PPI Returns Move to RBI's CIMS Portal from Jan 2026
Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2025-26/172 · issued 01 Jan 2026 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI has mandated PPI issuers to submit monthly statistics and quarterly grievance returns on the new Centralised Information Management System (CIMS) portal starting December 2025 reporting period. Admin users must create login credentials for submitters. Deadlines: monthly by 7th, quarterly by 10th of succeeding month.
The first report is monthly PPI Statistics (R100) – due by the 7th of the next month. The second is quarterly PPI Customer Grievances (R360) – due by the 10th of the next month after the quarter ends.
The admin user (the boss who sets up accounts) for each company must log into CIMS and create login IDs for the team members who will actually submit the reports.
The first reports are for December 2025: monthly stats due by January 7, 2026, and quarterly grievances due by January 10, 2026.
If you miss the deadlines, RBI can take penal action (punishment) under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act.
How it plays out — a real example
Rajesh, a branch operations officer in Indore, works for a bank that issues prepaid cards. On January 5, 2026, he logs into the new CIMS portal using the credentials his admin created, and submits the December 2025 PPI Statistics return. He then checks the quarterly grievance report for October-December 2025 and submits it by January 10, feeling relieved that his team avoided penalties.
What changed
RBI has shifted two key PPI returns—monthly PPI Statistics (R100) and quarterly PPI Customer Grievances (R360)—from legacy systems to the new CIMS data warehouse. Reporting begins with December 2025 data. Admin users for each entity are already created; they must now set up login credentials for actual submitters.
What it means for you
PPI issuers must onboard their reporting teams onto CIMS immediately to avoid missing the first deadlines. The move centralises data submission, likely improving RBI's monitoring and analytics. Non-compliance invites penal action under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, so timely migration is critical.
What you must do
Ensure your entity's Admin User logs into CIMS and creates credentials for the team members who will submit the two returns.
Submit the PPI Statistics return for December 2025 on CIMS by January 7, 2026.
Submit the PPI Customer Grievances return for the quarter ending December 2025 on CIMS by January 10, 2026.
Review the CIMS reporting guidelines available on the portal to ensure accurate data submission.
Who it affects
All Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) issuers, Admin Users of PPI issuing entities, Reporting teams handling PPI statistics and customer grievances
❓ Common questions
What are the two returns being migrated to CIMS?
The monthly PPI Statistics return (code R100) and the quarterly PPI Customer Grievances return (code R360).
What are the submission deadlines for these returns?
Monthly returns must be submitted by the 7th of the succeeding month. Quarterly returns must be submitted by the 10th of the succeeding month. For December 2025, the deadlines are January 7 and January 10, 2026 respectively.
Who is responsible for creating login credentials in CIMS?
The Admin User for each reporting entity has been pre-created by RBI. They must create login credentials for the users who will actually submit the returns.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2025-26/172
CO.DPSS.ODD.No.S1074/06-08-024/2025-2026
January 01, 2026
To
All Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) Issuers
Madam / Dear Sir,
Returns – Department of Payment and Settlement Systems – Submission in CIMS
Following the launch of the next generation datawarehouse of the Reserve Bank of India i.e. Centralised Information Management System (CIMS), it has now been decided to commence the reporting of the following returns in CIMS:
Sr. No.
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2025-26/172 · issued 01 Jan 2026. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
Review the CIMS reporting guidelines available on the portal to ensure accurate data submission.
📜 Compliance
Ensure your entity's Admin User logs into CIMS and creates credentials for the team members who will submit the two returns.
Submit the PPI Statistics return for December 2025 on CIMS by January 7, 2026.
Submit the PPI Customer Grievances return for the quarter ending December 2025 on CIMS by January 10, 2026.
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 Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) issuers, Admin Users of PPI issuing entities, Reporting teams handling PPI statistics and customer grievances), your first concrete step on “PPI Returns Move to RBI's CIMS Portal from Jan 2026” is: “Ensure your entity's Admin User logs into CIMS and creates credentials for the team members who will submit the two returns.” (RBI issued this 01 Jan 2026).
Circular: RBI/2025-26/172 -- PPI Returns Move to RBI's CIMS Portal from Jan 2026
Issued: 01 Jan 2026
Action required: Ensure your entity's Admin User logs into CIMS and creates credentials for the team members who will submit the two returns.
Action required: Submit the PPI Statistics return for December 2025 on CIMS by January 7, 2026.
Action required: Submit the PPI Customer Grievances return for the quarter ending December 2025 on CIMS by January 10, 2026.
Action required: Review the CIMS reporting guidelines available on the portal to ensure accurate data submission.
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=13248&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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