ICICI Bank :: NRI :: ACH (e-transfer)

Completely online: You can directly transfer money from your local bank account in the USA to your beneficiary in India. There’s no need for any branch visits or paperwork.
Easy money transfers: Electronic transfers into any ICICI Bank account with over 1300 branches in India Electronic transfers into accounts with over 100 other banks in India.
Electronic transfers into any Visa Debit/ Credit Card account in India Demand Drafts issued and payable at over 2500 locations in India Ready Cash payout from any of the select ICICI Bank branches in India
Online tracking: You can track your request at every stage of the transaction.
Automatic recurring money transfer: You can transfer funds automatically at regular intervals (for example, on a monthly basis).
Speedy transfers: Money is received and processed as per your request in 5 working days.
High limits: You can send up to $5,000 a day for electronic credit into bank accounts and or upto $ 3,000 per day for credits to Visa card accounts* and $3,000 per day for DDs. The weekly limit is $15,000. The weekly limit for credits to a Visa card account* is $ 12,000.

How secure is e-transfer (ACH)?

e-Transfer (ACH) uses state-of-the-art security systems to ensure the privacy of your bank account details and other information provided by you. We use 128-bit SSL technology to transmit your information in an encrypted form.

Please note that ACH is widely used in USA, with over 20,000 banks in USA participating in the ACH network. The popularity of the ACH service can be gauged from the fact that in 2002, there were over 9 billion ACH transactions worth more than $24.4 trillion.

USING e-transfer (ACH)

How do I use e-transfer (ACH)?

To use e-transfer (ACH), you need to go through the following steps:

If you're a first-time user, you need to complete a one-time registration process where you'll have to give details of your local (ACH)bank account in USA.
After registration, there will be a one-time verification of your account details through an account validation process
Once the account validation process is complete and your e-Transfer (ACH) account is in the enabled status on Money2India, you can start using e-Transfer (ACH) to send money to India. You have to enter relevant transaction information like details of the beneficiary, amount to be transferred, one time or a recurring payment etc.
Money2India will process your payment according to the instructions entered on the website.
You will be updated of the status of the transaction by email as well as through updates on the website.

How does the one-time registration process work?

You will need to give the following information of your bank account (ACH) in USA as a one-time activity:

Your bank account number
Your account type (consumer checking or consumer savings account)
Your bank's nine-digit ABA Routing Number

Click here to know more about the registration process

What does the account validation process involve?

You have to complete the account validation process before you can start using the e-transfer (ACH) facility. This is to ensure that only you can transfer money from your account and prevent misuse. You can start using e-transfer (ACH) to send money to India once you complete this process.

Click here to know more about the account validation process

What type of bank accounts in USA can be used for e-Transfer (ACH)?

You can use it if you have a consumer checking account or a consumer savings account with a bank affiliated to the ACH network in USA.

You can also use your consumer money market accounts for online transfers. However, banks in USA treat money market accounts differently in the case of ACH transactions. While some consider it as consumer savings accounts, others treat it as consumer checking accounts. Hence, you'll need to check with your bank in USA, as to how they classify money market accounts and accordingly select either consumer savings account or consumer checking account.

Please note that e-Transfer (ACH) cannot be used for business / commercial bank accounts.

Do I need to be an ICICI Bank customer to use e-transfer (ACH)?

No, you needn’t be an ICICI Bank customer to use e-transfer (ACH). What you need is a valid consumer checking / savings bank account with a bank in USA.

Can I send money to someone who doesn’t have an ICICI Bank account in India?

Yes. e-transfer (ACH) can be used to send money directly into accounts with over 100 other banks participating in the electronic credit facility provided by the Reserve Bank of India or credit to any Visa credit/debit card issued in India OR through request for issuance of Demand Draft payable at over 2500 locations in India.

Is there any limit on the amount I can send through e-transfer (ACH)?

You can send up to $5,000 per day to any bank account or upto $3,000 per day for credits to Visa card accounts* in India or $3,000 per day through a demand draft to a beneficiary who doesn’t have a bank account with ICICI Bank or other bank accounts where we offer the electronic credit facility. In addition, there is a weekly limit of $15,000. The weekly limit for credits to a Visa card account* is $12,000. You can also transfer funds in cash up to $ 850 per transaction. The minimum limit per transaction is $100.

