The Reserve Bank of India has issued the Digital Payments – E-mandate Framework, 2026, consolidating its e-mandate circulars into a single set of Directions effective immediately for recurring transactions (domestic and cross-border) using cards, prepaid payment instruments and UPI. The framework standardises registration and revocation requirements, issuer-led pre- and post-transaction notifications, and conditions for when additional factor of authentication (AFA) is required. E-mandates must be registered through a one-time process with AFA, with the issuer specifying a validity period and providing facilities to modify validity, withdraw the mandate, and (for variable mandates) set a maximum value per recurring transaction, with changes and opt-outs validated using AFA. The first transaction under an e-mandate requires AFA. Issuers must send a pre-transaction notification at least 24 hours before debit with specified information and offer an AFA-validated opt-out of a particular transaction or the mandate, except that pre-notification is not required for e-mandates used to auto-replenish FASTag and National Common Mobility Card balances. A post-transaction notification is required and must include grievance redressal details. Recurring transactions can be authorised without AFA up to INR 15,000 per transaction, while insurance premiums, mutual fund subscriptions and credit card bill payments can be processed without AFA up to INR 100,000 per transaction; transactions above the relevant threshold require AFA. Issuers must have dispute redressal arrangements, RBI instructions on limiting customer liability for unauthorised transactions apply, customers cannot be charged for the e-mandate facility, existing card e-mandates may be mapped to reissued cards, and acquirers must ensure merchant compliance. The Directions repeal eight earlier RBI circulars and an IBA clarification on e-mandate based recurring transactions.
Reserve Bank of India 2026-04-21
Reserve Bank of India issues 2026 e-mandate directions allowing AFA-free recurring debits up to INR 15,000 and INR 100,000 for select payments
The Reserve Bank of India has issued the Digital Payments – E-mandate Framework, 2026, consolidating prior e-mandate circulars into Directions for recurring domestic and cross-border transactions using cards, prepaid instruments and UPI. It standardises one-time AFA-based registration, issuer-led notifications, and exempts AFA for recurring transactions up to INR 15,000, and up to INR 100,000 for insurance premiums, mutual fund subscriptions and credit card bill payments, with higher-value transactions requiring AFA. It also prohibits charges for the facility, applies existing customer liability rules, and requires issuers and acquirers to ensure dispute redressal and merchant compliance.