Plan your Post Office deposit income
See annual interest payments and when your deposit comes back.
Payment calendar
| Date | Interest | Deposit back |
|---|
How we calculate this
Interest each year = deposit × [(1 + rate ÷ 4)^4 − 1] (compounded every quarter, paid once a year) Rounded to the rupee: 50 paise or more rounds up (scheme rule) Paid on each anniversary of the opening date; the deposit comes back on the last one. The rate on your opening date stays the same until maturity.
Calculation version 0.3 · Official rates for deposits opened 1 Oct 2026 – 31 Dec 2026: 1 year 6.9%, 2 years 7%, 3 years 7.1%, 5 years 7.5%. Source: Ministry of Finance (DEA) office memorandum of 30 Sep 2026, in India Post SB Order 12/2026, checked 7 Oct 2026. Early closure and extension aren't covered. If a payment date is a holiday, the post office pays on the working day before.
Related: Bank FD calculator · PPF calculator · Emergency fund
How to read your Post Office deposit result
A Post Office Time Deposit (often called a Post Office FD) keeps your money for 1, 2, 3 or 5 years at a rate the government sets. This tool shows the interest you get each year and when each payment arrives, up to the day your deposit comes back.
What the numbers mean
Interest each year is the amount paid to you on each anniversary of the opening date (the same date each year). It is the same every year. Interest is worked out every quarter but paid out only once a year, so it can’t keep growing inside the account.
All interest payments adds up the yearly amounts for the whole term. Deposit back is your original amount, returned on the last anniversary. The payment calendar lists every date, and its last row shows the total you receive.
The small note under the result tells you which rate was used. For an opening date in the confirmed period, it is the official rate, with a link to the source. If you tick “Use an illustrative rate”, the tool uses your number and labels it as yours. Your own number is not a scheme rate.
How the official rules work
Under the National Savings Time Deposit Scheme, 2019, the deposit is made once, with at least ₹1,000 in multiples of ₹100 and no upper limit. Interest is compounded (added on top) every quarter and paid at the end of each year. The rate on your opening date stays fixed until maturity. Each payment is rounded to the rupee: 50 paise or more rounds up, less is dropped. Interest you leave unpaid earns nothing more, but it can be credited to your savings account. If a payment date falls on a holiday, the post office pays on the working day before.
Rates for accounts opened from 1 Oct to 31 Dec 2026: 1 year 6.9%, 2 years 7.0%, 3 years 7.1%, 5 years 7.5%. The government reviews these rates every quarter. Rates for openings from 1 Jan 2027 aren’t known yet, so for those dates the tool asks for an illustrative rate.
Sources: Ministry of Finance (DEA) office memorandum of 30 Sep 2026, in India Post SB Order 12/2026 (PDF); National Savings Time Deposit Scheme, 2019 (NSI). Checked 7 Oct 2026.
Worked example
A fictional deposit of ₹1,00,000 for 5 years, opened on 7 Oct 2026 at the official 7.5%:
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Interest each year | ₹7,714 (₹7,713.59 before rounding) |
| Paid on | 7 Oct 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030 and 2031 |
| All interest payments | ₹38,570 |
| Deposit back | ₹1,00,000 on 7 Oct 2031 |
| Total you receive | ₹1,38,570 |
Quarterly compounding is why 7.5% gives ₹7,714 and not ₹7,500. The same ₹1,00,000 for the other terms, opened in the same quarter:
| Term | Rate | Each year | All interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 6.9% | ₹7,081 | ₹7,081 |
| 2 years | 7.0% | ₹7,186 | ₹14,372 |
| 3 years | 7.1% | ₹7,291 | ₹21,873 |
What this tool doesn’t do
It doesn’t cover closing the deposit early or extending it. Those have separate rules, so ask at the post office before you decide. It doesn’t reinvest your yearly interest for you, and it doesn’t work out tax. It doesn’t move a payment to the working day before a holiday. The dates shown are plain anniversaries. Check the final figures on your passbook or account statement.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Post Office FD interest reinvested or paid out?
It is paid out. Interest on a Post Office Time Deposit is compounded every quarter but paid to you once a year, on each anniversary of the opening date. It doesn't stay in the account to grow. Interest you don't withdraw earns nothing more, but it can be credited to your savings account. So the yearly amount stays the same for the whole term.
What is the Post Office FD interest rate now?
For accounts opened from 1 Oct to 31 Dec 2026, the rates are 6.9% for 1 year, 7.0% for 2 years, 7.1% for 3 years and 7.5% for 5 years. The government reviews them every quarter. Rates for openings from 1 Jan 2027 aren't announced yet. For those dates, the calculator asks you for an illustrative rate, which is your own guess.
If rates change after I open the deposit, does my interest change?
No. The rate on your opening date stays the same until the deposit matures, even if new rates come out later. That is why the calculator links the rate to your opening date. A deposit of ₹1,00,000 for 5 years opened on 7 Oct 2026 gets 7.5% throughout: ₹7,714 every year, ₹38,570 in total.
Why does 7.5% give ₹7,714 a year and not ₹7,500?
Because interest is compounded every quarter before it is paid out. Each quarter's interest earns interest in the next quarter of the same year. On ₹1,00,000 at 7.5%, that adds up to ₹7,713.59. The scheme rounds 50 paise or more up to the next rupee, so you get ₹7,714.
What is the minimum amount for a Post Office FD?
The minimum is ₹1,000, and the amount must be in multiples of ₹100. There is no upper limit. Each account takes one deposit, so adding money later means opening another account, at the rate in force on that day. The calculator shows an error if the amount doesn't fit these rules.
Can I close a Post Office FD early?
This calculator doesn't cover it. Early closure has its own rules, so the figures shown here apply only if you keep the deposit for the full term. Ask at your post office for the current rule before you decide. For a general comparison, see the Bank FD calculator.