Cash Deposit Machine Not Credited? Evidence to Keep

"I fed ₹40,000 into the cash deposit machine, the screen froze, no receipt came out, and my balance has not changed." If this is you, the one-line fix is: do not leave without noting the machine ID, time and amount, then register a complaint with your bank the same day and ask it, in writing, to check the machine's journal and cash count for your transaction. Cash deposit machine (CDM) problems are usually solved when the bank balances the machine, and the evidence you collect in the first hour decides how quickly it can match your money.

This guide explains what to keep, how to complain, and when to escalate, as of October 2026. It is general information, not legal advice.

Why CDM deposits fail to credit

A CDM counts notes, checks them for authenticity, and posts the credit to the account you entered. Things can go wrong at each stage:

• Machine or network failure after the notes were taken in but before the credit was posted.
• Notes rejected or retained because they were damaged, folded or suspected counterfeit.
• Wrong account number typed in a cardless deposit, so the money went to someone else.
• Partial credit, where the machine counted fewer notes than you inserted.
• Delayed posting, where the credit appears hours later after the bank's system catches up.

Evidence checklist

The single most useful habit: photograph the notes or write down the count by denomination before you deposit. It costs a minute and turns a vague complaint into a precise one.

Step by step

In the first hour

1. Stay at the machine for a few minutes. Some machines return notes or print a delayed receipt after a timeout.
2. Photograph the screen, the machine ID sticker and the receipt (or note that no receipt was printed).
3. Check your balance and SMS. A credit sometimes posts within minutes.
4. Call the bank using the number printed on the machine, the bank's website or app. Never use a number found on a search result or social media post. Register a complaint and note the complaint number.

On the first day

5. Put the complaint in writing through the app, email or branch, using the template below. Ask the bank to check the electronic journal, balance the machine, and preserve the CCTV footage for your transaction time.
6. If the machine belongs to a different branch, you can still complain at your own home branch; ask it to coordinate with the branch that owns the machine.
7. If you typed a wrong account number, say so clearly. The bank will need to trace the credit and contact the recipient; see sent money to the wrong account for how that process works.

If unresolved

8. Follow up after the bank's stated date and ask for a written result of the machine balancing: whether excess cash was found and how much.
9. Escalate to the grievance or nodal officer named on the bank's website.
10. After 30 days without a satisfactory reply, file with the RBI Ombudsman at cms.rbi.org.in.

What RBI rules do and do not say

• No specific CDM turnaround time. RBI's September 2019 circular on turnaround time (TAT) for failed transactions sets T+5 days and ₹100 a day compensation for ATM cash not dispensed, and T+1 for failed IMPS and UPI transfers. It does not list cash deposits at CDMs as a separate case. So, as of October 2026, the timeline for a CDM deposit depends on your bank's own policy. For a withdrawal problem instead, see ATM cash not dispensed but debited.
• Counterfeit notes. RBI's directions on counterfeit notes say no credit is given for a counterfeit note, it is not returned to the depositor, and the bank must impound it and issue an acknowledgement. CDMs are expected to isolate suspect notes and keep an audit trail. If your credit is short, ask whether notes were held as suspect and request that acknowledgement.
• Ombudsman. Under the Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026, a failure to credit a deposit is a deficiency in service. The Ombudsman can direct a credit and award compensation, within the scheme's limits.

Worked example: a partial credit

Arjun deposits 80 notes of ₹500, a total of 80 × ₹500 = ₹40,000, at a CDM. The receipt shows ₹35,000.

His complaint states exactly this: 10 notes of ₹500 unaccounted for, with the machine ID, time and receipt. When the bank balances the machine, it looks for ₹5,000 of excess cash in that machine for that period. If the cash is found, the shortfall is credited. If the bank says the 10 notes were suspected counterfeit, Arjun asks for the impounding acknowledgement listing the notes.

Without a note count, Arjun could only say "it felt like more", which is much harder to verify.

Where to complain

Our guide on what to do when the bank is not resolving your complaint explains the Ombudsman steps in detail.

Ready-to-copy complaint

To: [Bank name] - customer care / [branch]

Subject: Cash deposited at CDM not credited - account ending [XXXX]

On [date] at [time], I deposited ₹[amount] in cash at your cash deposit
machine ID [machine ID] at [location] into account no. [XXXX].

Notes inserted: [count] × ₹500, [count] × ₹200, [count] × ₹100
Receipt/transaction no.: [number] (or: no receipt was printed)
Amount credited: ₹[0 / partial amount]

Please (1) check the machine's electronic journal and cash balancing for
this transaction, (2) preserve the CCTV footage for [time range], and
(3) credit the shortfall of ₹[amount] or tell me in writing what was found.
If any notes were held as suspect, please send me the acknowledgement.

Complaint/reference no.: [number]
[Name], [registered mobile], [date]

What not to do

• Do not share your OTP, PIN or card details with anyone who calls to "process your CDM refund". Banks do not need them to investigate a deposit.
• Do not call numbers from search results or social media. Fake customer care numbers are a common fraud; use the number on the machine, the bank's website or the app.
• Do not deposit the same cash again at the same machine to "test" it before the first deposit is resolved.
• Do not throw away the receipt or delete the SMS, even if the credit later appears in part.
• Do not wait days to complain. Machine balancing and CCTV review work best when the complaint is fresh.

Key takeaways

• Note the machine ID, time, receipt and note count before you leave the machine.
• Complain the same day in writing and ask the bank to check the journal, balance the machine and preserve CCTV.
• RBI's 2019 TAT circular does not set a specific timeline for CDM deposits; the bank's own policy applies.
• Counterfeit notes are not credited or returned, but you are entitled to an acknowledgement.
• Escalate to the grievance officer, then to cms.rbi.org.in after 30 days without a satisfactory reply.