CHARGES FOR USING e-transfer (ACH)

What are the charges for using e-transfer (ACH)?

Nominal charges levied as below:

Remittance Service charge: A nominal USD 2 charge for amounts of USD 1000 or below for electronic credits into bank accounts (over 100 key banks in India), for credit to VISA card accounts and for issuing Demand drafts to over 2500 locations. No remittance service charge applicable for higher amounts.

Ready cash payouts at select ICICI Bank branches in India for a charge of USD 5.

Foreign currency conversion charge: A nominal charge of INR 25 (inclusive of service tax) will be levied on every remittance request where foreign currency conversion* is carried out on or after May 16th 2008. This charge would be deducted from the amount to be paid to the beneficiary.

*The INR 25 (inclusive of service tax)charge will be levied for disbursements in INR currency. For FCNR deposit requests involving currency conversion, there will be a nominal charge of USD 1 (or equivalent of the deposit currency) deducted from the FCNR deposit amount.

Does the beneficiary need to pay any charges?
A nominal charge of INR 25 (inclusive of service tax) will be levied on every remittance request where foreign currency conversion* is carried out on or after May 16th 2008. This charge would be deducted from the amount to be paid to the beneficiary.

*The INR 25 (inclusive of service tax) charge will be levied for disbursements in INR currency. For FCNR deposit requests involving currency conversion, there will be a nominal charge of USD 1 (or equivalent of the deposit currency)deducted from the FCNR deposit amount.

EXCHANGE RATE USED IN e-transfer (ACH)

Where can I check the exchange rate used in e-transfer (ACH)?
e-transfer (ACH) from ICICI Bank Money2India offers you the best exchange rates. You can check indicative exchange rates by clicking on the Exchange Rates link on the Money2India home page.

Please note that the exchange rates displayed on the site are indicative. Actual rates applied while converting the dollar amount transferred by you into Indian rupees may be different from displayed rates because of intra-day movements in the rupee-dollar exchange rate.

Which rate is used to convert the money transferred - the rate applicable on the date of the money transfer request or otherwise?

The exchange rate prevailing on the day the money is credited to the beneficiary's account with ICICI Bank or the money sent for electronic clearing for electronic credit to non-ICICI Bank accounts or the money is sent for credit to a Visa card account* or the demand draft prepared is used to convert the dollar amount into Indian rupees.

ACCOUNT VALIDATION PROCESS

Why is the account validation process carried out?

The bank account details provided by you during the e-transfer (ACH) registration process have to be verified as a security measure. This also ensures that only you can authorise any money transfer from your bank account.

How do I validate my bank account details?

We will initiate three small-value transactions of below $1 each -- two deposits (credits) and one withdrawal (debit) -- to your bank account. The sum of the deposit equals the withdrawal, hence the balance in your bank account remains unaffected. You have to enter the two deposit amounts on the account validation page on our website. You can start using e-transfer (ACH) only if the amounts entered by you are correct.

Please note that you have a maximum of two attempts to enter the correct account validation details. If incorrect details are entered twice, your e-transfer (ACH) account will be temporarily blocked. You can Email us, providing your Money2India login ID, to initiate the account validation process afresh.

Click here to know more about the account validation process.

When are the small-value transactions posted to my to my bank account (ACH) in USA?

The three small-value transactions of below $ 1 each will be posted to your US bank account on the second or third working day from the date of registration for e-transfer (ACH), provided the account details entered by you are correct. You will receive an email from us on the third working day informing you about the detailed account validation process. You’ll have to exclude any holidays (Saturdays, Sundays and any public holidays in India or USA) while calculating the working days.

Where can I check the status of my e-transfer (ACH) account?

You can check the status of your e-transfer (ACH) account by selecting the "e-transfer (ACH) Account(s)" link under Manage on your Services home page after you have logged into money2india using your user ID and password.

When can I enter the account validation details on your website?

You can enter the account validation details after you receive an email from us. This email will give you details of the account validation process and will be sent to you on the third working day from the date of registration for e-transfer (ACH).

Please read the email carefully, as it will help you to complete the account validation process successfully.

Any holidays (Saturdays, Sundays and any public holidays in India or US) have to be excluded while calculating the working days.

