33

Functions of Commercial Banks

33.1 Introduction
You have studied in the earlier lesson about different types of banks
and their nature. It may be of interest to you now to know about the
various services/functions performed by commercial banks. In this lesson,
you will study about the various services provided by commercial banks
to the business community in particular and the public in general.
33.2 Objectives
After studying this lesson, you will be able to

.
describe the various functions of commercial banks;
.
differentiate between primary and secondary functions of
commercial banks;
.
classify and discuss the primary functions of modern commercial
banks;
.
enumerate the various modes of acceptance of deposits;
.
identify various methods of granting loans;
.
describe agency and general utility services of modern commercial
banks.
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33.3 Functions of Commercial Banks

The functions of a commercial banks are divided into two categories:
i) Primary functions, and
ii) Secondary functions including agency functions.
i) Primary functions:
The primary functions of a commercial bank include:
a) accepting deposits; and
b) granting loans and advances;
a) Accepting deposits
The most important activity of a commercial bank is to mobilise
deposits from the public. People who have surplus income and
savings find it convenient to deposit the amounts with banks.
Depending upon the nature of deposits, funds deposited with
bank also earn interest. Thus, deposits with the bank grow along
with the interest earned. If the rate of interest is higher, public
are motivated to deposit more funds with the bank. There is also
safety of funds deposited with the bank.
b) Grant of loans and advances
The second important function of a commercial bank is to grant
loans and advances. Such loans and advances are given to
members of the public and to the business community at a higher
rate of interest than allowed by banks on various deposit accounts.
The rate of interest charged on loans and advances varies
depending upon the purpose, period and the mode of repayment.
The difference between the rate of interest allowed on deposits
and the rate charged on the Loans is the main source of a bank s
income.
i) Loans
A loan is granted for a specific time period. Generally,
commercial banks grant short-term loans. But term loans,
Functions of Commercial Banks :: 23

that is, loan for more than a year, may also be granted.
The borrower may withdraw the entire amount in lumpsum
or in instalments. However, interest is charged on the full
amount of loan. Loans are generally granted against the
security of certain assets. A loan may be repaid either in
lumpsum or in instalments.
ii) Advances
An advance is a credit facility provided by the bank to its
customers. It differs from loan in the sense that loans may
be granted for longer period, but advances are normally
granted for a short period of time. Further the purpose of
granting advances is to meet the day to day requirements
of business. The rate of interest charged on advances varies
from bank to bank. Interest is charged only on the amount
withdrawn and not on the sanctioned amount.
Modes of short-term financial assistance
Banks grant short-term financial assistance by way of cash credit,
overdraft and bill discounting.
a) Cash Credit
Cash credit is an arrangement whereby the bank allows the
borrower to draw amounts upto a specified limit. The amount is
credited to the account of the customer. The customer can
withdraw this amount as and when he requires. Interest is charged
on the amount actually withdrawn. Cash Credit is granted as per
agreed terms and conditions with the customers.
b) Overdraft
Overdraft is also a credit facility granted by bank. A customer
who has a current account with the bank is allowed to withdraw
more than the amount of credit balance in his account. It is a
temporary arrangement. Overdraft facility with a specified limit
is allowed either on the security of assets, or on personal security,
or both.
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c)
Discounting of Bills
Banks provide short-term finance by discounting bills, that is,
making payment of the amount before the due date of the bills
after deducting a certain rate of discount. The party gets the
funds without waiting for the date of maturity of the bills. In
case any bill is dishonoured on the due date, the bank can recover
the amount from the customer.
ii)
Secondary functions
Besides the primary functions of accepting deposits and lending money,
banks perform a number of other functions which are called secondary
functions. These are as follows

a)
Issuing letters of credit, travellers cheques, circular notes etc.
b)
Undertaking safe custody of valuables, important documents, and
securities by providing safe deposit vaults or lockers;
c)
Providing customers with facilities of foreign exchange.
d)
Transferring money from one place to another; and from one
branch to another branch of the bank.
e)
Standing guarantee on behalf of its customers, for making
payments for purchase of goods, machinery, vehicles etc.
f)
Collecting and supplying business information;
g)
Issuing demand drafts and pay orders; and,
h)
Providing reports on the credit worthiness of customers.
33.4 Difference between Primary and Secondary
Functions of Commercial Banks
Primary Functions Secondary Functions
1. These are the main activities
of the bank.
1. These are the secondary
activities of the bank.
2. These are the main sources
of income of the bank.
These are not the main sources
of income of the banks.
Functions of Commercial Banks :: 25

