HomeCirculars › RBI/2009-10/273

RBI Raises Mobile Banking Transaction Limits to Rs 50,000 Daily

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2009-10/273 · issued 24 Dec 2009 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI has increased the daily mobile banking transaction cap from separate limits of Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 to a unified Rs 50,000 per customer. Transactions up to Rs 1,000 no longer require end-to-end encryption. Banks can also offer cash disbursement via agents/ATMs up to Rs 5,000 per transaction.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

Ravi, a branch operations officer in Indore, updates his bank's mobile app so a customer can send Rs 45,000 to her son for college fees in one go, instead of splitting it into smaller transfers. Later, he sets up a new service where a farmer can send Rs 4,000 from his phone to his brother, who collects the cash at a nearby ATM after showing his ID.

What changed

The daily transaction limit for mobile banking (funds transfer and purchase of goods/services) has been raised to Rs 50,000 per customer, replacing the earlier separate caps of Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000. Transactions up to Rs 1,000 can now be processed without end-to-end encryption, subject to adequate security measures. Banks are permitted to offer fund transfer services for cash disbursement at ATMs or through business correspondents, with a per-transaction limit of Rs 5,000 and a monthly cap of Rs 25,000 per customer.

What it means for you

Banks can now offer significantly higher mobile transaction limits, enabling customers to use mobile banking for larger payments and purchases. The relaxed encryption requirement for small-value transactions reduces operational complexity and costs. The new cash disbursement facility expands financial inclusion by allowing mobile-initiated remittances to be collected in cash, but banks must ensure robust due diligence and compliance with anti-money laundering norms.

Historical instruction — do not use for current compliance. This is what was required at the time; it no longer reflects current RBI requirements. If no replacement rule is linked above, that only means none is recorded on our register yet — it does not prove no later applicable rule exists. Confirm on the official RBI source below.

What banks were required to do at the time

Who it affects

All Scheduled Commercial Banks including RRBs, Urban Co-operative Banks, State Co-operative Banks, District Central Co-operative Banks, Mobile banking customers, Business correspondents and agents handling cash disbursement

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).

What is the new daily transaction limit for mobile banking?

The daily cap is now Rs 50,000 per customer for both funds transfer and purchase of goods/services, replacing the earlier separate limits of Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000.

Are there any changes to encryption requirements for mobile transactions?

Yes, transactions up to Rs 1,000 can be processed without end-to-end encryption, but banks must implement adequate security measures to address risk aspects.

Can customers now receive cash through mobile banking?

Yes, banks can offer fund transfer services where recipients can collect cash at ATMs or through authorized agents, subject to a per-transaction limit of Rs 5,000 and a monthly cap of Rs 25,000 per customer.

📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)
Repealed by RBI/2025-26/100 — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
RBI’s words: “Official withdrawal register entry #1767: DPSS.CO.No.1357/02.23.02/2009-10 — "Mobile Banking Transactions in India – Operative Guidelines for Banks@" dated December 24, 2009”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2009-10/273 DPSS.CO.No.1357/02.23.02/ 2009-10 December 24, 2009 The Chairman and Managing Director / Chief Executive Officers All Scheduled Commercial Banks including RRBs / Urban Co-operative Banks / State Co-operative Banks / District Central Co-operative Banks Madam/ Dear Sir Mobile Banking Transactions in India - Operative Guidelines for Banks A reference is invited to the guidelines appended to our circular no. RBI/2008-09/208, DPSS.CO.No.619 /02.23.02/ 2008-09 dated October 08, 2008, on the captioned subject. 2. Based on the requests received from the banks facilitating mobile banking transactions, the guidelines are modified as under: Transaction limit : In amendment of provisions of paragraph 8.1 of the above guidelines, banks are now permitted to offer this service to their customers subject to a  daily cap  of Rs 50,000/- per customer for both funds transfer and transactions involving purchase of goods/services. Presently, such transactions are subject to separate caps  of Rs 5000/- and Rs 10000/ -respectively. Technology and Security Standard : Transactions up to Rs 1000/- can be facilitated by banks without end-to-end encryption. The risk aspects involved in such transactions may be addressed by the banks through adequate security measures. 3. Remittance of funds for disbursement in cash : In order to facilitate the use of mobile phones for remittance of cash, banks are permitted to provide fund transfer services which facilitate transfer of funds from the accounts of their customers for delivery in cash to the recipients. The disbursal of funds to recipients of such services can be facilitated at ATMs or through any agent(s) appointed by the bank as business correspondents. Such fund transfer service shall be provided by banks subject to the following conditions:- The maximum value of such transfers shall be Rs 5000/- per transaction. Banks may place suitable cap on the velocity of such transactions, subject to a maximum value of Rs 25,000/- per month, per customer. The disbursal of funds at the agent/ATM shall be permitted only after identification of the recipient. In this connection, attention of banks is drawn to the provisions of the Notification dated November 12, 2009, issued by Government of India, under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, as amended from time to time. Banks may carry out proper due diligence of the persons before appointing them as authorized agents for such services. Banks shall be responsible as principals for all the acts of omission or commission of their agents. 4. The directive is issued under Section 18 of Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, (Act 51 of 2007). Yours faithfully, (G. Padmanabhan) Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2009-10/273 · issued 24 Dec 2009. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
🧰 Tools — save, print, templates & related

💬 Banker Discussion

Discuss this circular with fellow bankers — reply, upvote what helps, report what doesn’t belong. Be professional; no client data. Views are the commenter’s own, not BankPulse’s.

Loading comments…
BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 03 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly).
Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=5436&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
Public beta — plain-English informational summaries. Always verify against the official RBI source (circular number cited on every page) before making compliance, credit, treasury, audit, or operational decisions. · Join our WhatsApp channel ↗