Post Office RD Calculator
This post office RD calculator works out the maturity value of a Post Office Recurring Deposit — a fixed monthly deposit, government-backed and compounded quarterly, always run over a single standard 5-year term. Enter your monthly deposit amount and the current interest rate to see what you'll receive at maturity and how much of that is interest, without needing to guess at a tenure since India Post only offers one.
The fixed amount you deposit every month. India Post allows Recurring Deposits starting from ₹100 per month, in multiples of ₹10 after that, with no upper limit.
The current Post Office RD rate, set by the government and revised quarterly — check India Post's current rate card rather than relying on the default.
Maturity value
Log in to save₹1,41,158
The lump sum you'll receive when the RD matures — e.g. ₹2,000/month at 6.7% for the fixed 5-year term matures to about ₹1,41,158.
Your actual out-of-pocket money — every monthly deposit added together, with no interest included.
What quarterly compounding added on top of your deposits — later instalments earn less interest since they compound for less time.
How to use this post office rd calculator
- 1Monthly deposit: the fixed amount you commit to depositing every month for the full 5 years. India Post allows deposits from as little as ₹100 per month.
- 2Interest rate: use the current Post Office RD rate, set nationally and revised quarterly by the government — check the latest rate card rather than assuming the default rate still applies.
- 3There's no tenure field here on purpose: a standard Post Office RD only comes in one fixed 5-year term, unlike a bank RD which can run anywhere from 6 months to 10 years. After maturity, a Post Office RD can be extended in further 5-year blocks, similar to how a PPF account is extended.
- 4Compare the maturity value here against our regular RD calculator using a bank's current RD rate for the same monthly amount and 5-year term.
Understanding your results
Maturity value is the lump sum you receive when the 5-year term ends. Total deposited is simply your monthly amount times 60 months — your actual out-of-pocket contribution. Interest earned is what quarterly compounding on the running balance added on top: because each instalment is deposited at a different time, the earliest deposits compound for close to the full 5 years while the last few instalments barely compound at all before maturity.
The formula
Maturity = Σ [Depositₘ × (1 + r/4)^(quarters remaining)]Each monthly deposit compounds separately for however many complete quarters remain until the fixed 5-year maturity date, at the quarterly rate r/4 (annual rate ÷ 400). The first deposit compounds for nearly the full 5 years; the 60th and final deposit barely compounds at all. Summing every individual deposit's compounded value gives the total maturity amount — the same running-balance, quarterly-compounding logic as a bank RD, just applied to India Post's single fixed 5-year term rather than a tenure you choose yourself.
A worked example
₹2,000 deposited every month for the fixed 5-year term (60 instalments) at 6.7%, compounded quarterly on the running balance: the maturity value works out to approximately ₹1,41,158. Total deposited over the 5 years is ₹1,20,000, so interest earned is about ₹21,158 — roughly 18% of the amount deposited, reflecting that money deposited later in the term had far less time to compound than the earliest instalments.
Things to know
A Post Office RD is backed directly by the Government of India, and the rate is uniform nationwide regardless of which post office you use — unlike bank RDs, where rates can vary by bank and sometimes by branch. Once the account has run for a year, a loan against the RD balance becomes available, typically up to a percentage of the balance built up so far — check the current limit at your post office. Missing an instalment attracts a small default fee per missed month (the exact amount is set by India Post and revised periodically, so confirm the current fee rather than assuming a fixed figure); repeated defaults can eventually lead to the account being closed early. The tenure is genuinely fixed at 5 years rather than adjustable, though it can be extended in further 5-year blocks after maturity if you want to keep saving under the same scheme.
Frequently asked questions
How is Post Office RD maturity calculated?+
Each monthly deposit compounds quarterly on the running balance for however many quarters remain until the fixed 5-year maturity date, and all deposits' compounded values are summed. ₹2,000/month at 6.7% for 5 years matures at about ₹1,41,158 on ₹1,20,000 deposited.
Why isn't there a tenure option on this calculator?+
A standard Post Office Recurring Deposit only comes in one fixed 5-year term — it isn't user-adjustable the way a bank RD's tenure is. If you want a different tenure, a bank RD (see our regular RD calculator) offers more flexibility, typically from 6 months to 10 years.
Can I extend a Post Office RD after 5 years?+
Yes — it can typically be extended in further 5-year blocks after maturity, similar to how a PPF account is extended, rather than being restricted to a single one-time 5-year term.
What happens if I miss a Post Office RD instalment?+
A small default fee applies per missed month — the exact amount is set by India Post and revised periodically, so check the current fee at your post office rather than assuming a fixed figure. Repeated missed instalments can eventually lead to premature closure of the account.
Can I take a loan against my Post Office RD?+
Yes, once the account has run for at least a year, a loan against a percentage of the accumulated balance is typically available — check the current loan-to-balance limit and terms at your post office, since these are set by India Post and can change.
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