State Bank of India has halved the number of free ATM withdrawals its salary account holders can make at other banks’ machines, from 10 to 5 per month, effective October 1. Cross the limit and you will pay for every extra transaction.

The change applies to salary accounts, one of SBI’s largest customer segments. Holders of Basic Savings Bank Deposit Accounts (BSBDA) — the zero-balance accounts aimed at the financially excluded — get four free transactions a month, after which each withdrawal costs ₹15 plus GST.

Banks say the cost of maintaining ATM networks has risen sharply, and interbank transactions carry a fee that SBI has been absorbing. The lender is nudging customers towards its own ATMs, which remain free, and towards digital channels such as YONO and UPI.

Account holders who regularly use other banks’ ATMs should rethink their habits: plan withdrawals in advance, use SBI’s own machines, or switch routine payments to digital modes. With festive-season spending ahead, an unexpected fee on every extra ATM visit is an avoidable hit to the monthly budget.