On 12-9-2025, the Reserve Bank of India (‘RBI’) announced penalising PhonePe Limited (formerly known as PhonePe Private Limited) with a monetary fine of ₹21 lakh for non-compliance with its regulatory directions on Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs).
Key Takeaways:
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Prepaid Payment Instruments are digital wallets or cards that store monetary value and are used to purchase goods and services.
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RBI requires PPI issuers to maintain an escrow account with sufficient funds to cover all outstanding balances and merchant dues. Any shortfall or delay in reporting such discrepancies is treated as a serious compliance violation.1
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The RBI initiated a statutory inspection into PhonePe’s operations to assess compliance with PPI regulations. The inspection focused on the company’s financial practices, particularly the maintenance and reporting of its escrow account balance.
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RBI conducted a statutory inspection into PhonePe’s operations from October 2023 to December 2024.
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The inspection revealed that, on certain days, the end-of-day balance in PhonePe’s escrow account was less than the value of outstanding PPIs and payments due to merchants, a clear violation of RBI’s PPI guidelines.
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The Company also failed to report these shortfalls immediately to RBI, compounding the breach of compliance.
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After reviewing all the details, the Regulator concluded that the charges were substantiated, and it was decided to impose a monetary penalty.
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The penalty action was taken under the provisions of Section 30(1) read with Section 26(6) of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
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RBI emphasized that the penalty is based solely on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and does not impact the validity of any transactions or agreements between PhonePe and its customers.
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RBI also stated that this action does not prevent it from taking further steps in the future.
