Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2012-13/382 · issued 17 Jan 2013 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI now requires banks to submit a quarterly board-level report on ATM service denials, including business and technical declines, alongside existing penalty reviews. Non-compliance invites penalties under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
The rule, in the simplest words
Banks must submit a quarterly report to their Board on all ATM service denials, both business (e.g., invalid PIN) and technical (e.g., processor down), in a prescribed format.
The report must list the reasons for each denial and the actions taken to prevent it from happening again.
After the Board reviews the report, the bank must forward a copy to RBI’s Department of Payment & Settlement Systems in Mumbai.
If a bank does not follow these steps, it can face monetary penalties under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
All scheduled commercial banks, RRBs, urban, state, and district co‑operative banks are required to comply.
How it plays out — a real example
An ATM service officer in Mumbai notices that an ATM repeatedly declines transactions because the processor is down. He records the technical decline in the MIS, prepares the quarterly denial report, presents it to the board, and sends the copy to RBI, keeping the bank compliant.
What changed
Previously, banks only had to report quarterly ATM penalty details to their boards. Now, they must also report all ATM service denials—both business and technical—using a prescribed format, and forward the board-reviewed report to RBI's Department of Payment & Settlement Systems.
What it means for you
Banks face tighter scrutiny on ATM uptime and customer experience. The granular decline categories (e.g., invalid PIN, processor down) force lenders to diagnose root causes and fix systemic issues. Non-adherence can lead to monetary penalties, raising operational risk.
What you must do
Update internal MIS to capture all ATM decline types (business and technical) per the enclosed format.
Place a quarterly ATM denial-of-service report before the Board, including reasons and corrective actions.
Forward the board-reviewed report to RBI's Department of Payment & Settlement Systems, Mumbai.
Ensure compliance with Section 18 of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 to avoid penalties.
Who it affects
All Scheduled Commercial Banks including RRBs, Urban Co-operative Banks, State Co-operative Banks, District Central Co-operative Banks
❓ Common questions
What is the new reporting requirement beyond the 2009 circular?
Banks must now also report all ATM service denials (business and technical declines) quarterly to their Board, not just penalties paid. The report must follow the prescribed format and be sent to RBI.
What happens if we don't comply with this circular?
Non-compliance attracts penalties under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, as specified in the circular.
Which types of declines are classified as 'business' vs 'technical'?
Business declines include invalid PIN, expired card, insufficient funds, etc. Technical declines include processor down, hardware fault, timeout, etc. A full indicative list is provided in the circular.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2012-13/382
DPSS.CO.PD.No.1207/02.10.002/2012-2013
January 17, 2013
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
Declines in ATM transactions – reporting of
Please refer to our circular DPSS. No. 101/02.10.02/2009-2010, dated July 17, 2009 on the subject in terms of which banks are required to place a quarterly review of ATM transactions to its Board of Directors, indicating, inter alia , the quantum of penalties paid, reasons thereof and the action taken to avoid recurrence of such instances.
2. In addition to the above, banks are advised to simultaneously place a quarterly review of ATM transactions to its Board of Directors, indicating, inter alia, the denial of services to the customers at ATM sites ( broadly in the enclosed format ), reasons thereof and the action taken to avoid recurrence of such instances. Banks are also advised to forward a copy of the report along with the observations of the Board to the Chief General Manager, Reserve Bank of India, Department of Payment & Settlement Systems, Mumbai.
3. 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).
4. Please arrange to place a copy of this circular before the Board.
5. Kindly acknowledge receipt.
Yours faithfully,
(Vijay Chugh)
Chief General Manager
Enclosures: 2
Bank:
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2012-13/382 · issued 17 Jan 2013. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
Forward the board-reviewed report to RBI's Department of Payment & Settlement Systems, Mumbai.
Ensure compliance with Section 18 of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 to avoid penalties.
📜 Compliance
Update internal MIS to capture all ATM decline types (business and technical) per the enclosed format.
Place a quarterly ATM denial-of-service report before the Board, including reasons and corrective actions.
Grouped from the action items above — a single circular may involve more than one team.
Worked example & action-note template
Example: if you are a Compliance officer 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), your first concrete step on “Quarterly ATM Denial-of-Service Reporting Mandate” is: “Update internal MIS to capture all ATM decline types (business and technical) per the enclosed format.” (RBI issued this 17 Jan 2013).
Action required: Update internal MIS to capture all ATM decline types (business and technical) per the enclosed format.
Action required: Place a quarterly ATM denial-of-service report before the Board, including reasons and corrective actions.
Action required: Forward the board-reviewed report to RBI's Department of Payment & Settlement Systems, Mumbai.
Action required: Ensure compliance with Section 18 of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 to avoid penalties.
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=7813&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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