PNB account holders alert! These accounts will be closed after November 10 - here is why
Punjab National Bank (PNB) has issued an important alert to customers holding inactive bank accounts. The public sector lender has announced that certain accounts that have remained unused for more than three years and have a zero balance could be closed after November 10, 2026.
The bank has asked affected customers to complete their Know Your Customer (KYC) formalities and reactivate their accounts before the deadline to avoid disruption to banking services.
According to PNB's notice issued on October 26, the move is aimed at preventing the potential misuse of long-inactive accounts and reducing the risks associated with maintaining them.
The bank's latest notice applies to accounts that meet two specific conditions.
First, the account must not have recorded any customer-initiated transaction or operation for more than three years as of September 30, 2026.
Second, the account must have a zero balance.
This means customers who have not used their accounts since before September 30, 2023, and have no money remaining in them could be affected. However, not every inactive PNB account will automatically be closed. The bank's latest notice specifically targets accounts meeting both conditions.
For example, a customer who opened a PNB savings account several years ago but stopped using it and has maintained a zero balance may need to take action before the deadline.
The bank said the closure exercise is intended to prevent such accounts from being misused and minimise associated security risks.
Customers whose accounts fall under the specified category have until November 10, 2026, to complete the necessary formalities.
PNB has advised account holders to visit their respective bank branches, submit updated KYC documents and request reactivation of their accounts.
According to the bank's official guidelines, customers seeking to reactivate an inoperative account generally need to submit a request letter along with valid identity and address documents.
Accepted documents include Aadhaar, passport, driving licence and voter ID, among other officially valid documents. Customers may also need to provide their PAN or Form 60.
Once the bank verifies the documents and completes the required checks, the account can be restored to operative status.
PNB's general guidelines also provide for reactivation requests through non-home branches, subject to applicable verification requirements. Customers who are unsure whether their accounts are affected should contact their bank branch before the November 10 deadline.
According to PNB's official guidelines, a savings or current account is classified as inoperative if there are no customer-induced transactions for a continuous period of 24 months.
Customer-induced transactions include financial activities such as deposits and withdrawals, as well as certain non-financial activities initiated by the account holder.
These may include authenticated balance enquiries, requests for cheque books, changes to transaction limits and KYC updates through permitted banking channels.
However, the bank's latest account closure notice uses a different threshold. It specifically concerns accounts that have remained unused for more than three years and have a zero balance.
Therefore, an account being classified as inoperative after two years does not automatically mean it falls under the latest closure exercise.
PNB customers who maintain multiple savings accounts, particularly accounts opened for previous employment, salary payments or other purposes, should check whether any of them have remained unused for several years.
Those with inactive, zero-balance accounts should verify their account status and complete the necessary KYC and reactivation process before the deadline.
Customers can contact PNB through its toll-free customer care numbers, 1800-1800 and 1800-2021, or visit their nearest branch for assistance.
The November 10 deadline applies to the specified category of inactive, zero-balance accounts. Customers who wish to continue using these accounts should complete the required formalities in time.
Kirti jha
Kirti Jha is a Senior Content Producer at Mint, where she writes on mutual funds, taxation, personal finance and macroeconomic developments. Her reporting focuses on helping readers understand complex financial developments through data-driven, research-backed stories that explain how policy changes, market trends and regulatory decisions affect investors and households. <br><br> Before joining Mint, Kirti worked at ET Money, where she specialised in mutual fund research and investment analysis. She tracked portfolio disclosures, fund manager strategies, sectoral allocation shifts and investment trends, distilling large datasets into investor-focused insights. Her work combined quantitative analysis with consumer-centric storytelling, enabling readers to better understand fund positioning, portfolio changes and long-term investment opportunities.<br><br> Kirti holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, and a Master's in Finance from the Jindal School of Banking & Finance at O.P. Jindal Global University. Her academic training emphasised analytical thinking, quantitative research and financial decision-making, providing a strong foundation in understanding capital markets, financial systems and economic policy. With a combined experience in investment research and financial journalism, she is committed to producing accurate, accessible and insightful journalism that empowers readers to make well-informed financial decisions.
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