If you have opened an account only recently and planning to close it, then you need to think twice as there are charges levied on early closure of the account.

Yes, banks do charge for closing an account early as they would have incurred some expenses to open an account which includes providing cheque book and other documents along with your welcome kit.

If you close your account within one year normally a bank cannot recover the cost of opening an account.

Account closure charges are applicable for accounts between 14 days to 6 months or upto one year. Most of banks mention that they don't charge a fee after one year.

Charges differ depending on the bank and type of account you hold. In some cases, it is as low Rs 100, but private sector are known to charge anywhere between Rs 250 and Rs 1,000. HDFC Bank charges a fee of Rs 500.

Well, to some extent it is fair to charge provided charges are reasonable. While, a customer should not seem like punishment or make profit out of the process.

As always government banks in India may not levy early closure charges, though one needs to check with individual banks. The is no fixed guidelines when it come to charges and as is the case with some many other rules, banks decide on their own.

So, before you open an account it's always advisable to check all the charges applicable, especially as private banks tend to charge on almost all of their services

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