**Executive Summary**
This document from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), dated November 28, 2025, announces the repeal of the RBI Master Direction DBR.AML.BC.No.81/14.01.001/2015-16 dated February 25, 2016, concerning Know Your Customer (KYC) norms. It directs that all references to the repealed direction be read as references to the ‘Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Know Your Customer) Directions, 2025'. An annexure lists changes carried out in various circulars due to the direction.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Repeal and Replacement:** The RBI Master Direction DBR.AML.BC.No.81/14.01.001/2015-16 dated February 25, 2016, is repealed with immediate effect.
* **Reference Update:** All instructions to Payment System Providers and Participants referencing the repealed Master Direction should now be read as references to the ‘Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Know Your Customer) Directions, 2025'.
* **Modifications to KYC Guidelines:**
* The extant guidelines for KYC/AML/CFT are replaced with the ‘Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Know Your Customer) Directions, 2025'.
* Minimum customer details verification must align with the ‘Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Know Your Customer) Directions, 2025’.
* **Payment Aggregators (PAs):**
* Definitions of KYC records and Customer Identification Procedure now align with ‘Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Know Your Customer) Directions, 2025’.
* Digital KYC processes and Assisted V-CIP should now align with the ‘Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Know Your Customer) Directions, 2025’.
* **Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS):**
* Acquiring banks' due diligence of AePS touchpoint operators should adhere to the process indicated in the ‘Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Know Your Customer) Directions, 2025'.
* **Domestic Money Transfer:**
* Remitting banks and Business Correspondents should register remitters as per the ‘Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Know Your Customer) Directions, 2025'.
* **Trade Guidelines:**
* KYC documentation and processes should be standardised and disclosed, adhering to the ‘Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Know Your Customer) Directions, 2025'.
* **Receivables Discounting System (TREDS):**
* KYC documentation within TReDS should be synchronous with verification done by banks, adhering to the extant regulatory requirements including the ‘Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Know Your Customer) Directions, 2025'.
**Impact Analysis**
**Payment System Providers and Payment System Participants**
* **Impact:** Must update their KYC procedures, documentation, and training materials to align with the ‘Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Know Your Customer) Directions, 2025'.
* **Action Required:** Review and revise all relevant internal policies, processes, and systems to ensure compliance with the new KYC directions.
**Banks (Commercial Banks)**
* **Impact:** Impacted in their AML and CFT regulation obligations.
* **Action Required:** Review and revise all relevant internal policies, processes, and systems to ensure compliance with the new KYC directions.
Key Entities Referenced
Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007: The Act under which the direction is issued.
RBI Master Direction DBR.AML.BC.No.81/14.01.001/2015-16 dated February 25, 2016: The earlier KYC direction, repealed by this notice, and which is a reference point.
Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks – Know Your Customer) Directions, 2025: The new KYC directions referenced in the document, superceding the previous master direction
All Payment System Providers and Payment System Participants: Entities subject to the directive
भारतीय ररज़र्व बैंक
RESERVE BANK OF INDIA
www.rbi.org.in
RBI/2025-26/101
CO.DPSS.POLC.No. S-955/02-30-010/2025-26 November 28, 2025
All Payment System Providers and Payment System Participants
Madam / Sir,
Compliance with Know Your Customer (KYC) norms
The Reserve Bank has, today, repealed the RBI Master Direction
DBR.AML.BC.No.81/14.01.001/2015-16 dated February 25, 2016 (as updated from time to time)
with immediate effect.
2. In view of the above, all references to the said Master Direction in instructions to Payment
System Providers and Payment System Participants shall be read as reference to ‘Reserve Bank
of India (Commercial Banks – Know Your Customer) Directions, 2025’. A list of changes carried
out in various circulars is annexed.
3. This direction is issued under Section 18 read with Section 10 (2) of the Payment and
Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
Yours faithfully,
(Gunveer Singh)
Chief General Manager-in-Charge
Encl: a/aAnnexure
Modifications of instructions issued under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007
CO.DPSS.POLC.No. S-955 / 02-30-010 / 2025-26 dated November 28, 2025
Directions Paragraph Extant directions Modified directions
Master 6.1 The Know Your Customer (KYC) / The Know Your
Directions Anti-Money Laundering (AML) / Customer (KYC) / Anti-
on Prepaid Combating Financing of Terrorism Money Laundering
Payment (CFT) guidelines issued by the (AML) / Combating
Instruments Department of Regulation (DoR), RBI, Financing of Terrorism
(PPIs) in “Master Direction – Know Your (CFT) guidelines issued
Customer Direction, 2016”, as updated by the Department of
from time to time, shall apply mutatis Regulation (DoR), RBI,
mutandis to all the entities issuing in ‘Reserve Bank of
PPIs. India (Commercial
Banks – Know Your
Customer) Directions,
2025’, as updated from
time to time, shall apply
mutatis mutandis to all
the entities issuing PPIs.
Master 9.1 (i) b. Minimum details shall necessarily Minimum details shall
Directions include a mobile number verified with necessarily include a
on Prepaid One Time Password (OTP) and a self- mobile number verified
Payment declaration of name and unique with One Time
Instruments identity / identification number of any Password (OTP) and a
(PPIs) ‘mandatory document’ or ‘Officially self-declaration of name
Valid Document (OVD)’ or any such and unique identity /
document with any name listed for this identification number of
purpose in the Master Direction on any ‘mandatory
KYC, as amended from time to time; document’ or ‘Officially
Valid Document (OVD)’
or any such document
with any name listed for
this purpose in the
‘Reserve Bank of India
(Commercial Banks –
Know Your Customer)
Directions, 2025’, as
amended from time to
time;
Master 9.1 (ii) b.
