Poor Online Banking Experience: My Honest Review of Utkarsh Bank, ICICI Bank, and Suryodaya Bank

 Poor Online Banking Experience: My Honest Review of Utkarsh Bank, ICICI Bank, and Suryodaya Bank


In today’s digital-first world, online banking experience is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity. Whether you are checking balances, authorising transactions, or managing family accounts like an HUF (Hindu Undivided Family), seamless digital access is expected.

Unfortunately, my personal experience with a few Indian banks has been far from smooth. In this blog, I share real issues faced with Utkarsh Small Finance Bank, ICICI Bank, and Suryodaya Small Finance Bank, especially around internet banking, OTP delivery, and HUF account usability.

This review is based on actual usage, not assumptions.

1. Utkarsh Small Finance Bank – Internet Banking That Barely Works

Utkarsh Bank offers competitive products, but its internet banking platform is extremely unreliable.

Key Issues Faced

  • Website does not open outside India

    • If you are travelling abroad or an NRI temporarily outside India, accessing internet banking is almost impossible.

  • Inconsistent access even within India

    • On some laptops and networks inside India, the website simply refuses to load.

  • No clear communication or workaround provided by customer support.

Why This Is a Serious Problem

In an era of remote work and frequent international travel, a banking website that is geo-restricted or unstable severely limits usability.


2. ICICI Bank – OTP on Email Never Arrives

ICICI Bank is one of India’s largest private banks, so this issue was genuinely surprising.

The Core Problem

  • OTP sent to email ID never arrives

  • This happens consistently during login or transaction authorisation.

  • What makes it worse is that ICICI Direct (their sister platform) delivers OTPs on email almost instantly.

Why This Is Frustrating

  • Email OTP is often the fallback when SMS delivery fails.

  • When email OTP itself doesn’t work, customers are left locked out.

  • There is no transparent explanation for why ICICI Bank and ICICI Direct behave so differently despite being part of the same group.

3. Suryodaya Small Finance Bank – Great for HUF Accounts, but No Online Freedom

Suryodaya Bank deserves a more nuanced review.

What Works Well

  • Very useful for HUF banking

  • Many banks struggle with HUF account opening and compliance, while Suryodaya handles this relatively smoothly.

The Major Limitation

  • HUF accounts have almost zero online banking functionality

  • You cannot:

    • Initiate transactions online

    • Manage account settings digitally

    • Perform basic internet banking actions

Essentially, if it’s an HUF account, everything becomes branch-dependent.

Who This Might Still Work For

  • Users who are comfortable with offline banking

  • HUFs that do not require frequent transactions


Comparison Summary

Bank NameMain IssueWho Should Avoid
Utkarsh SFBInternet banking inaccessible from outside IndiaNRIs, frequent travellers
ICICI BankEmail OTP not deliveredUsers dependent on email OTP
Suryodaya SFBNo online functionality for HUF accountsDigitally active HUFs

Final Thoughts: Choose Banks Based on Usage, Not Brand

This experience reinforced one key lesson:

A bank may be excellent on paper but frustrating in daily digital use.

  • If you rely heavily on internet banking, avoid platforms with access or OTP reliability issues.

  • If you manage an HUF account, confirm digital capabilities before opening the account.

  • Large brand names do not always guarantee smooth digital execution.

I’ll continue sharing honest, experience-based reviews to help others make informed banking decisions.

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