How many attempts are allowed while entering the account validation details?

We allow a maximum of two attempts to enter the correct account validation details. If incorrect details are entered twice, your e-transfer (ACH) account will be temporarily blocked. You can Email us, providing your Money2India User ID, to initiate the account validation process afresh.

How do I enter the account validation details?

You only need to enter the two deposit amounts (in any sequence) on our website. For example, if the two deposit amounts are $0.XX and $0.YY , you will have to enter 0.XX and 0.YY in any sequence. You will get two attempts to correctly enter the account validation details.

My bank statement shows only a single deposit. What should I do?

Your bank (ACH) in USA bank might combine the two amounts and show only a single deposit amount in your bank account statement. If this happens, please contact your and request them to provide the exact details of the deposit amounts.

No deposits or withdrawals have been posted to my account, What should I do?

The account validation process cannot be completed successfully if you enter incorrect account details during the e-transfer (ACH) registration process. In such a case, the deposit and withdrawal transactions will not take place, and you will be informed about it through an email.

This may happen because of the following reasons:

The account number you have mentioned is either incorrect or does not match the details held by your bank.
Your bank's ABA routing number is either incorrect or does not match the data stored in the US Federal Reserve database.
The account type (checking/ savings) mentioned by you is either incorrect or does not match the details held by your bank.

In such cases, please contact your bank to find out the correct information.

I have received a mail with a subject line that says “Transaction rejected”. What does it mean?

This might happen when the bank account (ACH) details ( ABA routing number, account number, account type) provided by you while registering for e-transfer (ACH) are incorrect. In such a case, your request is rejected and returned by your bank in USA with the return type "R" and cannot be processed.The same is informed to you through an email.

Click here to know more about "R" type returns.

I have received a mail with a suject line that says "Modify your e-transfer (ACH) details". What does it mean?

This might happen when the bank account (ACH) details (ABA routing number, account number, account type) provided by you while registering for ACH (e-transfer) have changed due to some reason. In such a case, your request is returned by your US bank with the return type "C". The same is informed to you through an email.

Click here to know more about "C" type returns.

PROCESSING AN e-transfer (ACH) TRANSACTION

How does the e-transfer (ACH) process work?

The money is transferred from your bank account on the second or third working day from the request date. Any unpaid requests are expected during the third or fourth working day, and only after this do we make the payment to the beneficiary. We thus receive the money in four-five working days.

If your beneficiary has an account with ICICI Bank, the money is directly transferred to the account on the fifth working day. For electronic credit to non-ICICI Bank accounts or credit to a Visa card accoun*t or DDs, the money is sent for electronic clearing or a DD issued and dispatched in one additional working day after we receive the money within five working days.

You can track the status of your remittance using the Track Your Remittances link under Manage in the Service home page. An email will also be sent to you confirmingthe status of your remittance.

Please note that the timeline excludes banking holidays and weekends in USA and India. Please click here to view the list of Banking holidays in India.

Please note that the day the transaction is initiated will be considered as Day 0.

When is the money transferred from my bank account?

The money is transferred from your bank account on the second or third working day from the date of the money transfer request. Please ensure that your bank account has sufficient funds to cover the money transfer request.

Any holidays (Saturdays, Sundays and any public holidays in India or USA) have to be excluded while calculating the working days.

When is the money paid to the beneficiary?

In case of credits to ICICI Bank accounts, the money is credited to the beneficiary's account with 1 working day of receiving the money.

In case of ready cash, the beneficiary can collect the cash from any of the select ICICI Bank branches in India within 1 working day of receiving the money.

In case of electronic credits to non-ICICI Bank accounts, the funds are sent for electronic clearing facilitated by the Reserve Bank of India, that facilitates electronic transfer of funds. This takes 1 additional working day and typically the beneficiary's bank posts the credit in 1-3 working days.

For credit to a Visa card account* it takes 1 additional working day to send the funds for credit. The card-issuing bank typically processes these fund transfer requests in 3 working days.

In case of Demand Drafts (DDs), they are prepared and dispatched in one additional working day. The DD is dispatched to the beneficiary by courier or registered post depending upon the location. A courier delivery takes about one-four days, while registered post takes about 8-10 days.