3. These are obligatory on the These are not obligatory on

part of bank to perform. the part of bank to perform.
But generally all commercial
banks perform these
activities.
Intext Questions 33.1
Write T against the statements which are true, and F against those
which are false.
a)
A country cannot make commercial and industrial progress
without a well organised banking system.
b)
Loans may be granted only for long period by bank.
c)
Primary activity of commercial banks includes accepting deposits
and lending money.
d)
Difference of interest allowed to public on deposits and charged
on loan is the main source of income of banks.
e)
In case of dishonour of a bill, which was discounted by a bank,
the amount cannot be recovered from the customer.
f)
A loan cannot be repaid in lumpsum by the borrower.
g)
Primary functions of banks refer to basic activities of banks.
h)
Overdraft is not a credit facility granted by bank.
i)
Loans are generally granted against the security of certain assets.
33.5 Different modes of Acceptance of Deposits
Banks receive money from the public by way of deposits. The following
types of deposits are usually received by banks:
i) Current deposit
ii) Saving deposit
iii) Fixed deposit
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iv) Recurring deposit

v) Miscellaneous deposits
i) Current Deposit
Also called demand deposit , current deposit can be withdrawn by the
depositor at any time by cheques. Businessmen generally open current
accounts with banks. Current accounts do not carry any interest as the
amount deposited in these accounts is repayable on demand without
any restriction.
The Reserve bank of India prohibits payment of interest on current
accounts or on deposits upto 14 Days or less except where prior sanction
has been obtained. Banks usually charge a small amount known as
incidental charges on current deposit accounts depending on the number
of transaction.
Savings deposit/Savings Bank Accounts
Savings deposit account is meant for individuals who wish to deposit
small amounts out of their current income. It helps in safe guarding
their future and also earning interest on the savings. A saving account
can be opened with or without cheque book facility. There are
restrictions on the withdrawls from this account. Savings account holders
are also allowed to deposit cheques, drafts, dividend warrants, etc.
drawn in their favour for collection by the bank. To open a savings
account, it is necessary for the depositor to be introduced by a person
having a current or savings account with the same bank.
Fixed deposit
The term Fixed deposit means deposit repayable after the expiry of
a specified period. Since it is repayable only after a fixed period of
time, which is to be determined at the time of opening of the account,
it is also known as time deposit. Fixed deposits are most useful for a
commercial bank. Since they are repayable only after a fixed period,
the bank may invest these funds more profitably by lending at higher
rates of interest and for relatively longer periods. The rate of interest
on fixed deposits depends upon the period of deposits. The longer the
period, the higher is the rate of interest offered. The rate of interest to
Functions of Commercial Banks :: 27

be allowed on fixed deposits is governed by rules laid down by the

Reserve Bank of India.
Recurring Deposits
Recurring Deposits are gaining wide popularity these days. Under this
type of deposit, the depositor is required to deposit a fixed amount of
money every month for a specific period of time. Each instalment may
vary from Rs.5/- to Rs.500/- or more per month and the period of
account may vary from 12 months to 10 years. After the completion of
the specified period, the customer gets back all his deposits alongwith
the cumulative interest accrued on the deposits.
Miscellaneous Deposits
Banks have introduced several deposit schemes to attract deposits from
different types of people, like Home Construction deposit scheme,
Sickness Benefit deposit scheme, Children Gift plan, Old age pension
scheme, Mini deposit scheme, etc.
33.6 Different methods of Granting Loans by Bank
The basic function of a commercial bank is to make loans and advances
out of the money which is received from the public by way of deposits.
The loans are particularly granted to businessmen and members of the
public against personal security, gold and silver and other movable and
immovable assets. Commercial bank generally lend money in the
following form:
i) Cash credit
ii) Loans
iii) Bank overdraft, and
iv) Discounting of Bills
i) Cash Credit :
A cash credit is an arrangement whereby the bank agrees to lend money
to the borrower upto a certain limit. The bank puts this amount of
money to the credit of the borrower. The borrower draws the money
28 :: Business Studies

