This is a review of ATMs of HDFC Bank.
HDFC Bank is one of the best banks that I have ever been with. The company that I work for has it employees’ salary accounts with HDFC Bank. And so I have my salary account with it.
The ATMs held by HDFC Bank are the worst I have ever seen. They are mostly old and run down, obsolete and hopelessly slow. Once, the ATM took in my card and shut down instantly and I had to get my card back from the bank. Recently, they changed the software and the card is read and sent back out before conducting the transaction. There are very few machines that do not suck the card in.
Off late, HDFC bank ATMs do not dispense 100 rupee notes. Its either Rs 500 or Rs 1000. Nothing less that 500. This is an on going issue and has been happening for almost a year. I complained to HDFC Bank customer service and in two days I received a call stating that that the the bank is not getting minimum quality currency(100 rupee notes) that are suitable for ATMs. But I don’t think that is the case.
Now I have to depend on other bank ATMs for 100 rupee notes and I end up using all my free transactions for non-HDFC Bank ATMs.
All of my friends and colleagues have been facing the same issue. Many of them have complained about this.
I have also heard that HDFC Bank is deliberately doing this to cut down ATM refilling commissions. However, I do not know if this is true.
There have been shortages of 100 rupee notes in the past. Those shortages have been resloved sooner or later. But this shortage for almost a year is definitely deliberate.
I have to say that the best ATM services are of State Bank of India and its affiliates. Their ATMs might be out of cash at times but are never short of 100 rupee notes. Other bank ATMs that are good are South Indian Bank, Federal Bank, Union Bank etc.