Any holidays (Saturdays, Sundays and any public holidays in India or the USA) have to be excluded while calculating the working days.

How can I check the status of my money transfer request?

Money2India from ICICI Bank provides you an online tracking facility to monitor the money transfer status. Each money transfer request is provided a unique tracking number (e.g. M2A00043453), using which you can track its status online through "Track your Remittances" facility under Manage in your Services home page after you have logged into money2india using your User ID and password.

In addition, regular emails are sent to update you about the status of the money transfer request.

Does e-transfer (ACH) allow me to send money to India on a regular, monthly basis?

You can use e-Transfer (ACH) to set up a recurring money transfer request to take care of your regular money transfers. You have the convenience of sending money on a weekly or a monthly basis.

For example , if you want to send money to your family on the 1st of every month, you can set up this feature on e-Transfer (ACH) as a one-time activity using the recurring transactions facility. The processing of the transaction will be initiated on the 1st of every month. The money will be automatically transferred every month from your bank account in USA to your family in India.

We have also provided the facility of deleting the regular money transfer request set up by you, in case you want to stop the money transfers.

The money that I have sent has not been credited to my beneficiary's ICICI Bank account. What should I do?

The amount will not be credited if the account number and the beneficiary’s name do not match the bank details stored in the ICICI Bank system. The status of the money transfer request is accordingly updated. Please check the account number and the beneficiary’s name carefully before making the money transfer request.

You can Email us, providing your Money2India unique tracking number (e.g. M2A00012345) and Money2India login ID, to enable us to resolve your query faster.

The demand draft I sent has not reached my beneficiary. What should I do?

The delivery of the DD might be delayed if the address of the beneficiary provided by you is either incorrect or incomplete. Please provide the correct address of the beneficiary and don’t forget to mention the correct PIN code and phone number of the beneficiary to ensure faster delivery.

You can Email us, providing your Money2India unique tracking number (e.g. M2A00012345) and Money2India login ID, to enable us to resolve your query faster.

REQUEST RETURNS

Can my bank in USA reject a money transfer request made by me using e-transfer (ACH)?

Your bank in USA might return a money transfer request made by you using e-transfer (ACH) for various reasons. This includes insufficient funds in your account and any change in your account status (account closed, account disabled, account type changed). Please note that your bank might levy a charge in case you do not have sufficient funds in your account to cover the amount to be transferred.

Click here to know more about the reasons for returns.

What types of returns can I receive?

There are two types of returns that your bank in USA bank might send across for an e-transfer (ACH) request. These are:

“R” Type: This type of return is sent by your bank in case your account details (account number, ABA number, account type) are incorrect or the transaction cannot be processed due to various reasons.
Click here to know more about "R" type returns.
“C” Type: This type of return is sent by your bank in case your account details (account number, ABA number, account type) have changed due to various reasons. For example, merger of your bank, closure of the branch etc.
Click here to know more about "C" type returns.

How will you inform me about the returns?

In case we receive a return for any transaction, we will inform you through an email about the action to be taken.

What is an "R" type return?

In case of a "R" type return your account details (account number, ABA number, account type) do not match with your bank records and are incorrect or the transaction might have been returned for various other reasons.

Click here to know more about "R" type returns.

A transaction, which is returned with a "R" type return, cannot be processed. We inform you about any such transaction return through an e-mail.

In such cases, we request you to please send us an Email us from your registered Money2India email ID, providing your Money2India Login ID and the registered bank account details (Bank name, ABA Routing number, last 4 digits of the Account number and Account type) which you want to enable again. We would also request you to confirm on the reason for the reject received / posting of the incorrect entries, as the case may be.

What is a "C" type return?

In case of a "C" type return your account details (account number, ABA number, account type) might have changed due to several reasons.

Click here to know more about "C" type returns.

A transaction, which is returned with a "C" type return, can still be processed. However, future requests might be returned as "R" type and would not be processed. To prevent such a scenario, we inform you about a transaction returned as a "C" type return through an e-mail. You are requested to modify the bank account details.

I have received a mail with a subject line that says "Transaction rejected". What does it mean?

This might happen when the bank account (ACH) details (ABA routing number, account number, account type) provided by you while registering for e-transfer (ACH) are incorrect. In such a case, your request is rejected and returned by your US bank with the return type "R" and cannot be processed. The same is informed to you through an email.

