RTGS Fastest Mode of Transfer

The cheetah, the panther and  the tiger, all belong to the cat family.  However, each one of them have unique as well as similar characteristics, with the cheetah being the fastest terrestrial animal within the kingdom.

Likewise,  within the realm of interbank payment transfers, you have the RTGS, IMPS and NEFT channels,  each with their distinct characteristics and overlapping similarities. However, for payments to the beneficiary's/payee's  account, above ₹ 2lakhs, RTGS is the fastest route to fulfil your requirement.

Backed by the RBI, Real Time Gross Settlements,  customers can avail this channel, everytime ( 24*7*365), everywhere through RTGS enabled bank branches within India.

As the name indicates, the settlement of payments occurs on a real time basis as fund transfer amounts are settled individually on a gross basis without netting,  rather than in batches as in the case of NEFT payment gateway. Consequently, the amount is transferred to the payee's  account within 30 minutes of initiation of payment.

Customers, both retail as well as corporate, can transfer  big ticket/ high value amounts of ₹2 lakh (minimum threshold limit) and above urgently to the payee's  account within 30 minutes through a safe and secure payment gateway, thus eliminating the possibility of losses, thefts, or fraudulent encashment of money.

This facility can be availed free of charge if executed online. However, if fulfilled  via a bank branch, a nominal service charge ( maximum amount capped by the RBI)  is levied on the sender as the payee is not liable to pay any service charge.

Amount                         Service charge*

₹2 Lakh – ₹5 Lakh         upto ₹24.50+GST

₹5 Lakh & above           upto ₹49.50+ GST

*The service charges (₹24.50 and ₹49.50 ) per transaction is capped by the RBI.

Banks may charge service fees lower than the capped amount.

Let us understand the payment process in detail:

You can send money, interbank either 

electronically, via  netbanking channel or physically by visiting your bank branch.

• For using the netbanking channel, simply register yourself for  RTGS services via the bank's official web portal. 
• You can enter the details of the payee, the amount and then validate the payment.
• For a bank branch visit, just  fill up the RTGS form with the payee details and pay the amount in cash or cheque to the bank.

You need to fill in the following fields for fulfilling the payment:

• The exact amount to be debited
• Payee's  details in terms of name, account number, IFSC Code, payee's  bank name and branch.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) :

Q. What are the branch timings for RTGS services?

To avail these services offline through a branch, different banks have maintained their schedule. However, broadly, the timings are:

• Monday to Friday from 10 AM To 3:30 PM
• Saturday ( excluding 2nd and 4th)  from 10 AM To 3:30 PM.

Always remember, via the  online channel ,these services can be availed 24*7*365.

Q. How is  RTGS fund transfer processing different from that of the National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) System?

• One of the major differences between RTGS and NEFT system is that in case of RTGS, the settlement occurs continuously, ie. on a transaction by transaction basis on real time, throughout the day. While in case of NEFT, the transactions are settled in batches with a time lag.So basically, the settlement is on a gross basis while in NEFT it is on a net basis.
• Consequently , RTGS payments happen faster, as the amount is reflected in the payee's  account within 30 minutes of initiation of payment at the remitter's end. On the other hand, NEFT fulfilment is reflected within 2 hours.
• Secondly, the RTGS system has a minimum threshold amount of 2 lakhs. While there is no maximum cap.

On the other hand, NEFT based transfers do not have a minimum cap, however there is  neither  a floor or ceiling cap to be the amount to be transfered.

Q.  Which banks are RTGS-enabled?

You can source the comprehensive list of RTGS-enabled banks from the RBI's official website, http://m.rbi.org.in

Q. Can I delete or undo my RTGS fund transfer?

It  is very important to always check and recheck the payee's  account details and the amount to be transferred as  such payments are non-revocable and final. 

Q. What happens to my RTGS amount In case of an unsuccessful fund transfer?

In such a scenario, where for some reason the beneficiary's account is frozen or  is non-existent, the transaction is reversed and the funds are remitted to the sender's account within an hour of receipt of payment at the beneficiary's branch or before the banking hours conclude, whichever is lesser.

Q. Whom do I connect to incase i face some issues with my RTGS transactions?

In such a scenario, as the first measure, you may contact your bank branch help desk.

As a further step, you could enquire with the customer care desk at RBI at the following address.

The Chief General Manager

Reserve Bank of India

Customer Service Department

1st Floor, Amar Building, Fort

Mumbai – 400 001

Or you may  email at cmgcsd@rbi.org.in

Q. How will I know if my payment transfer is complete?

Once the payment transfer is fulfilled, both the remitter and beneficiary would be notified by their respective banks via their registered credentials, an SMS alert or an email.

Q. What are the relevant fields I need to fill in the RTGS form?

You can either download the form from the bank's website or you could visit your bank branch to fill the required fields such as:

• • Sender/remitter's account details
  • Amount to be remitted
  • Payee/beneficiary  bank and branch name
  • IFSC code of the receiving branch
  • Name of the payee customer
  • Account number of the payee.