IFSC Code of Punjab National Bank, Sonakhali Branch, West Bengal

Use this page as a one-stop reference for everything related to Punjab National Bank's SONAKHALI branch in SONAKHALI, WEST BENGAL. The branch's IFSC code PUNB0919600 is the key identifier you need whenever a remitter, employer or biller asks for a bank routing number to send funds to an account held at this branch. We have also included the branch's postal address, telephone number, banking hours, common services, and an extensive FAQ block that should answer almost every question that comes up when you are about to add this branch as a beneficiary in your net-banking app for the first time.

An IFSC (Indian Financial System Code) is an 11-character alphanumeric code issued by the Reserve Bank of India. It uniquely identifies every bank branch that participates in the RBI's electronic fund-transfer systems – NEFT, RTGS and IMPS. The first four characters represent the bank, the fifth is always a zero (reserved for future use), and the last six characters identify the specific branch.

For Punjab National Bank's SONAKHALI branch, the IFSC PUNB0919600 breaks down as follows: PUNB identifies the bank, 0 is the reserved character, and 919600 identifies this particular branch.

About the bank

Punjab National Bank serves retail and corporate customers with a full range of deposit, lending, payments and digital banking products. Its Sonakhali branch in Sonakhali, West Bengal is part of this network and uses the IFSC code PUNB0919600 for all electronic settlement.

Sonakhali branch overview

Located at VPO SONAKHALI BLOCK DASPUR DIST MIDNAPORE PS DASPUR WB MIDNA 721146, the Sonakhali branch handles regular banking operations such as account opening, fixed and recurring deposits, locker facilities, loans, and trade finance services where applicable. The IFSC PUNB0919600 is required for all interbank electronic transfers routed through this branch.

Branch details at a glance

Why every Punjab National Bank branch has a unique IFSC

Before electronic settlement systems went live in India, money transfers between banks relied heavily on demand drafts, mail transfers and telegraphic transfers. These older instruments routinely took days to clear and were prone to misrouting because there was no single machine-readable identifier for a branch. The Reserve Bank of India solved this by issuing each participating branch — including SONAKHALI of Punjab National Bank — its own 11-character IFSC. The code PUNB0919600 is therefore not just an internal reference; it is the digital postcode that lets the RBI's NEFT, RTGS and IMPS rails route funds straight to the right branch ledger without any human intervention.

Today, almost every salary credit, vendor payment, refund and EMI deduction in the country flows through this network, which is exactly why a correct IFSC matters so much. A wrong character can either bounce the transfer or send it to the wrong branch, and reversing such a credit is a manual, time-consuming process. Treat IFSC PUNB0919600 the same way you would treat your account number — verify it once and save it carefully for future use.

MICR code & cheque clearing

Apart from IFSC, every cheque book issued by Punjab National Bank carries a 9-digit MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) code that is read by cheque-sorting machines. The MICR code, the IFSC PUNB0919600 and the account number together uniquely identify the Sonakhali branch and your account. The MICR for this branch is printed at the bottom of your cheque leaves.

How to transfer money using IFSC PUNB0919600

Online transfers in India are powered by three major channels — NEFT, RTGS and IMPS — and each one requires a destination IFSC. Below is a quick guide for using IFSC PUNB0919600 across all three.

How to use IFSC PUNB0919600 for an NEFT transfer

NEFT (National Electronic Funds Transfer) is the most widely used method for sending money to Punjab National Bank's SONAKHALI branch. NEFT now settles on a 24x7 basis in half-hourly batches and has no upper limit for retail customers (individual banks may impose their own caps).

1. Log in to your internet banking or mobile banking app.
2. Choose Add Beneficiary and select NEFT / Other Bank.
3. Enter the beneficiary name, account number and the IFSC PUNB0919600.
4. Confirm the bank name auto-populates as Punjab National Bank and the branch as SONAKHALI.
5. Approve the beneficiary using OTP. Once activated, transfer any amount and the credit will reflect in the next NEFT cycle.

Real-Time Gross Settlement to SONAKHALI

If you need to transfer ₹2 lakh or more in one go to an account at Punjab National Bank's SONAKHALI branch, RTGS is the right channel. Each transaction is settled individually in real time. Use IFSC PUNB0919600 while initiating the transfer and the credit will appear within minutes.

IMPS to Punjab National Bank SONAKHALI (IFSC PUNB0919600)

IMPS (Immediate Payment Service) offers instant, 24x7 fund transfers up to ₹5 lakh per transaction. Provide the beneficiary's account number along with IFSC PUNB0919600 in your mobile or internet banking app, and the money is credited to the SONAKHALI branch account within seconds.

Comparing NEFT, RTGS and IMPS for transfers to Sonakhali

The right transfer rail depends on how urgent the payment is, how large it is, and whether the receiving bank participates in the chosen scheme. Every option below works with the IFSC PUNB0919600:

• NEFT — best for everyday transfers of any amount; settles in half-hourly batches around the clock.
• RTGS — best for transfers of ₹2 lakh and above; settles each transaction individually in real time.
• IMPS — best when speed matters more than batch scheduling; instant credit up to ₹5 lakh.
• UPI — best for small peer-to-peer payments using a VPA; the underlying account at SONAKHALI is still linked to IFSC PUNB0919600.