Minimum details shall necessarily Minimum details shall
Directions
include a mobile number verified with necessarily include a
on Prepaid
OTP and a self-declaration of name mobile number verified
Payment
and unique identity / identification with OTP and a self-
Instruments
number of any ‘mandatory document’ declaration of name
(PPIs)or OVD or any such document with and unique identity /
any name listed for this purpose in the identification number of
Master Direction on KYC, as any ‘mandatory
amended from time to time; document’ or OVD or
any such document
with any name listed for
this purpose in the
‘Reserve Bank of India
(Commercial Banks –
Know Your Customer)
Directions, 2025’, as
amended from time to
time;
Master 4 k.
Central KYC Records Registry Central KYC Records
Direction on
(CKYCR), Officially Valid Document Registry (CKYCR),
Regulation
(OVD), equivalent e-document, digital Officially Valid
of Payment
KYC, and Video-based Customer Document (OVD),
Aggregator
Identification Procedure (V-CIP) shall equivalent e-document,
(PA)
have the same meanings as defined digital KYC, and Video-
in RBI Master Direction based Customer
DBR.AML.BC.No.81/14.01.001/2015- Identification
16 dated February 25, 2016 on Procedure (V-CIP)
‘Master Direction - Know Your shall have the same
Customer (KYC) Direction, 2016’, as meanings as defined
amended from time to time in ‘Reserve Bank of
(hereinafter referred to as ‘MD on India (Commercial
KYC’) Banks – Know Your
Customer) Directions,
2025’, as amended
from time to time
(hereinafter referred to
as ‘MD on KYC’)
Master 15 a. i.
Digital KYC process as provided in Digital KYC process as
Direction on
Annex–I of MD – KYC (in lieu of provided in paragraph
Regulation
Business Correspondents) 24 of MD – KYC (in
of Payment
lieu of Business
Aggregator
Correspondents)
(PA)
Master 15 a. ii.
Assisted V-CIP, only by the agent Assisted V-CIP, only by
Direction on
assisting the individual / proprietor / the agent assisting the
Regulation
power of attorney holder / beneficial individual / proprietor /
of Payment
owner / authorised signatory of the power of attorney
Aggregator
merchant, in terms of Paragraph 18 of holder / beneficial
(PA)
MD on KYC. PA shall maintain the owner / authorised
details of the agent assisting the signatory of the
merchant, where services of such merchant, in terms of
agents are employed. Paragraph 27 of MD on
KYC. PA shall maintain
the details of the agentassisting the merchant,
where services of such
agents are employed.
Aadhaar Annex
The acquiring bank shall carry out due The acquiring bank
Enabled paragraph
diligence of all ATOs before shall carry out due
Payment 2.1
onboarding them, adopting the same diligence of all ATOs
System –
process as indicated in the Customer before onboarding
Due
Due Diligence procedure for them, adopting the
Diligence of
individuals, stipulated in paragraph 16 same process as
AePS
of Part-I, Chapter-VI of the Master indicated for individuals
Touchpoint
Direction – Know Your Customer in the ‘Reserve Bank of
Operators
Direction, 2016 (as updated from time India (Commercial
to time), issued by the Reserve Bank. Banks – Know Your
However, if the due diligence of ATOs Customer) Directions,
has already been done in their 2025’ (as updated from
capacity as Business Correspondent / time to time), issued by
sub-agent, then the same may be the Reserve Bank.
adopted. The acquiring bank shall However, if the due
also carry out periodic updation of diligence of ATOs has
KYC of ATOs. already been done in
their capacity as
Business
Correspondent / sub-
agent, then the same
may be adopted. The
acquiring bank shall
also carry out periodic
updation of KYC of
ATOs.
Domestic 1 b) i.
Remitting banks / Business Remitting banks /
Money
Correspondents (BCs) shall register Business
Transfer –
the remitter based on a verified cell Correspondents (BCs)
Review of
phone number and a self-certified shall register the
Framework
‘Officially Valid Document (OVD)’ as remitter based on a
per the Master Direction – Know Your verified cell phone
Customer Direction 2016, as number and a self-
amended from time to time. certified ‘Officially Valid
Document (OVD)’ as
per the ‘Reserve Bank
of India (Commercial
Banks – Know Your
Customer) Directions,
2025’, as amended
from time to time.
Guidelines 14.
The KYC documentation and its The KYC
for the
process may be standardised and documentation and its
Trade
disclosed to all stakeholders by process may beReceivables TReDS. As it requires confirmation of standardised and
Discounting the banker of the MSME seller / buyer, disclosed to all
System as the case may be, the KYC stakeholders by
(TReDS) documentation may be synchronous TReDS. As it requires
with the documentation / verification confirmation of the
done by the banks in adherence to the banker of the MSME
extant regulatory requirements seller / buyer, as the
(Reserve Bank of India’s “Master case may be, the KYC
Direction - Know Your Customer documentation may be
(KYC) Direction, 2016” dated synchronous with the
February 25, 2016 (as amended from documentation /
time to time)). verification done by the
banks in adherence to
the extant regulatory
requirements (‘Reserve
Bank of India
(Commercial Banks –
Know Your Customer)
Directions, 2025’ (as
amended from time to
time)).