Explanations of how Indian bank forex rates actually work — written to answer the questions
that come up repeatedly when people try to compare them.
- TT Buying vs TT Selling vs Bill Rates
The labels describe what the bank does, not what you do — which is why they are so often read backwards. Which column applies when you send money, receive it, or load a travel card.
- Hidden costs: margins, GST and TCS
The rate is one of five costs, and often not the largest. Margins, flat fees, correspondent-bank deductions, 18% GST and the TCS rules that changed in April 2026.
- How to read a daily rate sheet
Five steps: check the date, work out the unit, pick the right column, look for the transaction band, and judge the spread against an official reference rate.
Reference material
- Guide to reading these rates
Column meanings,
which banks quote for which transaction sizes, why public-sector and private banks show
such different spreads, and the quoting-unit trap.
- How this site is built
Exactly how each of the
seven banks' sheets is collected, normalised and checked, with a link to every source
document.