Indian banks charge around 200 INR per foreign-card withdrawal and most ATMs cap you at 10,000 INR a time, so withdraw large and rarely. Decline dynamic currency conversion and take rupees. And check every note you are handed: Indian merchants refuse any rupee note that is damaged at all.
- Withdraw large, withdraw rarely. Indian banks charge roughly 200 INR per foreign-card withdrawal and most ATMs cap a foreign card at 10,000 INR in one go, so the fee repeats every time.
- Always decline dynamic currency conversion and choose INR. Settling in your home currency hands the exchange rate to the machine's operator.
- Banknote condition matters more here than almost anywhere. Merchants refuse any rupee note that is torn, taped or heavily marked - check what you are given at the counter and hand it straight back if it is damaged.
- Change cash only at licensed airport counters or bank branches, never at a street booth.
- UPI is everywhere, down to chai stalls and rickshaws, and UPI One World lets a visitor use it with no Indian bank account.
- UPI One World: set it up with your passport and visa, top up to 25,000 INR at a time and 50,000 INR a month, and any unspent balance is refunded in foreign currency when you leave.
- Tipping: about 10 % in restaurants unless a service charge is already on the bill; 100 to 200 INR for a hotel porter.
Cash from ATMs
Withdraw large, withdraw rarely. Most international Visa and Mastercard cards work at the major Indian banks' ATMs, but two limits work against you and they compound.
- A flat fee per withdrawal. Indian banks charge foreign cards a fixed surcharge - Federal Bank's published schedule puts it at 200 INR per successful withdrawal, and the other large banks are in the same region.
- A low cap per withdrawal. Most machines limit a foreign card to about 10,000 INR at a time. More cash than that means repeating the transaction, and paying the fee again.
Together these mean the cost of cash is dominated by how often you withdraw, not how much.
Dynamic currency conversion
Always decline settlement in your home currency and choose INR. ATMs and card terminals present home-currency settlement as the transparent, reassuring option. It is not: the rate is set by the machine's operator with a margin built in, and choosing rupees leaves the conversion to your own bank, which is almost always cheaper.
Cash and the state of the notes
- Use licensed exchange counters at the airport, or an authorised bank branch in the city.
- Avoid street booths. The recurring complaints are miscounted stacks and damaged notes handed to foreigners who will not notice.
- Check every note. Indian merchants are strict about banknote condition and will refuse a torn, taped or heavily marked note outright. If a counter hands you one, give it back there and then - once you have walked away it is effectively worthless.
UPI, and how a visitor uses it
Almost everyone in India takes a QR code, from restaurants down to chai stalls and rickshaw drivers. The system is UPI, and the National Payments Corporation of India built UPI One World so visitors without an Indian bank account can use it.
- Where - authorised prepaid-instrument issuers at the major airports, Delhi included.
- What you need - your passport and valid visa, uploaded in the app, plus a selfie for verification. The app is usually CheqUPI by Transcorp.
- Loading it - an international debit or credit card, or foreign cash at the counter. Maximum 25,000 INR per top-up and 50,000 INR a month.
- Using it - person-to-merchant payments against any UPI QR code in the country, in cities and villages alike.
- Leaving - unspent balance is refunded in foreign currency on departure under RBI foreign-exchange rules. Do it at the counter, with time to spare.
Tipping
- Restaurants - about 10 %, unless a service charge of 5 to 10 % is already on the bill.
- Hotel porters - 100 to 200 INR for taking luggage to the room.
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