An account passbook is a booklet that lets you update the account transactions. It is a reference book that lets you track your transactions.
What you pay and what you receive will be reflected there, along with other charges details.
Presently, we have seen that banks are coming up with digital passbooks too. One such instance is the mPassbook of the State Bank of India.
An account passbook is an integral part of owning a savings bank account. Without it, you may face certain issues. To cite an example, there are various institutes and government bodies that require your passbook. It may be while applying for VISA, Aadhaar card, etc.
Account passbooks are not the kind of thing you use daily, and sometimes they get lost due to our poor safekeeping.
A Bank Account Passbook is a pocket-sized booklet that allows you to record you banking transactions. Aside this, it contains your personal details such as your name, address, bank codes, IFSC code, MICR code, Branch code and email adress etc.
It’s common to lose a passbook. It may be accidental, or you may not be able to remember where you kept it. Whatever it is, If you have lost it, what should you do?
So, here’s the process of getting a new passbook if such an incident occurs to you.
- Write an application to your bank
- Produce documents as requested by your bank
- Let your bank verify that it’s your account
- Get your duplicate passbook
Write an application letter to your bank
It is the initial step that you need to take. While writing an application, do not forget to mention the reason for needing a duplicate passbook.
Other requirements are your account number and your signature, as per the bank’s database. Put it in your application and submit it to the concerned staff.
You may directly hand it over to the manager in charge if you want to.
Required Documents to Obtain Duplicate Passbook
Not many documents are required to be submitted to get a new passbook. Banks usually need these documents to establish ownership of the account.
We called them KYC (Know Your Customer) documents, which may include your Aadhaar card, voter card, driver’s license, or passport as per RBI KYC guidelines.
Submit it along with your application letter. And yes, you need to sign every document that you produce.
How do I get a duplicate passbook?
The bank normally asks for proof that you have lost your passbook.
When you submit your application letter for a new passbook, the bank will verify your details, such as KYC documents, and issue you a duplicate passbook.
A Duplicate Passbook may come at a Cost
Getting a duplicate passbook might cost you a few bucks. In most of the popular banks in India, the duplicate passbook issue charge ranges from ₹ 75 to ₹ 100 plus GST.
In urban centres, banks charge ₹ 100 plus GST, whereas in rural and semi-urban areas, it may cost a bit less.
You may refer to the chart below, which contains indicative figures of a few popular banks in India
| Popular Bank | Duplicate Passbook Issue Charge |
|---|---|
| State Bank of India | ₹ 100 plus GST |
| ICICI Bank | It depends on the type of account |
| HDFC Bank | ₹ 100 |
| Others | ₹ 100 is the duplicate passbook issue charge in most banks. Some banks may even charge less in rural areas. |
What if you can’t remember the Account Number?
Surprisingly, it does happen. Not all of us can remember those huge numbers. What if you cannot remember your bank account number yet need a passbook?
If you have lost your passbook and do not remember the account number, you can still get a duplicate passbook.
Seek advice from your bank in this regard. Tell them you have lost your account passbook, and there is no way that you could get the account number.
Your bank account number may be required while lodging an FIR or flashing in the newspaper. You may even need the account number or CIF/customer ID number when writing an application to the bank to request a new one.
However, there is a way to address the issue. All you need to do is let the bank verify you.
Through your mobile number or your PAN number, your account number can be traced by your bank. But to get it done, you may need to provide your KYC. A valid ID card with an address properly mentioned on it would work.
The concerned bank staff will initiate establishing your identification with the records that they have. After due verification, they might provide you with the details.
Once you get the account number, follow the above-mentioned process for getting a duplicate passbook.
How long will it take to get the new passbook?
If all your documents are proper and the bank is able to verify and satisfy them, your duplicate passbook may be delivered to you within a few minutes.
The problem arises when the account holder is unable to be present due to personal issues. The bank’s instructions suggest that to obtain a duplicate passbook, the consumer’s physical presence is required at any cost.
As such, it’s better to wait and find a suitable time to visit yourself to get a duplicate passbook.
Alternatives to using an Account Passbook
Yes, there is an alternative to using an account passbook. As such, most banks now have an e-passbook.
An e-passbook is a digital passbook. It comes with a mobile application for Internet banking. SBI YONO lite has a facility called mPassbook, which enables you to maintain an account passbook digitally.
Another means of handling your bank account is online banking. Passbooks are meant to track your account balance by updating at regular intervals. This can be achieved with Internet banking.
Internet banking not only allows you to check your account balance, but you can do a whole lot of banking transactions with it. From downloading bank account statements to transactions of any sort, you can do it with Netbanking at home.
Instead of replacing a passbook, you can download the account statement every month through Internet Banking and archive it locally on your hard drive.
Or you can mandate the bank to send you the statement of account every month via your registered email.
Why do people rely on Bank Account Passbooks?
It’s the sense of longing that people have. But mostly old-generation folks prefer a printed form of passbook. It is evident that most of the younger generations do not rely on the passbook anymore.
They prefer digital mode to check the account update. As such, online banking is available 24/7 throughout the year. This made maintaining a physical passbook somewhat obsolete.
Another reason why people still stick to printed passbooks is that there are a number of agencies, government departments, and schools and colleges that require passbooks for verification of account details for various purposes.
So, before we conclude the post, here are some of the beneficial books and ebooks on wealth creation and financial growth. Check out those links.
Conclusion
When you have lost your SBI Bank Account Passbook, you can apply for a duplicate one at any time. It’s natural to lose things, and losing a passbook is quite common. It could happen to you too. When such a thing occurs, you can apply for a new one by following these simple steps.
- Write an application to the bank about the requirement of a duplicate passbook.
- Let the bank verify your credentials.
- Provide all the KYC details that your bank asks for.
- Get the new passbook on the same day.
It’s kind of easy to apply for it, but most consumers perceive it to be lengthy. For effective assistance, please use the appropriate channel to submit your requirements to the bank staff.
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