 every month
- Children with an Indus Young Saver Account get a personalised debit card if they are over 12 years of age
- Even the chequebook can have the child’s name
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
Reference Facts
- IndusInd Bank Website: www.indusind.com
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Call Centre Number: 1860 500 5004, 1860 267 7777 (Credit Cards)
- 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