You signed up for a streaming plan for one month, forgot about it, and six months later the charge is still leaving your account. Or a gym, a magazine, a loan EMI or an insurance premium keeps getting debited and you cannot remember where you set it up. Behind almost all of these sits an e-mandate, a standing instruction that lets a merchant or lender pull money from your card, wallet or UPI account on a schedule you agreed to once.
The good news is that Reserve Bank of India rules now give you real control over every e-mandate. You get notice before each debit, a say in the amount, and the right to modify or cancel at any time. This guide explains what the rules say, how to see what is running on your accounts, how to pause or stop a payment, and what to do when a debit goes wrong.
What an e-mandate is and where it is used
An e-mandate is a one-time registration that allows repeated debits without you approving each one. The merchant (or the lender or fund house) records the maximum amount, how often it can be charged and until when. After that, each debit happens automatically on the due date.
The RBI’s Master Direction on Digital Payments (E-mandate Framework), 2026, dated 21 April 2026, covers recurring transactions made with cards, prepaid payment instruments (wallets) and UPI. It brings together eight earlier circulars into one document. Typical uses include:
- Subscriptions for apps, music, video and news.
- Utility and telecom bills set to pay automatically.
- Insurance premiums and credit card bill payments.
- Mutual fund SIP instalments paid through a card or UPI mandate.
- FASTag and similar balance top-ups that refill when the balance runs low.
Bank-account mandates for loan EMIs often run through a different channel (the NACH system), but the habit of checking and cancelling them is much the same. This guide focuses on the card, wallet and UPI route that the RBI direction governs.
Rules that protect you under the RBI e-mandate framework
The direction sets out several safeguards. Knowing them helps you spot when a company or bank is not following the rules.
Registration needs a second check
A mandate can be registered only after additional factor of authentication (AFA) has been validated, on top of the normal process of your bank or card issuer. In everyday terms, that means an OTP, a UPI PIN or a similar second check. A merchant cannot quietly attach a mandate to your card without you completing that step. The first transaction under the mandate also needs AFA, though the framework allows it to be combined with registration.
Notice before every debit
Your bank or card issuer must send you a pre-debit notification at least 24 hours before the money is taken. The notice must carry the merchant name, the amount, the date and time of the debit, the e-mandate reference number and the reason for the debit. You can choose or change the channel, such as SMS or email. The only exemption is for mandates that auto-replenish FASTag or NCMC (the transit card) balances.
Notice after the debit
Once the debit goes through you must also get a post-debit notification. It repeats the merchant name, amount, date and time, the transaction and e-mandate reference numbers and the reason, and adds details for raising a grievance.
No charge for the facility
The direction says customers cannot be charged for the recurring e-mandate facility itself.
Limits: when no OTP is needed
After registration, you are not asked for an OTP every month. The framework allows recurring transactions without AFA up to a ceiling, and asks for it above that ceiling.
| Type of recurring payment | Limit per transaction without AFA |
|---|---|
| Most recurring transactions | Up to ₹15,000 |
| Insurance premiums | Up to ₹1,00,000 |
| Mutual fund subscriptions | Up to ₹1,00,000 |
| Credit card bill payments | Up to ₹1,00,000 |
Say your yearly health policy premium is ₹45,000 and you set it up as an e-mandate. Because insurance premiums fall in the higher category, it can be debited without a fresh OTP. A ₹20,000 subscription to anything outside those three categories would need AFA at the time of each debit, because it crosses ₹15,000.
Where the mandate has a variable amount, such as a utility bill, you can set a maximum value for each recurring transaction. Variable mandates are also subject to an overall cap fixed by the RBI. The limits on e-mandates are separate from other controls you may have set; the direction says e-mandate payments are not subject to other limits or controls set by the customer.
How to see which recurring payments are active
There is no single national list, so you check each place money can leave from. The menu names below are generic app guidance, not an RBI rule, and every app words them differently. A short routine, done once every three months, catches most forgotten subscriptions.
- UPI apps: open the payments app you use and look for the section on AutoPay or mandates. It lists every active UPI mandate with the merchant name, amount and frequency.
- Credit and debit cards: open your issuer’s app or net banking and look for the section on recurring payments, standing instructions or e-mandates. Not every issuer labels it the same way, so search the menu or ask customer care.
- Wallets: check the wallet app’s settings for saved mandates or auto-pay.
- Bank statements and SMS: scan the last three months for repeat debits with the same amount. Pre-debit and post-debit messages carry the reference number you need to trace a mandate.
- The merchant’s own account page: most subscription services list the payment method on file under billing or membership.
The RBI text requires issuers to explain, at registration, that you can modify or withdraw the mandate. It does not spell out a “view” screen, so how easy it is to see your list depends on the app. If you cannot find it, ask the bank in writing to list the mandates on your card or account.