as and when he needs. Interest is charged only on the amount actually

drawn and not on the amount placed to the credit of borrower s account.
Cash credit is generally granted on a bond of credit or certain other
securities. This a very popular method of lending in our country.
ii) Loans :
A specified amount sanctioned by a bank to the customer is called a
loan . It is granted for a fixed period, say six months, or a year. The
specified amount is put on the credit of the borrower s account. He can
withdraw this amount in lump sum or can draw cheques against this
sum for any amount. Interest is charged on the full amount even if the
borrower does not utilise it. The rate of interest is lower on loans in
comparison to cash credit. A loan is generally granted against the
security of property or personal security. The loan may be repaid in
lump sum or in instalments. Every bank has its own procedure of
granting loans. Hence a bank is at liberty to grant loan depending on
its own resources.
The loan can be granted as:
a) Demand loan, or
b) Term loan
a) Demand loan
Demand loan is repayable on demand. In other words it is
repayable at short notice. The entire amount of demand loan is
disbursed at one time and the borrower has to pay interest on it.
The borrower can repay the loan either in lumpsum (one time)
or as agreed with the bank. Loans are normally granted by the
bank against tangible securities including securities like N.S.C.,
Kisan Vikas Patra, Life Insurance policies and U.T.I. certificates.
b) Term loans
Medium and long term loans are called Term loans . Term loans
are granted for more than one year and repayment of such loans
is spread over a longer period. The repayment is generally made
in suitable instalments of fixed amount. These loans are repayable
over a period of 5 years and maximum upto 15 years.
Functions of Commercial Banks :: 29

Term loan is required for the purpose of setting up of new

business activity, renovation, modernisation, expansion/extension
of existing units, purchase of plant and machinery, vehicles, land
for setting up a factory, construction of factory building or
purchase of other immovable assets. These loans are generally
secured against the mortgage of land, plant and machinery,
building and other securities. The normal rate of interest charged
for such loans is generally quite high.
iii) Bank Overdraft
Overdraft facility is more or less similar to cash credit facility. Overdraft
facility is the result of an agreement with the bank by which a current
account holder is allowed to withdraw a specified amount over and
above the credit balance in his/her account. It is a short term facility.
This facility is made available to current account holders who operate
their account through cheques. The customer is permitted to withdraw
the amount as and when he/she needs it and to repay it through deposits
in his account as and when it is convenient to him/her.
Overdraft facility is generally granted by bank on the basis of a written
request by the customer. Some times, banks also insist on either a
promissory note from the borrower or personal security to ensure safety
of funds. Interest is charged on actual amount withdrawn by the
customer. The interest rate on overdraft is higher than that of the rate
on loan.
iv) Discounting of Bills
Apart from granting cash credit, loans and overdraft, banks also grant
financial assistance to customers by discounting bills of exchange. Banks
purchase the bills at face value minus interest at current rate of interest
for the period of the bill. This is known as discounting of bills . Bills
of exchange are negotiable instruments and enable the debtors to
discharge their obligations towards their creditors. Such bills of exchange
arise out of commercial transactions both in internal trade and external
trade. By discounting these bills before they are due for a nominal
amount, the banks help the business community. Of course, the banks
recover the full amount of these bills from the persons liable to make
payment.
30 :: Business Studies
Intext Questions 33.2
Fill in the blanks with suitable words
(a)
There are four important ways of lending money by banks. They
are :
1
2
3
4

