Banks in India cannot upgrade their customer’s account into a premium account without their consent, according to Bank of India-backed Abhay Credit Counselling Centre chief credit counsellor VN Kulkarni.

If customers’ accounts have been upgraded into a premium account with high balance and imposed charges for not maintaining minimum funds in the account, the banks will have to refund the customer.

Kulkarni was quoted by The Times of India as saying that the consent of a customer is absolutely necessary before converting to an account into a premium account with higher balance requirement.

According to banks, the upgrade is not done automatically, but is performed by bank employees to achieve their targets to open a certain number of premium accounts.

The banker would upgrade those accounts which meet the criteria for premium accounts.

Kulkarni, however, said this is not proper practice.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

"There is no way that the banker can know on how long the individual is going to maintain the required balance," he added.