How to pause, change or cancel an e-mandate
The direction says your issuer must let you modify the validity period or withdraw the mandate at any time. Changing or withdrawing a mandate also needs AFA, which protects you if someone else gets hold of your phone. You can also refuse a single upcoming debit or cancel the whole arrangement, using the 24-hour notice window.
Skip one debit or stop all of them
If a pre-debit notification arrives for a payment you do not want, opt out of that transaction through the channel given in the message or in your bank app. You can opt out of the whole mandate the same way. The opt-out needs AFA, and the issuer must then send you an intimation confirming it.
Pause or revoke on UPI
The RBI direction guarantees modification, withdrawal and opt-out. It does not mention a “pause” option. Many UPI apps do offer a pause or revoke button against each mandate, but that is app design, not an RBI rule, so the wording and the options differ from app to app, and some mandates may not offer every action. The steps below are generic: open the mandate section, pick the merchant, and choose pause or revoke. A paused mandate usually stays registered, so use it for a short break and revoke it when you are done with the service for good. If your app shows no such option, ask your bank to withdraw the mandate under the RBI right.
Cards and wallets
For cards, use the issuer’s app or net banking, or contact customer care and ask for the mandate to be cancelled. Where an issuer asks you to write to the merchant, do that as well, so the merchant stops presenting debit requests.
Cancel on both sides
The cleanest way to stop a subscription is to cancel it with the merchant and also withdraw the mandate with your bank or UPI app. Cancelling only inside the merchant’s app can leave the mandate live. Withdrawing only the mandate can leave you owing for the service, and some merchants may then chase you or suspend the account.
Credit card bills, SIPs and loans: a note on special cases
Three kinds of recurring payments deserve care before you cancel them.
- Credit card bill auto-pay: if you cancel it, the bill is no longer paid on its own. Missing the due date brings late fees and interest; see our guide to the credit card bill and the minimum due for how that works.
- Mutual fund SIPs: stopping the mandate stops the instalments. Stop it deliberately, not because you forgot what it was. Check your fund house statement first, and use the SIP calculator to see what a stopped instalment costs you over time.
- Insurance premiums: if the premium bounces, the policy can enter its grace period and then lapse. Cancel the mandate only if you plan to pay the premium another way.
If a loan EMI is set up through a bank-account mandate, ask the lender or your bank about the cancellation process, and never stop it without clearing the dues. A bounced EMI hurts your credit score and can add charges. The EMI calculator helps you see what is due each month.
What to do when a wrong debit happens
Sometimes a merchant debits after you cancelled, the amount differs from the notice or you never gave a mandate at all.
- Check the pre-debit and post-debit messages for the merchant name, amount and reference number.
- Raise a complaint with your bank or card issuer through its app, customer care or branch. The direction requires issuers to provide a dispute redressal system for e-mandate grievances.
- Ask in writing for the mandate to be cancelled and for a reversal if the debit was not authorised.
- If the bank does not resolve it within its stated timeline, take the matter to the RBI Ombudsman; our step-by-step guide to the RBI Ombudsman explains how.
- If you suspect fraud, report it right away on the cybercrime helpline 1930 and tell your bank at once.
The direction also says the RBI’s rules on limiting customer liability for unauthorised transactions apply to recurring e-mandate debits. The size of that protection depends on how quickly you report, so do not wait for the next statement.
Safe habits for managing recurring payments
A few simple habits keep subscriptions under control and reduce the chance of a surprise.
- Use a fixed calendar reminder to review all mandates every quarter.
- Keep SMS and email alerts switched on, and read the pre-debit notice rather than deleting it.
- For free trials, cancel the mandate on day one; most services let you keep the trial until it ends.
- Set a low maximum on variable-amount mandates where the app allows it.
- Never share an OTP or UPI PIN to “cancel” a mandate with someone who calls you. Real cancellations happen inside your own app or at your bank.
Keep a small buffer in the account that funds your mandates, since a bounced debit can bring a penalty.
Key takeaways
- An e-mandate lets a merchant debit your card, wallet or UPI account repeatedly after one registration with a second check (AFA).
- You must get a pre-debit notice at least 24 hours before each charge, and a post-debit notice afterwards.
- Payments up to ₹15,000 need no AFA, and insurance premiums, mutual fund subscriptions and card bills can go up to ₹1,00,000.
- You can modify, opt out of one debit or withdraw the whole mandate (many UPI apps also offer a pause button), and the issuer must not charge for the facility.
- Cancel with the merchant and withdraw the mandate with your bank, and check the list every quarter.
- For wrong debits, complain to the issuer, then the RBI Ombudsman, and report fraud on 1930.
This guide is general information and not personal advice. Rules change, so confirm current details with your bank or the RBI.
