Functions of Commercial Banks: Primary Functions and Questions (2024)

Banking

An institution that provides services like accepting the deposits, providing business loans, and offering basic investment products is known as the commercial banks. It is largely a division of a large bank which deals with loan and deposit services provided to large and small size businesses. Thus, there are many functions of commercial banks in India. Mainly there are two functions, primary and secondary.

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Functions of Commercial Banks

Functions of Commercial Banks: Primary Functions and Questions (9)

Primary Functions of Commercial Bank

  • Accepting the Deposits
  • Advancing the Loans
  • Credit Creation
  • A Cheque for paying the funds
  • Paying and Collecting the Credit
  • Purchasing and Selling of the Securities
  • Bullion Trading
  • Money Remittance
  • Information Banks
  • Locker Facilities
  • Dealings in Foreign Exchange
  • Banking services for Merchant

Accepting the Deposits

The major source of funds in the bank’s deposits. This deposit consists only of money and not of any assets. For these deposits held, the commercial banks provide the interest.

Thus, it helps in the mobilizing of the savings. For the deposits, there are a variety of options available. These include current account, savings account, recurring accounts, and fixed deposit accounts.

Browse more Topics under Banking

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  • Nationalisation of Banks
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  • Functions of State Bank of India
  • Important Banks in India
  • Negotiable Instruments
  • Types of Banking
  • Banking Practice Questions

Advancing the Loans

This is another primary function of commercial banks. When a bank receives the money, a certain part of it is deposited in the reserves. While the remaining is dispatched in the form of loans.

There are two types of loans advanced by the banks. These are money at call and discounting of the bills. Money at call is a loan given for a very short period of time.

This generally varies from 1 to 14 days. Discounting of the bills means the advance payment of loan reflected against repayment in the future.

Credit Creation

Whenever a loan or credit is provided to the customer, he/she is not given any cash. In fact, a bank account is opened in the name of that person and amount is transferred to that account. Through this process, the bank is able to create money.

A Cheque for paying the funds

A customer uses cheque as a negotiable instrument at the times of payment. This is one of the functions of the bank. So, in this, the bank offers a facility of having the cheques to the customer. It is also a main credit instrument in the banking world.

Secondary Functions

Apart from performing the primary functions, banks use a number of useful services for their customers. They act as an agent for the following functions. The other functions of commercial banks include utility functions and agency functions.

Paying and Collecting the Credit

The commercial banks use various instruments like a bill of exchange, cheques, promissory notes and many more. As this is used as a negotiable instrument in the bank.

Purchasing and Selling of the Securities

For this function, banks give you a facility for purchasing and selling the securities.

Bullion Trading

The commercial banks trade with many countries in the world. They trade in gold and silver and provides the same facility for their customers.

Money Remittance

This is the function that the commercial banks provide. Thus, they remit the funds on behalf 0f their customers from one place to another.

In addition to agency services, banks also provide utility functions.

Information Banks

Commercial banks are primarily an information bureau, that collects the economic, statistical, and financial data related to the trade, commerce, and industry.

Locker Facilities

Lockers are provided to the customers by banks. In these lockers, people can keep their jewelry and other important documents. For this, the banks charge a very nominal annual fee.

Dealings in Foreign Exchange

Many commercial banks deal with their foreign exchange via their main branches. These commercial banks are the main dealers of foreign exchange in the country.

Banking services for Merchant

Commercial banks also provide the facility of merchant banking services to the customers. Thus, they are authorized to avail the loans for non-banking firms under this.

Practice Questions

Q. There are many types of commercial banks in India. Which of these below is not a commercial bank in India

A. Commodity banks

B. Nationalized banks

C. Co-operative banks

D. Foreign banks

Answer: C. Co-operative banks

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Functions of Commercial Banks: Primary Functions and Questions (2024)

FAQs

Functions of Commercial Banks: Primary Functions and Questions? ›

Answer: The primary functions of a commercial bank are accepting deposits and also lending funds. Deposits are savings, current, or time deposits. Also, a commercial bank lends funds to its customers in the form of loans and advances, cash credit, overdraft and discounting of bills, etc.

