Bank of Maharashtra (BOM) does not use one exchange rate. It publishes a forex rate sheet each working day and revises it as the market moves.
When money reaches you from abroad, BOM applies its TT (telegraphic transfer) buying rate, which sits below the live mid-market rate. That gap, the margin, is where most of the cost hides, and it is separate from any fee and the 18% GST on the conversion.
If you are an exporter or freelancer receiving payments, the TT buying rate on your credit advice decides your rupee payout, not the rate BOM advertises.
If you receive export income regularly, you can collect international payments at the live mid-market rate and keep more of each invoice. This guide covers how BOM sets each rate, what a transfer really costs, what "no FX markup" actually means, and how the maths compares.
Understanding Bank of Maharashtra forex rates
A "forex rate" is the price of one currency in another at a given moment. Banks quote it against the interbank rate, the wholesale price at which large institutions trade, then add a margin before passing it to you.
BOM publishes TT and card rates and participates in the FX-Retail platform. If you want the plain-English version of how these numbers are built, start with forex rates.
The rates BOM shows are indicative. The rate that actually applies is the one prevailing when your account is credited, so a morning figure can shift by the time your transfer settles.
What do TT buying and TT selling rates mean?
TT stands for telegraphic transfer, the electronic movement of money between banks across borders. BOM uses two TT rates and a card rate.
- TT buying rate: the rate at which BOM buys foreign currency from you and pays out rupees. This applies when you receive an inward remittance from a client abroad.
- TT selling rate: the rate at which BOM sells you foreign currency, used when you send money out.
- Card rate: used for the forex card and cash, wider than the TT rates.
For anyone receiving export income, the TT buying rate is the number that matters. A telegraphic transfer is the default rail behind most bank-to-bank inward payments. Here is an illustrative snapshot (as of July 2026).
| Rate type | Used when | Illustrative BOM rate (INR/USD) |
|---|---|---|
| TT buying | You receive money from abroad | 88.10 |
| TT selling | You send money abroad | 89.70 |
| Card or cash | Forex card or currency notes | 87.70 buy / 90.10 sell |
The mid-market rate that day is around ₹89.40, so every BOM rate sits a margin away from it.
What are Bank of Maharashtra's forex charges?
The exchange-rate margin is the largest cost, but not the only one. As of July 2026, the fees an exporter or freelancer is likely to meet are set out below.
| Service | BOM charge (as of July 2026) |
|---|---|
| Inward remittance (credit to your account) | No explicit BOM fee; a commission in lieu of exchange may apply; TT buying rate margin applies |
| FIRC (if you request the certificate) | Nominal fee plus GST, on request |
| Outward remittance (non-import) | 0.10% (minimum ₹100, maximum ₹2,000) + SWIFT charges |
| FX-Retail registration (non-individuals) | Around ₹1,000, one time |
| SWIFT and correspondent charges | Additional, deducted along the way |
Receiving money looks close to free because the visible charge is small or nil. The margin baked into the TT buying rate does the quiet work instead, and a correspondent bank can deduct its own fee before the money reaches BOM.
Banks revise these schedules periodically, so verify the current numbers on BOM's own service-charges page before you rely on a figure.
What does "no FX markup" really mean?
This phrase confuses a lot of people, so it is worth being clear. A "no FX markup" claim means a provider converts your money at, or very close to, the mid-market rate without adding a spread on top of it.
It does not mean the transfer is free. A provider that waives the markup usually charges a separate, visible fee instead, and a bank that advertises no fee often keeps a markup inside the rate. No provider moves money across borders for nothing.
So the useful question is not "is it free" but "where is the cost". A hidden markup buried in the rate is harder to spot than a fee shown as a line item, which is why comparing the applied rate against the mid-market rate matters more than reading the fee alone.
How much GST applies to a forex conversion?
Every foreign-exchange conversion in India attracts 18% GST. It is charged on a "value of supply" the RBI defines in slabs (in force since 1 July 2017), not on your full transfer amount, so it stays modest even on large sums.
| Conversion amount | Value of supply (taxable value) | GST at 18% |
|---|---|---|
| Up to ₹1 lakh | 1% of the amount (minimum ₹250) | ₹45 to ₹180 |
| ₹1 lakh to ₹10 lakh | ₹1,000 + 0.5% of amount above ₹1 lakh | ₹180 to ₹990 |
| Above ₹10 lakh | ₹5,500 + 0.1% of amount above ₹10 lakh (capped at ₹60,000) | ₹990 to ₹10,800 (maximum) |
The takeaway is simple. GST is a known, capped, and comparatively small cost. The exchange-rate margin is the variable you can actually influence.
Why are Bank of Maharashtra's forex rates different from the market rate?
Search "USD to INR" and you see the mid-market rate, the midpoint between global buy and sell prices. That is the fair reference rate, and no bank pays it out in full. The difference comes from three layers.
Spread: BOM applies a margin between the interbank rate and the rate it gives you, often around 1% to 2% below mid-market on inward transfers, though it varies by day and currency. This is the foreign exchange markup, rarely shown as a line item.
Correspondent deductions: inward wires can pass through an intermediary bank that takes its own cut before the money reaches BOM, so the credited amount can be smaller than the sender's figure.
Market volatility: the rate moves through the day. Because your transfer settles at the prevailing rate, not the quoted one, timing changes the outcome.
The cleanest way to see the true price is to compare the applied rate against the live mid-market rate on the same day.
