RBI/2021-22/54
CO.DPSS.POLC.No.S188/02-27-020/2021-2022

June 14, 2021

The Chairman and Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer
Scheduled Commercial Banks including RRBs /
Urban Co-operative Banks / State Co-operative Banks /
District Central Co-operative Banks / Payment Banks / Small Finance Banks /
NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd. / Bharat Bill Payment System Providers /
System Participants and prospective Bharat Bill Payment Operating Units

Madam / Dear Sir,

Bharat Bill Payment System – Addition of Biller Category

This has reference to the guidelines on Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) issued by the Reserve Bank of India vide circular DPSS.CO.PD.No.940/02.27.020/2014-2015 on November 28, 2014. BBPS, started as an interoperable platform for repetitive bill payments, which covered bills of five categories viz. Direct to Home (DTH), Electricity, Gas, Telecom and Water. The system provided standardised bill payment experience, centralised customer grievance redressal mechanism, prescribed customer convenience fee and ensured availability of a bouquet of anytime, anywhere digital payment options. The scope and coverage of BBPS was expanded vide circular DPSS.CO.PD.No.605/02.27.020/2019-20 dated September 16, 2019 to include all categories of billers which raise recurring bills (except mobile prepaid recharges) as eligible participants, on a voluntary basis.

2. With consistent growth in different biller categories and to facilitate mobile prepaid customers with more options to recharge, it has been decided to permit ‘mobile prepaid recharges’ as a biller category in BBPS, on a voluntary basis. This will be implemented on or before August 31, 2021.

3. This directive is issued under Section 10 (2) read with Section 18 of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 (Act 51 of 2007).

Yours faithfully,

(P. Vasudevan)
Chief General Manager