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RBI mandates ₹100 and ₹200 notes in ATMs by 2026

Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2025-26/33 · issued 28 Apr 2025 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI has directed all banks and WLAOs to ensure 75% of ATMs dispense ₹100 or ₹200 notes from at least one cassette by Sep 30, 2025, and 90% by Mar 31, 2026, to improve access to smaller denominations.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

Rahul, a deposits officer in Indore, is working to meet the RBI's deadline. He has to reconfigure the ATMs in his bank to ensure that at least 75% of them dispense ₹100 or ₹200 notes by September 30, 2025. This will help reduce public inconvenience from high-value note shortages and boost circulation of smaller denominations.

What changed

RBI issued a circular on April 28, 2025, setting phased milestones for ATM cash replenishment. Banks must now allocate at least one cassette in 75% of ATMs for ₹100 or ₹200 notes by September 30, 2025, and in 90% of ATMs by March 31, 2026.

What it means for you

Banks and WLAOs need to reconfigure ATM cassettes and cash management processes to meet these targets, potentially increasing operational costs for recalibration and logistics. This move aims to reduce public inconvenience from high-value note shortages and boost circulation of smaller denominations, which may impact cash-in-transit frequency and ATM uptime.

What you must do

Who it affects

All scheduled commercial banks, White Label ATM Operators (WLAOs), Cash management and logistics providers, ATM manufacturers and maintenance firms

❓ Common questions

What are the exact deadlines for compliance?

75% of ATMs must dispense ₹100 or ₹200 notes from at least one cassette by September 30, 2025, and 90% by March 31, 2026.

Does this apply to all ATMs, including those in rural areas?

Yes, the circular applies to all ATMs operated by banks and WLAOs across India, with no geographic exemptions mentioned.

What happens if we fail to meet the milestones?

The circular does not specify penalties, but non-compliance may invite supervisory action or regulatory scrutiny from RBI.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2025-26/33 DCM.RMMT.No.S312/20-02-001/2025-2026 April 28, 2025 The Chairman / Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer All Banks Madam / Dear Sir, Dispensation of ₹100 and ₹200 denomination banknotes through ATMs As part of an endeavour towards enhancing public access to frequently used denominations of banknotes, it has been decided that all banks and White Label ATM Operators (WLAOs) shall ensure that their ATMs dispense ₹100 and ₹200 denomination banknotes on a regular basis as per following milestones: By September 30, 2025: 75% of all ATMs shall dispense either ₹100 or ₹200 denomination banknotes from at least one cassette. By March 31, 2026: 90% of all ATMs shall dispense either ₹100 or ₹200 denomination banknotes from at least one cassette. Yours faithfully (Suman Nath) Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2025-26/33 · issued 28 Apr 2025. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Who does what — compliance checklist
⚙️ Operations
  • Train ATM operations staff on new cassette loading procedures and denomination mix.
📜 Compliance
  • Audit current ATM cassette configurations to identify gaps in dispensing ₹100 or ₹200 notes.
  • Plan cassette reallocation or hardware upgrades to meet the 75% target by Sep 30, 2025.
  • Coordinate with cash management vendors to ensure adequate supply of ₹100 and ₹200 notes.
  • Monitor compliance milestones and report progress to RBI as per existing reporting norms.
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, White Label ATM Operators (WLAOs), Cash management and logistics providers, ATM manufacturers and maintenance firms), your first concrete step on “RBI mandates ₹100 and ₹200 notes in ATMs by 2026” is: “Audit current ATM cassette configurations to identify gaps in dispensing ₹100 or ₹200 notes.” (RBI issued this 28 Apr 2025).

  1. Circular: RBI/2025-26/33 -- RBI mandates ₹100 and ₹200 notes in ATMs by 2026
  2. Issued: 28 Apr 2025
  3. Action required: Audit current ATM cassette configurations to identify gaps in dispensing ₹100 or ₹200 notes.
  4. Action required: Plan cassette reallocation or hardware upgrades to meet the 75% target by Sep 30, 2025.
  5. Action required: Coordinate with cash management vendors to ensure adequate supply of ₹100 and ₹200 notes.
  6. Action required: Monitor compliance milestones and report progress to RBI as per existing reporting norms.
  7. Action required: Train ATM operations staff on new cassette loading procedures and denomination mix.
  8. Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
  9. Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
  10. 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.

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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=12844&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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