SBI plans ATM-fee waiver during Sept. 28-30 bank strike as digital payments remain live
SBI says it will waive ATM transaction charges across bank ATMs during the three-day strike. UPI, IMPS, NEFT and RTGS are expected to remain available, offering continuity for merchants and consumers even as branch access may be disrupted.
What happened
State Bank of India (SBI) · SBI will waive ATM transaction charges across all bank ATMs during the September 28-30 bank strike. UPI, IMPS, NEFT and RTGS will
Key facts
- September 27, 2026
- September 28-30, 2026
- October 26, 2026
- 3-day strike
Why this matters
The event strengthens the strategic case for partnerships with payment platforms and cash-access networks that can preserve merchant transaction continuity when bank branches are unavailable.
What to watch
- Confirmation, scope and geographic coverage of the Sept. 28-30 strike.
- ATM cash-out rates, replenishment exceptions and transaction-decline data by city.
- UPI success rates, payment-pending complaints and bank-app outage reports.
- Merchant settlement timing, especially for smaller acquirers and cash-heavy sellers.
- Consumer search and social activity around ATM availability, cash withdrawal limits and payment outages.
- Confirm payment-router capacity, UPI fallback flows and store-level procedures for transaction reversals or delayed confirmations.
- Increase cash-on-hand, change float and armored-cash monitoring at high-cash stores, especially grocery, fuel, pharmacy and transit-adjacent locations.
- Promote UPI and card acceptance prominently at checkout; ensure QR codes, static backup QR signage and staff guidance are available.
- Monitor cash-only supplier and marketplace-seller exposure, as bank-branch disruption may delay deposits, collections or settlement-related workflows.
- Avoid relying on branch-dependent activities such as urgent cash deposits, cheque handling or manual banking service during the strike window.