What are the primary functions of commercial banks? ›

Answer: The primary functions of a commercial bank are accepting deposits and also lending funds. Deposits are savings, current, or time deposits. Also, a commercial bank lends funds to its customers in the form of loans and advances, cash credit, overdraft and discounting of bills, etc.

What is the primary functions of commercial banks definition? ›

A "primary function" is a major activity for which the facility is intended.

Which of the following is the primary function of a commercial bank? ›

The correct answer is to Accept deposits and provide credit. The primary functioning of the banking system is to accept deposits and provide credit.

What are the operations functions of a commercial bank? ›

Banking operations (Ops) serve as a back office function responsible for reconciliation and the execution and settlement of transactions originating in the front office. Trade booking and adherence to risk and regulatory guidelines are important roles of Ops. Customer onboarding is another key function.

What are the two essential functions of a bank? ›

All banks have to perform two major primary functions namely:
  • Accepting of deposits.
  • Granting of loans and advances.

How do commercial banks create credit? ›

All commercial banks create credit by advancing loans and purchasing securities. They lend money to the individuals as well as to the businesses out of deposits accepted from the public. Commercial banks are not allowed to use the entire amount of public deposits for lending purposes.

Which of the following is not a function of commercial banks? ›

Solution: Issuing currency is not the function of commercial banks. The main function of the Reserve Bank of India is to issue currency. A commercial bank is a financial institution that carries out all the operations regarding deposits, withdrawal of money, loans, and other activities.

What is the primary function of money? ›

One of the primary functions of money is as a medium of exchange as it can be used for any or all transactions wherein goods or services are purchased or sold. Therefore, one can buy or sell products in exchange for money.

What is the management of commercial banks? ›

Mostly it deals with the management of deposits, lending activities, investments, bank capital, bank liquidity and off-balance sheet activities. It also covers the use of derivatives and asset backed securities such as credit derivatives etc. to manage the market risk.

What is not a primary function of a bank? ›

Facilitating import of goods is not a primary function of a bank.

What is one of the functions of commercial banking unit of a bank? ›

Commercial banks provide services for businesses, government agencies, and institutions like colleges and universitiesm to help them grow and profit. They make money mainly by loaning money to businesses and earning back interest and fees from these loans.

What is the main function of the financial system? ›

The financial system refers to the network of institutions, such as banks, insurance companies, markets, and stock exchanges. The primary function of the financial system is to distribute savings from individuals and businesses to productive investments, allocate capital efficiently, and manage risks.

What are the primary functions of a commercial bank? ›

These banks are profit-making institutions and do business only to make a profit. The two primary characteristics of a commercial bank are lending and borrowing. The bank receives the deposits and gives money to various projects to earn interest (profit).

What are the functions of commercial operations? ›

Duties of a commercial operations manager
  • Overseeing day-to-day operations.
  • Performing sales analyses with a focus on long-term company growth.
  • Assessing the company's position on the commercial market.
  • Designing commercial strategies for the company's sales practices.
  • Making purchasing decisions.
Jan 26, 2023

What are the four main functions of banks today? ›

The four main functions of banks are accepting deposits, making loans, providing checking accounts, and acting as financial intermediaries, crucially linking savers to borrowers and facilitating economic activity.

What is the role of a commercial bank? ›

Commercial banks are an important part of the economy. They not only provide consumers with an essential service but also help create capital and liquidity in the market. Commercial banks ensure liquidity by taking the funds that their customers deposit in their accounts and lending them out to others.

What are the primary functions of money? ›

To summarize, money has taken many forms through the ages, but money consistently has three functions: store of value, unit of account, and medium of exchange. Modern economies use fiat money-money that is neither a commodity nor represented or "backed" by a commodity.

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