Kotak Mahindra Bank To Charge SMS Alert Fee From December 2025
Starting December 2025, Kotak Mahindra Bank will implement nominal charges for SMS alerts on Savings and Salary accounts. Customers will be charged ₹0.15 per SMS after the first 30 free alerts each month.
Key Takeaways
- ₹0.15 per SMS charge after 30 free monthly alerts
- Waiver for accounts maintaining ₹10,000 balance (₹5,000 for 811 accounts)
- Multiple account types completely exempt from charges
Transaction Alerts Covered
The SMS alerts cover crucial banking activities including UPI, NEFT, RTGS, and IMPS transfers, ATM withdrawals, cash deposits, cheque clearances, and debit/credit card transactions.
Balance-Based Waiver
Customers maintaining account balances of ₹10,000 (or ₹5,000 for 811 accounts) will be exempt from these SMS charges, providing relief for regular banking customers.
Industry Trend
Kotak Mahindra Bank joins several other banks that have revised their SMS notification policies, citing rising operational costs and the industry shift toward app-based and email notifications.
Exempt Account Types
The following account types are completely excluded from SMS charges:
- Private Banking Program
- Solitaire Program
- 811 Super Savings Account
- Privy League Program (Neon, Platinum, Black)
- Kotak Easy Savings Account
- Non Resident Accounts
- Salary Account for Uniformed Services
- Pragathi Deposits
- Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account (Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana)
- And other specialized accounts
The bank emphasizes the charges are nominal but acknowledges they may affect customers who prefer text alerts over mobile app notifications.
