Tag: payment companies

Banks rush to implement ‘standing instructions’ system, but may still miss deadline, BFSI News, ET BFSI

Banking & Finance

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Banks and payment aggregators are rushing to meet the October 1 deadline for implementing a new system for standing instructions for recurring online transactions as the Reserve Bank of India is not likely to extend it. Banks are sending communications to customers saying that they will not process recurring payments, and customers will have to make payments directly to merchants.

“In compliance with the regulatory requirements, we are currently building a solution to seamlessly manage all your domestic standing instructions for recurring payments. This solution will be available soon for you. Starting October 1, any existing standing instruction for domestic and international recurring transactions on your card account will not be processed. We request you to make these payments directly to the service providers to avoid any interruptions,” American Express said in a recent message to customers.

How does the new system work?

Under the proposed system, as a risk mitigating and customer facilitation measure, the card-issuing bank will have to send a pre-transaction notification to the cardholder, at least 24 hours before the actual charge or debit to the card. While registering e-mandate on the card, the cardholder shall be given the facility to choose a mode among available options (SMS, email, etc.) for receiving the pre-transaction notification from the issuer. On receipt of the pre-transaction notification, the cardholder shall have the facility to opt-out of the particular transaction or the e-mandate. For transactions above Rs 5000, banks will also be required to send one time passwords to customers.

What is a standing instruction?

A standing instruction is a service offered to customers of a bank, wherein regular transactions that the customer wants to make are processed as a matter of course instead of initiating specific transactions each time.

This service relates to transactions like renewing subscription to over-the-top (OTT) platforms, newspapers and magazines, and utility bill payments.

The issue

Large lenders and payment entities including State Bank of India, Citi, HDFC, Axis, HSBC, Visa and Mastercard had asked the RBI to postpone the deadline for putting in place a new system to alert customers on ‘standing instruction’ transactions.

The banks were asked to set up the system by March 31, 2021.

The lenders also wanted RBI to exclude transactions against pre-existing standing instructions and those with international merchants from the new conditions for e-mandates on cards for recurring transactions.

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RBI tightens rules for payment companies outsourcing core activities, BFSI News, ET BFSI

Banking & Finance

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The Reserve Bank of India has formalised the framework for payment companies outsourcing payment and settlement related activities to third party operators. The central bank’s fresh guidelines come at a time when India’s tech ecosystem has seen several high-profile cyber attacks such as those at Juspay, Upstox and Mobikwik over last year targeting customers’ payments data.

As per the new rules, licensed non-bank Payment System Operators (PSOs), cannot outsource core management functions, including internal audits, and compliance with KYC norms to third-party service providers.

As defined by the central bank, core management functions include management of payment system operations such as netting and settlement, transaction management including reconciliation, reporting and item processing, managing customer data, risk management, information technology and information security management etc.

The central bank also added that the board of payment companies must “carefully evaluate” the need for outsourcing responsibilities.

“The PSO shall carefully evaluate the need for outsourcing its critical processes and activities, as well as selection of service provider(s) based on comprehensive risk assessment,” the central bank said. “The critical processes are those, which if disrupted, shall have the potential to significantly impact the business operations, reputation, profitability and / or customer service.”

The new rules also state that the liability of third-party losses would fall on the relevant board members and senior management of licensed payment operators. “Outsourcing of any activity by the PSO shall not reduce its obligations, and those of its board and senior management, who are ultimately responsible for the outsourced activity,” the central bank said.

The RBI had first announced the plan during the monetary policy announcement on 5 February 2021 with a view to enable effective management of attendant risks in outsourcing of payment and settlement activities.

“The resilience of the digital payment ecosystem to operational risks needs to be constantly upgraded,” RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das had said during his February MPC address.

“A potential area of operational risk is associated with outsourcing by payment system operators and participants of authorised payments systems,” he added. “To manage the attendant risks in outsourcing and ensure that code of conduct adhered to while outsourcing payment and settlement related service, RBI shall issue guidelines on outsourcing of such services by these entities,” RBI Governor has said.

In addition, the central bank has also asked non-bank PSOs to have clear contractual specifications on responsibilities being outsourced as well as conduct its own due diligence on technology and legal compliances when working with relevant third-party companies.



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