The Reserve Bank of India has issued the Digital Payments E-mandate Framework, 2026 under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, consolidating existing guidelines for recurring digital payments across cards, UPI, and PPIs. The Directions mandate Additional Factor of Authentication (AFA) for registration, modification, and the first transaction, while allowing subsequent transactions without AFA up to ₹15,000 (and up to ₹1,00,000 for insurance, mutual funds, and credit card payments). Customers are provided enhanced control through mandate validity settings, caps for variable payments, and opt-out options via pre-transaction notifications issued at least 24 hours in advance (with limited exemptions like FASTag and NCMC). Issuers must also send post-transaction alerts, ensure robust grievance redressal, and cannot levy charges for e-mandate facilities, while acquirers are responsible for ensuring merchant compliance overall strengthening consumer protection, transparency, and ease of recurring digital payments.
Link – https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=13374&Mode=0
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