For salary credits, vendor payouts and refunds, employers and merchants usually default to NEFT because of its zero per-transaction cost for retail customers and its 24x7 availability.

UPI payments and IFSC PUNB0919600

UPI (Unified Payments Interface) has become the default way for individuals to send money in India. While most UPI transactions are addressed using a Virtual Payment Address (VPA) like name@bank, the underlying account at Punjab National Bank – SONAKHALI is still mapped to IFSC PUNB0919600. When a customer links a savings or current account to a UPI app for the first time, the app silently looks up this IFSC against the account number to verify the account exists. The VPA acts as a friendly alias on top of the same plumbing.

If a UPI transfer to or from this branch fails, the most common reasons are an inactive UPI handle, a daily limit breach or a temporary outage at one of the participating banks — not the IFSC. You can always fall back to NEFT or IMPS using the IFSC PUNB0919600 and the beneficiary's account number to complete the transfer.

Products and account variants supported

Every account opened at the Sonakhali branch is mapped to IFSC PUNB0919600 on the RBI payments network. The branch generally supports the full retail product catalogue of Punjab National Bank, including:

• Resident savings accounts and salary accounts
• Current accounts for businesses and professionals
• Fixed deposits, recurring deposits and tax-saver deposits
• Demand drafts, banker's cheques and pay orders
• Retail loans — personal, vehicle, education, gold and home
• Credit cards and overdraft facilities (subject to eligibility)
• Third-party investment products such as mutual funds and insurance (through tie-ups)

Whichever product you choose, the IFSC for incoming credits remains PUNB0919600.

Products and services

Customers walking into the Sonakhali branch can access most of Punjab National Bank's standard product suite, including:

• Account opening – savings, current, NRI, salary
• Term deposits and recurring deposits
• Retail and small-business loans
• Insurance and mutual-fund tie-ups
• Locker, safe deposit and ATM card services
• Online and mobile banking activation
• Electronic transfers via IFSC PUNB0919600

Online banking and IFSC PUNB0919600

Punjab National Bank customers can register for net banking and the bank's official mobile app once their account at the SONAKHALI branch is active. Net banking lets you view balances, download statements, open fixed deposits, request cheque books and initiate NEFT/RTGS/IMPS transfers — all without setting foot in the branch. The IFSC PUNB0919600 is pre-filled by the bank for transfers originating from your own account, and you only need to enter it manually when adding an external beneficiary or sharing your account details with a third party.

How to reach the Sonakhali branch

The branch is located at VPO SONAKHALI BLOCK DASPUR DIST MIDNAPORE PS DASPUR WB MIDNA 721146, which puts it inside Sonakhali, the broader Medinipur district, and the state of West Bengal. To plan your visit:

1. Open Google Maps on your phone and search for “Punjab National Bank Sonakhali branch” — the verified location pin for IFSC PUNB0919600 should appear at the top of the results.
2. Confirm the branch is open by calling 9932327435 before stepping out, especially around public holidays.
3. Carry photo ID and any account-related documents you may need for the transaction you plan to do.

Most banking work — passbook updates, fund transfers, statement downloads — can also be completed online without visiting the branch in person, as long as you know the IFSC PUNB0919600 and your account number.

Common mistakes to avoid when using IFSC PUNB0919600

An incorrect IFSC almost always results in a failed transfer or, worse, a credit to the wrong branch. Before you click Confirm on a transfer to Punjab National Bank – SONAKHALI, double-check for these issues:

• Confusing 0 with O. The fifth character of every IFSC is the digit 0, not the letter O. Read carefully.
• Spaces or hyphens. Do not put spaces in the IFSC. It is exactly 11 characters: PUNB0919600.
• Wrong branch. A bank can have dozens of branches in the same city. Make sure you are using the IFSC for the actual branch where the beneficiary holds the account, not just any nearby branch.
• Old IFSC after a merger. If two banks have merged, the IFSC may have been reissued. Always verify with a recent passbook or cheque leaf.
• Copy-paste from chat. Auto-correct on phones can silently change letters in IFSC codes. Type carefully or copy from a trusted source like the cheque book.

Working hours

Branch counters at Sonakhali are usually open from 10 AM to 4 PM on weekdays. Saturdays follow the RBI's alternate-Saturday rule. Even when the branch is closed, NEFT, RTGS, IMPS and UPI transfers addressed to PUNB0919600 continue to work without interruption.

Verifying IFSC PUNB0919600 from official sources

The IFSC listed on this page is sourced from the RBI's master list and validated against the bank's branch directory. To double-check before transferring large sums, you can also confirm PUNB0919600 by:

• Looking at the cheque leaf – IFSC is printed near the MICR band.
• Opening the passbook's first page.
• Calling the branch directly on 9932327435.
• Visiting the bank's official branch locator page.

Branch address & contact

Frequently asked questions

Summary

The IFSC code PUNB0919600 belongs to Punjab National Bank's SONAKHALI branch, located at VPO SONAKHALI BLOCK DASPUR DIST MIDNAPORE PS DASPUR WB MIDNA 721146 in SONAKHALI, WEST BENGAL. Use this code along with the beneficiary's account number for any NEFT, RTGS or IMPS transfer to this branch. Bookmark this page for quick reference whenever you need the branch's banking details.