RBI said that payment instruments shall be enabled for offline transactions only after explicit consent of the customer.
New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday set the upper limit for individual offline payment transactions at ₹200, saying that such payments could only be done face-to-face, reported the livemint. These are part of the bank’s “framework for facilitating small value digital payments in offline mode” and follows pilot testing by some entities from September 2020 to July 2021. On 6 August, RBI had permitted a pilot scheme to encourage technological innovations that enable small value digital transactions done offline.
An offline payment is a transaction which does not require internet or telecom connectivity. The regulator said that authorised Payment System Operators (PSOs) and Payment System Participants (PSPs) looking to facilitate small value offline digital payments have to comply with the new guidelines. “The total limit for offline transactions on a payment instrument shall be ₹2,000 at any point in time. Replenishment of used limit shall be allowed only in online mode with AFA (additional factor authentication),” it said.
RBI said that payment instruments shall be enabled for offline transactions only after explicit consent of the customer. That apart, these transactions using cards will be allowed without a requirement to turn on the contactless transaction channel, relaxing an existing regulation announced in January 2020.
In case of customer’s grievance
“The customers shall have recourse to the Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, as applicable, for grievance redressal. Reserve Bank retains the right to stop or modify the operations of any such payment solution that enables small value digital payments in offline mode,” the regulator said.
