Electronic Clearing Service Form

ECS or the Electronic Clearing Service is a centralized system that allows bulk cash transfer to a large number of accounts. ECS is cost-effective, safe, reliable, secure and saves time. It's used by private companies, banks, financial institutions, bank departments, and any other institution that needs to transfer a fixed amount at a due date every month. ECS is of two types: ECS credit and ECS debit. ECS credit is used to deposit salaries, pensions, dividends etc, while ECS debit is used to deduct monthly credit card payment or loan EMI amount each month. It's beneficial for both the banks as well as the customer as it reduces paperwork and the arduous process of initiating payments. For every recurring monthly amount debit, ECS is used.

Another advantage of ECS is that customers don't have to remember the date each month and there's no possibility of the date being missed as well. The authorization provided by the user to the bank to auto-debit a particular amount each month is called the ECS mandate form. For credit cards and EMI loans, it’s necessary to get an ECS mandate. It’s a document validating that you have allowed the bank to deduct particular amount each month in lieu of the pre-specified services. ECS form means a document validating the bank to deduct a set amount at a due date.

ECS mandate form is a duly signed document that serves as the official proof that you have allowed the bank to make deductions. Without an ECS mandate, the bank cannot deduct any amount. ECS mandate form needs to be filled and submitted for the authorization. The ECS form can be obtained from the bank. Once the customer fills it and submits it, all the details are verified by the banks and by a payments agency such as NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India). Once the scrutiny is done, the mandate is sent to the bank and the auto-debit process begins. The permission for ECS is granted only after thorough verification.

ECS form can be obtained and filled online. The customer simply needs to contact the bank and authorize them by duly signing the form. Most leading banks provide the option of downloading ECS mandate form on their websites. ECS form can also be filled by visiting the nearest bank branch. It's there for stock trading as well as mutual funds. ECS activation can take up to a week. After the verification process is complete, it's activated and ready to use. The customer can then set a limit on ECS monthly debit: maximum amount that the bank can auto-deduct. After each ECS transaction, the customer receives a notification. In case you want to revoke an ECS mandate, you need to contact the bank, write an application in advance and submit an ECS mandate cancellation form.

Filling an ECS mandate form is easy. One just needs to correctly fill the following details:

• Date: Enter the date in DD/MM/YYYY format
• Checkbox: Tick mark the checkbox to create/ edit mandate.
• Account Type: Tick the bank account type from the list
• Account Number: Write your bank account number
• IFSC / MICR Code: Fill in the applicable code
• Amount: Key in the exact amount in both words and figures
• Frequency: Mention the deduction frequency. For instance, every monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, annually etc.
• Mandate Type: Tick mark whether mandate amount is fixed or a maximum amount.
• Telephone Number: If you want, you can also provide your telephone number.
• Email ID: Email ID can also be given.
• Signature: Sign just like your bank account on the ECS form
• Name: Mention your name that’s on the ECS mandate form

These are the following points to keep in mind while filling the ECS form online:

• Fill All fields: It's compulsory to fill all fields in the ECS mandate form.
• Uppercase Only: Mention Name and Bank Records capital/ block letters
• Double-check Name: The name on ECS mandate form should be ditto as in the bank account
• Mandate Amount: The amount should be specified very clearly in words as well as figures
• No Overwriting: Make it a point to remember that there’s no overwriting on the ECS form
• Correct Numbers: Mention the valid IFSC/ MICR numbers correctly
• Form A-4 Print: Print the ECS mandate form on an A4 paper and keep it with you for reference.

• UMRN: UMRN or the Unique Mandate Reference Number is a unique reference number created during each ECS debit. Its system generated.
• IFSC: It's an 11-character special number mentioned on top left corner of your bank's cheque. IFSC stands for Indian Financial System Code. Using this code, the NEFT (National Electronics Fund Transfer) network identifies the bank account
• MICR: It's a 9-digit number mentioned at the bottom center of the cheque. MICR full form is Magnetic Ink Character Recognition. It helps identify the bank that's part of ECS.

Here are the major banks that provide ECS services:

ECS form PDF document can be downloaded from the website. Bank ECS form should be error-free.