NEFT

NEFT stands for National Electronic Funds Transfer. NEFT is a one-to-one payment facility that is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India across various public and private sector banks. As per NEFT, one can transfer funds to another individual with an account in a different bank. However, to enable this facility, the concerned bank accounts must be NEFT-enabled. The payments as per the NEFT are processed and settled in half-hourly batches.

Unlike IMPS, NEFT does not function 24*7 and only works as per the bank's prescribed time. Though the NEFT timing may vary across different banks yet, in general, the timings for Monday to Friday are 8 am to 6:30 pm, and for Saturdays, it is 8 am to 12 pm.

In order to transfer funds via the NEFT process, one needs to follow the below-mentioned steps:

• Firstly, log in to the internet banking facility of the concerned bank.
• On the homepage of the internet banking facility, choose the option 'Fund Transfer'.
• Under this option, choose the 'NEFT' option by clicking on it.
• Proceed further by choosing and selecting the name of the beneficiary to whom you wish to send the money.
• However, it must be noted that you can only choose a beneficiary if he/she has been already added to the list.
• In order to add a new beneficiary, click on the option 'Add Beneficiary' appearing on the bottom of the page and enter the required details such as name, account number, and IFSC code among others.
• On entering the details, verify the details, and click on 'Confirm'.
• For further confirmation, enter the 4-digit OTP received on your registered mobile number.
• You can transfer funds to the newly added beneficiary after a prescribed time is taken to add him or her.
• On successful addition, select the account details form which the transfer is to be made, and click on 'Confirm'.

NEFT transactions can be made by all kinds of account holders, whether individuals, firms or corporates. However, this can be done, when the bank which holds the user account is NEFT-enabled by the RBI. In some cases, one can also transfer funds via NEFT even without a bank account. This can be done by making cash deposits at an NEFT enabled branch and providing information such as name, address, email id, and contact number. However, this can be done only for transactions up to Rs. 50,000 and not beyond.

There are no restrictions on the minimum and maximum amount of transactions that can be made with NEFT. While minimum transactions can begin from Rs 1, maximum can range up to any amount. However, the only restriction on NEFT transfer mounts is in case of a cash deposit, as mentioned above, that range up to Rs 50,000.

NEFT enabled payments to charge the transferring charge form the users on the basis of the quantity of the funds transferred. It is listed in the table below:

Amount	Charges
Less than and up to ₹ 10,000	₹ 2.5
More than Rs ₹ 10,000 to upto ₹ 1 Lakh	₹ 5
More than ₹ 1 Lakh to upto ₹ 2 Lakh	₹ 15
More than ₹ 2 Lakh	₹ 25

Some of the benefits offered by NEFT payments are listed as follows:

• Transferring funds is time saving, convenient and feasible.
• NEFT payments are solely electronic; thus, no party is required in person for payments of funds.
• The payment method is safe and encrypted with firewalled gateways. Thus, safety from frauds and thieves.
• Instant confirmation of transfer of funds to both the sender and the receiver.
• This payment method can be used as per the user's convenience within the prescribed time.
• NEFT dismantled the use of cheques and Demand Drafts for the transfer of funds; thus, it is economical.

NEFT or National Electronic Funds Transfer and RTGS or Real Time Gross settlement are payment methods that allow the electronic transfer of funds. However, the main difference between NEFT and RTGS is that RTGS is a gross-settlement payment method, while NEFT is based out of net-settlement. This means that transactions as per RTGS are settled on one to one basis, without being considered with other transactions, and that for NEFT are settled in batches at specific intervals of time. In addition to that, another difference between NEFT and RTGS is based on the transaction limit. There are no minimum and maximum restrictions on the transaction limit for NEFT, however for RTGS, a minimum transaction limit of ₹ 2 Lakh is applicable.

The difference between NEFT (National Electronic Funds Transfer), RTGS (Real-time gross settlement) and UPI (Unified Payments Interface) is listed in the table below:

Parameters	NEFT	RTGS	UPI
Payment method	Offline and Online	Offline and Online	Online
Minimum transaction limit	₹ 1	₹ 2 Lakh	₹ 1
Maximum transaction limit	No limit	No limit	₹ 1 Lakh
Duration	Minimum 2 hours	Immediate Transfer	Immediate Transfer
Timing	Monday to Friday: 8 am to 6:30 pm Saturdays:8 am to 12 pm.	Monday to Saturday: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM	24*7
Required Details	Account No. and IFSC Code	Account No. and IFSC Code	VPA of beneficiary and MPIN

✅Are there any charges on NEFT?

Yes, the transfer of funds via NEFT involves charges ranging between ₹ 2.5 to ₹ 25, not inclusive of GST.

✅What are NEFT charges in SBI?

NEFT charges in SBI range between ₹ 2.5 to ₹ 25, based on the value of the fund transferred via NEFT.

✅What is NEFT and how it works?

NEFT meaning is National Electronics Funds Transfer. It is an electronic payment method that allows NEFT enabled bank accounts via the transfer of funds without using a cheque or DD.

✅What is the limit of NEFT?

There is no minimum or maximum transaction limit imposed on NEFT.

✅What is the time of NEFT?

The NEFT transaction time for Monday to Friday is 8 am to 6:30 pm, and for Saturdays, it is 8 am to 12 pm.

✅Is NEFT safe?

Yes, NEFT is a safe and secure payment method that is encrypted with a firewalled server. So, it is completely safe and secure.

✅Does NEFT work 24 hours?

No NEFT does not function 24 hours but within the prescribed time limit. NEFT transfer time for Monday to Friday is 8 am to 6:30 pm, and for Saturday it is 8 am to 12 pm.