CDM stands for Cash Deposit Machine. It’s the machine that lets you put cash into a bank account yourself, without waiting at a branch counter.

The acronym means other things in other fields, but in Indian banking it’s Cash Deposit Machine.

Term	Meaning
CDM	Cash Deposit Machine
Main purpose	Depositing physical cash
Common location	Bank branches, ATMs/e-lobbies and other designated locations
Authentication	Card, account details or other methods depending on the bank
Primary benefit	Faster and more convenient cash deposits

What a CDM does

A CDM takes your notes, counts and checks them, and credits the money to the account you choose. You’ll usually find one inside a branch or in an ATM e-lobby.

The line between a CDM and an ATM has blurred. A basic ATM gives you cash and a basic CDM takes it, but plenty of newer machines do both. SBI calls its version an Automated Deposit and Withdrawal Machine (ADWM). RBI documentation still lists ATMs, Cash Recycler Machines and Cash Deposit Machines as separate categories, so the names haven’t fully merged yet.

Depending on the machine, you can deposit with a debit card or go cardless and type in an account number. Most print a receipt, and some keep working after the branch counter closes.

	CDM	ATM
Full form	Cash Deposit Machine	Automated Teller Machine
Mainly for	Putting cash in	Taking cash out
Accepts cash	Yes	Not for ordinary transactions
Dispenses cash	Not a basic CDM	Yes

How to deposit cash at a CDM?

Screens differ between banks, but the steps are roughly the same.

1. Choose the cash deposit option. The machine will either ask for your debit card or offer a cardless mode.
2. Confirm the account. With a card, the linked account usually comes up on its own. Without one, you type the account number in. Read it back to yourself before you continue.
3. Feed in the notes. The machine counts them and returns anything it won’t accept, like torn, badly folded or suspicious notes.
4. Check the total on screen. This is the step people rush. Compare it with the amount you counted beforehand, and only then confirm.
5. Take the receipt. Keep it until the credit shows up in your SMS alert, app or statement.

Who actually uses these

Mostly people who handle cash and don’t want to lose an hour in a queue. A shopkeeper banking the day’s takings is the obvious example. So is anyone paid in cash who wants it in their savings account that evening, provided the machine is working and the bank accepts deposits at that hour.

Is the money credited instantly?

Often it shows up quickly, but that isn’t guaranteed. Timing varies with the bank, the machine and the kind of transaction. For a large or important deposit, keep the receipt and check your account instead of assuming it went through.

Deposit limits

India has no single CDM limit. It varies with your bank, account type, whether you use a card, your PAN and KYC status, and sometimes the machine itself.

Here’s one concrete example. SBI’s published cash-point charges allow up to ₹1 lakh per transaction when you deposit with a debit card into its linked account, for the relevant personal savings account category. The same document sets different conditions for third party and cardless deposits. Your bank will have its own numbers, so look them up before you show up with a thick bundle.

Charges

Some deposits are free and some aren’t. Fees can depend on your account type, whether the money goes to your own account or someone else’s, whether you used a card, and when you make the deposit. SBI’s schedule, for instance, charges for some third party and cardless deposits and leaves certain categories free. Check your own bank’s current schedule.

Before you deposit

Count the cash yourself first, so you have a figure to hold the screen against. Flatten folded notes and set aside damaged ones, since the machine will probably reject them anyway. If you’re paying into someone else’s account, check the number twice. A typo here is a real headache to undo.

And nobody legitimate needs your PIN or OTP to help with a deposit. If a stranger near the machine offers to “help”, politely decline.

If the machine takes your cash but your account isn’t credited

This is the situation worth being ready for. Keep the receipt and note down:

• the date and time
• where the machine is
• how much you deposited
• the transaction or reference number
• the account details you used
• any error message on the screen

Then contact your bank through its official customer service or complaints channel. The bank can pull the machine’s transaction records and match them against the cash collected from it.

If the machine keeps your money without finishing the transaction, don’t walk off. Also don’t keep retrying the same deposit until you know what happened to the first one, or you could end up with two problems instead of one.

When the counter is the better choice

A CDM is fine for a simple deposit. Go inside instead if the amount is unusually large, the machine keeps rejecting your notes, you need a service it doesn’t offer, or you’re chasing a failed deposit and need a person to look into it.

FAQs

Is a CDM the same as an ATM?

Not quite. An ATM is built mainly for withdrawals and a CDM for deposits, though many newer machines handle both.

Can I deposit into someone else’s account?

At some banks, yes, usually with separate limits and sometimes a fee. SBI, for example, treats own account, third party and cardless deposits as different categories.

Can I use a CDM when the branch is closed?

Sometimes. It depends on where the machine is and what your bank allows.