If you are benchmarking Indian banks, bandhan bank forex rates use the same spread-and-GST structure and are worth a side-by-side look.
What does the effective rate look like? A worked example
Say a client sends you USD 10,000 for a completed project, and the mid-market USD/INR rate that day is ₹89.40 (illustrative, as of July 2026).
- At the mid-market rate: 10,000 × 89.40 = ₹8,94,000
- At BOM's TT buying rate, roughly 1.45% lower at about ₹88.10: 10,000 × 88.10 = ₹8,81,000
- Difference from the rate margin alone: about ₹13,000, before GST, any commission or FIRC fee, and the correspondent-bank deduction.
That ₹13,000 is not a fee you approved. It is the spread, and it repeats on every transfer.
Over a year of monthly foreign inward remittance, the same margin quietly compounds into a meaningful sum. You can cross-check the reference number any day using USD to INR.
How can you check Bank of Maharashtra forex rates today?
There are three reliable ways to find the rate, in order of accuracy.
- BOM's forex rate sheet on its website, published on working days. It lists TT and card rates per currency.
- Your account credit advice or FIRA, which records the exact rate applied to your specific transfer. This is the only rate that is truly yours.
- The branch or a forex centre, useful if you are negotiating on higher volumes.
A quoted morning rate is only a guide. The rate that lands is the one live at the moment of credit, which is why the FIRA figure and the morning quote rarely match to the paisa. For compliance, the FIRA proves both the inward remittance and the rate applied.
How is Xflow different from Bank of Maharashtra forex rates?
Xflow is a cross-border payments platform built for Indian businesses and freelancers receiving money from abroad. The core difference is the reference rate.
BOM marks up a hidden interbank rate. Xflow converts at the live mid-market rate and charges a transparent, visible fee, so the cost is shown as a line item rather than buried in the rate. Its published pricing, as of July 2026, is below.
| Plan | Fee | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $12 flat up to $2,000; 0.6% above $2,000 | Invoices typically under $3,500 |
| Growth | $20 flat up to $5,000; 0.4% above $5,000 | Invoices of $2,000 to $10,000 |
| Scale | Custom pricing | Invoices of $10,000+ |
Take the same USD 10,000 invoice on the Growth plan. The fee is 0.4%, about USD 40 (roughly ₹3,576 at ₹89.40), and the conversion happens at the mid-market rate rather than a marked-down one.
You keep close to the mid-market payout minus a fee you can see, instead of losing the spread you never agreed to. Xflow supports receiving in 25+ currencies from 140+ countries. Settlement is next business day (T+1), and each payment comes with an auto-issued eFIRA.
A few honest caveats belong here. If you already hold accounts, overdraft lines, and trade facilities with BOM, consolidating can matter more than a few paise on rate.
For one-off or very small transfers, a flat fee can outweigh the rate saving. Run your own numbers on a typical invoice first, and read how to reduce international payment fees to see where the real leakage sits. For regular mid-to-large export receipts, the platform is used for cross-border payments for service exporters.
Does moving off your bank break compliance?
This is the fear that stops most exporters from switching, and it is worth addressing head-on. Receiving through a regulated platform does not break your regulatory trail.
Xflow holds final RBI Payment Aggregator - Cross Border (PA-CB) authorisation for both exports and imports (as of February 2026), works with AD-1 banks, and auto-issues an eFIRA for each payment.
Your purpose codes, GST refund workflow, and downstream reporting continue as before, and the bank FIRC route remains available. Compliance stays intact; the paperwork simply becomes less manual.
The bottom line
Bank of Maharashtra's forex rates are set by a daily rate sheet, and the TT buying rate, not the advertised number, decides what lands in your account. Remember that "no FX markup" never means free, so look at where the cost sits.
The 18% GST is small and capped. The exchange-rate margin of roughly 1% to 2%, plus any commission and correspondent-bank charge, is the real cost on inward transfers. Other lenders such as south indian bank forex rates price inward transfers the same way.
Check the rate on your FIRA, compare it against the mid-market rate the same day, and if you receive export income regularly, run one invoice through a mid-market-rate platform to see the difference for yourself. Open Xflow's receiving accounts to test it on your next USD invoice.
Frequently asked questions
BOM quotes a TT buying rate for money you receive, a TT selling rate for money you send, and a card rate for its forex card and cash. Each sits a margin away from the mid-market rate, and that margin is the main cost.
BOM lists no explicit fee on an inward credit, but a commission in lieu of exchange can apply, the TT buying rate margin still applies, and a correspondent bank may deduct its own charge. A FIRC costs a nominal fee if you request one.
It means a provider converts at or near the mid-market rate without adding a spread. It does not mean free, because a separate visible fee usually applies. The useful question is whether the cost is a hidden markup or a visible fee.
It is the rate at which BOM converts incoming foreign currency into rupees. It is lower than the mid-market rate, and the difference is the bank's margin. This is the rate that applies when you receive money.
Use BOM's forex rate sheet on its website, published on working days. The exact rate applied to your transfer appears on your credit advice or FIRA.
Google shows the mid-market rate. BOM adds a spread of roughly 1% to 2%, so the rate you receive is below it. The applied rate on your FIRA reflects that margin.
Savings depend on your volume and the rate margin. On regular mid-to-large receipts, converting at the mid-market rate with a visible fee can meaningfully reduce FX costs compared with a bank spread.