Click here to know more about "R" type returns.

I have received a mail with a subject line that says "Modify your e-transfer (ACH) details". What does it mean?

This might happen when the bank account (ACH) details (ABA routing number, account number, account type) provided by you while registering for e-transfer (ACH) have changed due to some reasons. Such a case is returned by your bank with the return type "C".

Though your transaction can be processed, future requests might be returned as "R" type, i.e., they cannot be processed. The same is informed to you through an email.

Click here to know more about "C" type returns.

BANK ACCOUNT IN USA

Money2India shows the ABA number of my bank as incorrect. What should I do?

In the United States , each bank branch is provided with a unique nine-digit number by the American Bankers Association, known as the ABA number or routing number. Please check the correct ABA number with your local US bank branch. You can also find the ABA number from the check provided by your US bank. Click here to know more.

Money2India shows the ABA number of my bank as incorrect. However, my bank states that the ABA number is correct. What should I do?

Such a situation might arise if the ABA number as recorded with the Federal Reserve database does not match the ABA number as provided by your bank branch. Please contact your bank branch to get the correct ABA number as recorded in the Federal Reserve database.

I have a business checking account. Can I send money to India using e-transfer (ACH) from this account?

e-transfer (ACH) can only be used to send money from a consumer checking or savings account. You cannot use a business or a commercial account to send money to India using e-transfer (ACH). This is not allowed as per e-transfer (ACH) rules and regulations.

I have a money market account. Can I send money to India using e-transfer (ACH) from this account?

You can send money to India using e-transfer (ACH) from your consumer money market accounts. However, banks in USA consider money market accounts differently for e-transfer (ACH) transactions. Some banks consider it as consumer savings accounts, while others treat it as consumer checking accounts. Hence, you need to check with your bank how they classify money market accounts and accordingly select either consumer savings account or consumer checking account.

e-transfer (ACH) ACCOUNT

I want to delete my e-transfer (ACH) bank account details registered with money2india. What should I do?

You can delete the bank account registered with e-transfer (ACH) by selecting the "e-tTransfer (ACH) Account (s)" link on your money2india Services Home page under Manage after logging in using your User Id and password.

My registered e-transfer (ACH) bank account is showing “Account Disabled-Incorrect Entry”, as I have entered incorrect deposit amounts while validating the account. I want to re-validate the same bank account. What should I do?

In this case, please send an Email us from your registered Money2India email ID, with the following details:
1) Your registered US bank name
2) Last 4 digits of your US bank account number
3) ABA routing number
4) Account type

We will enable your account and initiate the account validation process afresh. On the successful completion of account validation, you can start using e-transfer (ACH) to send money to India.

My registered e-transfer (ACH) bank account is showing "Validation period expired". I want to re-validate the same bank account. What should I do?

In this case, please send an Email us from your registered Money2India email ID, with the following details:

5) Your registered US bank name
6) Last 4 digits of your US bank account number
7) ABA routing number
8) Account type

We will enable your account and initiate the account validation process afresh. On the successful completion of account validation, you can start using e-transfer (ACH) to send money to India.

My e-transfer (ACH) account has been disabled. What should I do?

Your e-Transfer account might be disabled for the following reasons:

"R" type return is received for a transaction request of yours
You have entered the Account Validation entries incorrectly twice

We request you to please send us an Email us from your registered Money2India email ID, providing your Money2India Login ID and the registered bank account details (Bank name, ABA Routing number, last 4 digits of the Account number and Account type) which you want to enable again. We would also request you to confirm on the reason for the reject received/ posting of the incorrect entries, as the case may be.

On verification of details, we would enable your account or initiate the Account Validation process, as the case may be.

ACCOUNT VALIDATION

My bank account has been posted with only one deposit entry. What should I do?

Your bank in USA might combine the two deposit amounts and show only a single deposit amount in your bank account statement. If this happens, please contact your bank and request them to provide the exact details of the deposit amounts.

My bank account has been posted with the account validation entries. However, I cannot enter the same on the website. What should I do?

The account validation entries will be posted to your bank account on the second or third working day after you register for e-transfer (ACH), provided the account details are correct.