(b)
Bank loans can be divided into two categories viz _______ and
__________.
(c)
When the loan is repayable on demand or at a very short notice,
the loan is known as __________.
(d)
If the loan granted by a bank is on long-term or medium-term,
the loan is called _________.
(e)
____________ is a flexible system of lending under which the
borrower has the option to withdraw the funds as and when
required.
(f)
_____________ is an agreement with the bank by which a current
account holder is allowed to withdraw over and above the amount
in his account.
(g)
In discounting the bills the banks ________ bills of exchange
before they become due for payment.
(h)
Due date of bill is also known as date of _________________.
33.7 Agency and General Utility Services provided by
Modern Commercial Banks
You have already learnt that the primary activities of commercial banks
include acceptance of deposits from the public and lending money to
Functions of Commercial Banks :: 31

businessmen and other members of society. Besides these two main

activities, commercial banks also render a number of ancillary services.
These services supplement the main activities of the banks. They are
essentially non-banking in nature and broadly fall under two categories:
i) Agency services, and
ii) General utility services.
i) Agency Services
Agency services are those services which are rendered by commercial
banks as agents of their customers. They include :
a) Collection and payment of cheques and bills on behalf of the
customers;
b) Collection of dividends, interest and rent, etc. on behalf of
customers, if so instructed by them;
c) Purchase and sale of shares and securities on behalf of customers;
d) Payment of rent, interest, insurance premium, subscriptions etc.
on behalf of customers, if so instructed;
e) Acting as a trustee or executor;
f) Acting as agents or correspondents on behalf of customers for
other banks and financial institutions at home and abroad.
ii) General utility services
General utility services are those services which are rendered by
commercial banks not only to the customers but also to the general
public. These are available to the public on payment of a fee or charge.
They include :
a) Issuing letters of credit and travellers cheques;
b) Underwriting of shares, debentures, etc.;
c) Safe-keeping of valuables in safe deposit locker;
d) Underwriting loans floated by government and public bodies.
32 :: Business Studies

e) Supplying trade information and statistical data useful to

customers;
f) Acting as a referee regarding the financial status of customers;
g) Undertaking foreign exchange business.
Intext Questions 33.3

Write T against the statements which are true and F against those
which are false.
(i)
Accepting deposits is an essential function of a modern
commercial bank.
(ii)
Granting loan to the borrowers is not the main function of a
bank.
(iii)
Ancillary services are also known as supplementary functions of
a commercial bank.
(iv)
General utility services are called non-banking services.
(v)
Services rendered by banks to the general public constitute the
main function of banks.
(vi)
Bank charges some amount for the services rendered.
(vii)
Bank cannot buy and sell shares and debentures on behalf of
customers.
(viii)
Bank stands guarantee against loan raised by its customers from
other financial institutions.
ix)
Safe deposit vaults are made available by bank only to fixed
deposit account holders.
(x)
Banks generally grant long-term loans to industries.
33.8 What You Have Learnt
In this lesson you have studied various services/functions performed by
commercial banks. Commercial banks render services to the business
community, as well as to the general public.
Functions of Commercial Banks :: 33

The functions of banks are divided into two categories : (i) Primary
functions, (ii) Secondary functions. Primary functions include accepting
deposits and lending money. Loans given by banks are : Short-term
loan and long-term loans. Banks grant short-term loan to its customers
by way of cash credit, overdraft, discounting of bills.
Banks accepts deposits from the public and their customers in the form
of Current deposit, Saving, deposit, fixed deposit, and under other
deposit schemes. Banks grant loans to customers as demand loan and
term loan.
The ancilliary services of banks are agency services and general utility
services. Agency services are rendered as agent of customers, whereas
general utility services are rendered to the general public.
33.9 Terminal Exercise
1.
Explain the Primary functions of banks.
2.
Explain the Secondary functions of banks.
3.
Describe the functions of modern commercial banks.
4.
Explain the methods of granting loan by bank.
5.
What do you mean by bank overdraft? Explain the procedure for
granting overdraft by bank.
6.
Differenciate between loans and advances.
7.
Explain cash credit facility allowed by banks to customers.
8.
What do you mean by discounting of bills by bank?
9.
Explain in brief the agency functions of a commercial bank.
10.
Differenciate between Primary and Secondary functions rendered
by bank.
11.
Describe briefly the various modes of acceptance of deposits by
banks.
34 :: Business Studies

33.10 Answers to Intext Questions

33.1
True a) c) d) g) i)
False b) e) f) h)
33.2
a) i) loans
ii) Cash credit
iii) Overdraft
iv) Discounting of bills
b) Short-term, Long-term
c) Short-term
d) Term loan
e) Cash credit
f) Overdraft
g) Discount
h) Maturity

33.3
True i) iii) iv) vi) viii)
False ii) v) vii) ix) x)