India — RBI e-mandate framework for recurring payments

The clocks it starts

• Report the unauthorised debit to the bank (3 working days for zero liability)Under the RBI limited-liability circular of 6 July 2017, notifying within three working days of the bank's communication gives you zero liability. Between four and seven working days the liability is capped by the circular's table; beyond that the bank's Board-approved policy governs.Reserve Bank — Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021Notice period
• Bank must credit the amount (10 working days) and resolve (90 days)The bank must credit the disputed amount within ten working days of notification, irrespective of the investigation, and must resolve the complaint within 90 days or compensate you as if it had been decided in your favour. (Period: 90 days. We need the start date to work out your exact deadline.)Reserve Bank — Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021Response due
• Consumer Commission complaint (2 years)Fatal if missedA complaint under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 must ordinarily be filed within two years of the cause of action, though the Commission may condone delay for sufficient cause.Consumer Protection Act, 2019 — Deficiency in service and unfair trade practice; complaints filed online through the e-Daakhil portalLimitation period

What it entitles you to, beyond money

• Revoke the e-mandate through your issuerYour card issuer must give you a facility to view, modify and withdraw e-mandates. Use it, take a screenshot of the confirmation, and note the reference. That screenshot is what makes every later debit unauthorised.Processing of recurring transactions: pre-transaction notification, the cardholder's right to opt out of a particular transaction or of the mandate, and the additional-factor-of-authentication requirement above the exemption limit
• Use the 24-hour pre-debit notification to opt outEvery recurring debit must be preceded by a notification at least 24 hours in advance with an opt-out option, for that transaction or for the mandate. If you never received those notifications, that is an issuer failure worth raising in its own right.Processing of recurring transactions: pre-transaction notification, the cardholder's right to opt out of a particular transaction or of the mandate, and the additional-factor-of-authentication requirement above the exemption limit
• Deficiency in service under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019Against the merchant, a refusal to cancel is a deficiency in service and an unfair trade practice. Complaints are filed online through e-Daakhil, cost very little, and do not require an advocate.Deficiency in service and unfair trade practice; complaints filed online through the e-Daakhil portal

What the other side will say

Each of these is a refusal this regime lets a counterparty attempt, paired with the answer to it. Reading them before you write is worth more than any amount of polish on the letter itself.

Where to take it next

1. 01Revoke the e-mandate in your bank's app, then write to the merchantDo the bank step first — it is the one that actually stops the money. Then write to the merchant demanding a refund of anything already taken, and keep both records.Claim direct·typically 3 days
2. 02Report the post-cancellation debits to the bank as unauthorisedUse the bank's 24x7 reporting channel, obtain the complaint reference and timestamp, and confirm in writing. Demand the credit within ten working days and state that the burden of proving your liability rests on the bank.Claim direct·typically 10 days
3. 03RBI Ombudsman via the CMS portalFree and online at cms.rbi.org.in once the bank has had 30 days or has rejected the complaint. Failure to provide the mandate-management facility, or to send the 24-hour pre-debit notification, is squarely within the Ombudsman's jurisdiction.Ombudsman·typically 90 days·official page
4. 04Consumer Commission through e-DaakhilFor the merchant's conduct. The District Commission handles claims up to ₹50 lakh, filing is online and inexpensive, and no advocate is required.Court·typically 270 days·official page