The Securities & Exchange Board of India has launched two investor payment-security initiatives that are now live: “Validated UPI Handles”, which identify UPI IDs of SEBI-registered investor-facing intermediaries, and “SEBI Check”, which enables investors to verify intermediary bank account details and UPI IDs before making payments. Under the new framework, UPI IDs of SEBI-registered intermediaries will carry an exclusive “@valid” handle issued by the National Payments Corporation of India, combined with the name of the self-certified syndicate bank and category-specific suffixes such as “.brk” for brokers and “.mf” for mutual funds. SEBI stated that major brokers covering over 90% of investors and all mutual funds have already adopted the “@valid” handle. Payments via “@valid” are accompanied by a “thumbs-up inside a green triangle” visual cue and a distinctive QR code featuring the “thumbs-up” logo, with the absence of the cue intended to flag potential unauthorised entities. “SEBI Check” supports verification for payments made via “@valid” as well as bank transfer modes including NEFT, RTGS and IMPS, using an intermediary’s bank account number and IFSC code or its “@valid” UPI ID through SEBI’s portal or the Saarthi app.
Securities & Exchange Board of India 2025-10-01
Securities & Exchange Board of India makes @valid UPI handles and SEBI Check verification tool live for investor payments
The Securities & Exchange Board of India has launched two investor payment-security initiatives: “Validated UPI Handles” and “SEBI Check”. The “@valid” UPI handle, issued by the National Payments Corporation of India, is now adopted by major brokers and all mutual funds, providing a visual cue for secure transactions. “SEBI Check” allows verification of intermediary bank account details and UPI IDs through SEBI’s portal or the Saarthi app.