Failed ATM Transactions: New 12-Day Reimbursement Rule
Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2009-2010/100 · issued 17 Jul 2009 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI mandates banks to reimburse failed ATM transaction amounts within 12 working days of complaint, with Rs. 100 per day compensation for delays. Issuer banks can recover from acquirer banks if delay is their fault. Quarterly board reviews and concurrent audit coverage are now required.
The rule, in the simplest words
Banks must give back the money from a failed ATM transaction within 12 working days after the customer complains.
If the bank is late, it must pay the customer Rs. 100 for each extra day, automatically and on the same day the money is returned.
The bank that issued the card can ask the ATM's bank or network operator to pay the compensation if the delay was their fault.
Banks must check failed ATM delays during their regular audits and report to their board every three months, including penalties and fixes.
How it plays out — a real example
A branch operations officer in Indore notices a customer's ATM withdrawal failed and the money wasn't returned. She ensures the refund is processed within 12 working days, and if it's late, she programs the system to automatically add Rs. 100 per day compensation, so the customer gets both the refund and penalty without asking.
What changed
RBI changed the maximum reimbursement period for failed ATM transactions from 12 days to 12 working days, and introduced mandatory compensation of Rs. 100 per day for delays beyond this period, payable automatically. Banks must now cover failed ATM transaction delays under concurrent audit and submit quarterly board-reviewed reports to RBI.
What it means for you
Banks face stricter timelines and financial penalties for delayed reimbursements, increasing operational pressure to resolve ATM failures quickly. The Rs. 100 per day compensation can add up, especially for high-volume banks. Issuer banks can pass costs to acquirer banks or network operators if delays are their fault, but must ensure robust internal processes to avoid penalties.
What you must do
Update internal systems to reimburse failed ATM transaction amounts within 12 working days of complaint receipt.
Program automatic compensation of Rs. 100 per day for delays, credited on the same day as reimbursement.
Extend concurrent audit scope to include failed ATM transaction delay cases.
Prepare quarterly board reports on ATM transactions, including penalty amounts, reasons, and corrective actions, and forward to RBI.
Place a copy of this circular before the board and acknowledge receipt to RBI.
Who it affects
All Scheduled Commercial Banks including RRBs, Urban Co-operative Banks, State Co-operative Banks, District Central Co-operative Banks, ATM network providers
❓ Common questions
What is the new timeline for reimbursing failed ATM transactions?
Banks must reimburse the wrongfully debited amount within 12 working days from the date of receiving the customer complaint.
What happens if a bank delays reimbursement beyond 12 working days?
The bank must pay compensation of Rs. 100 per day to the customer automatically, without any claim, on the same day the credit is given.
Can the issuer bank recover compensation paid to the customer?
Yes, if the delay is due to the acquirer bank or ATM network operator, the issuer bank can claim the compensation from them.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2009-2010/100
DPSS No.101/02.10.02/2009-2010
July 17, 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
ATM network providers
Madam / Dear Sir
Reconciliation of transactions at ATMs failure – Time limit
Please refer to our letter DPSS No.1424 and 711/02.10.02/2008-2009 dated February 11,2009 and October 23, 2008 respectively on the captioned subject.In terms of instructions contained therein, banks are required to reimburse to the customers, the amount wrongfully debited on account of failed ATM transactions within a maximum period of 12 days, from the date of receipt of customer complaint. Reserve Bank of India has been receiving number of complaints, regarding the non adherence of banks to the instructions stipulated therein.Further, it has come to our notice that different banks have put in place different cut-off limits for permitting cash withdrawals from/for other bank customers.These issues have been comprehensively reviewed by the Reserve Bank of India. The banks may follow the following directives:
i) It is mandatory for the banks to reimburse the customers, the amount wrongfully debited on account of failed ATM transactions, within a maximum period of 12 working days from the date of receipt of the customer complaint.
ii) For any failure to re-credit the customers account within 12 working days from the date of receipt of the complaint, the bank shall pay compensation of Rs.100/-, per day, to the aggrieved customer. This compensation shall be credited to the customer’saccount automatically without any claim from the customer, on the same day when the bank affords the credit for the failed ATM transaction.
iii) The issuer bank is entitled to claim such compensation paid to the customer from the acquirer bank, if the delay is attributed to the latter. By the same logic the ATM network operators shall compensate the banks for any delay on their part.
iv) Banks shall extend the scope of concurrent audit to cover cases of delay in reimbursing the customers for failed ATM transactions.
v) Each bank shall place a quarterly review of ATM transactions to its Board of directors, indicating inter alia , the quantum of penalties paid, reasons thereof and the actions taken to avoid recurrence of such instances. A copy of the note along with the observations of the Board shall be forwarded to the Chief General Manager, Reserve Bank of India, Department of Payment & Settlement Systems, Mumbai.
2. The directive is issued under section 18 of Payment and Settlement Systems Act 2007, (Act 51 of 2007).Non-adherence to the provisions of this circular shall attract penalty as prescribed under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act 2007 (Act 51 of 2007).
3. Please arrange to place a copy of this circular before the Board.
4. Kindly acknowledge receipt.
Yours faithfully,
(G. Padmanabhan)
Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2009-2010/100 · issued 17 Jul 2009. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
Update internal systems to reimburse failed ATM transaction amounts within 12 working days of complaint receipt.
📜 Compliance
Program automatic compensation of Rs. 100 per day for delays, credited on the same day as reimbursement.
Extend concurrent audit scope to include failed ATM transaction delay cases.
Prepare quarterly board reports on ATM transactions, including penalty amounts, reasons, and corrective actions, and forward to RBI.
Place a copy of this circular before the board and acknowledge receipt to RBI.
Grouped from the action items above — a single circular may involve more than one team.
Worked example & action-note template
Example: if you are an IT/Systems lead at a bank this circular applies to (All Scheduled Commercial Banks including RRBs, Urban Co-operative Banks, State Co-operative Banks, District Central Co-operative Banks, ATM network providers), your first concrete step on “Failed ATM Transactions: New 12-Day Reimbursement Rule” is: “Update internal systems to reimburse failed ATM transaction amounts within 12 working days of complaint receipt.” (RBI issued this 17 Jul 2009).
Circular: RBI/2009-2010/100 -- Failed ATM Transactions: New 12-Day Reimbursement Rule
Issued: 17 Jul 2009
Action required: Update internal systems to reimburse failed ATM transaction amounts within 12 working days of complaint receipt.
Action required: Program automatic compensation of Rs. 100 per day for delays, credited on the same day as reimbursement.
Action required: Extend concurrent audit scope to include failed ATM transaction delay cases.
Action required: Prepare quarterly board reports on ATM transactions, including penalty amounts, reasons, and corrective actions, and forward to RBI.
Action required: Place a copy of this circular before the board and acknowledge receipt to RBI.
Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
Evidence filed in compliance register on: ____________
Built only from this circular’s own published fields — not legal advice; always confirm against the official RBI source.
💬 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.
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=5177&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.
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