Executive Summary:
This circular from the RBI outlines guidelines on merchant acquisition for card transactions by cooperative banks. It permits cooperative banks to deploy third-party POS terminals without prior RBI approval if certain criteria are met. Cooperative banks intending to act as POS acquiring banks must obtain prior RBI approval and fulfill additional requirements.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Third-Party POS Deployment (No Prior RBI Approval Required):**
* Permitted for cooperative banks meeting specific criteria.
* Criteria include: RBI license, CBS compliance, CRAR ≥ 9%, net profit in preceding financial year, at least two professional directors on the board, board-approved customer grievance redressal mechanism, board-approved merchant acquisition policy, no RBI restrictions on deposits/withdrawals.
* Bank must obtain merchant customer consent and disclose settlement process.
* Bank must report to RBI Regional Office within one month of operationalization with necessary documents.
* **Own POS Terminal Deployment (Prior RBI Approval Required):**
* Requires prior RBI approval.
* Must comply with all criteria for third-party POS deployment (1a to 1g).
* IT systems/CBS must have undergone an IS Audit within six months of application date confirming adequate security.
* Assessed net worth must be > ₹25 crore per the last RBI inspection.
* Gross NPAs < 7% and net NPAs < 3% in the preceding financial year.
* No monetary penalty in the last two financial years or the year of application.
* No default in CRR/SLR maintenance during the preceding financial year.
* Must be a member of an authorized card network (RuPay, Visa, MasterCard, etc.).
* **General Compliance:**
* Banks must comply with all instructions and guidelines on merchant acquisition issued by the Department of Payment and Settlement Systems, RBI.
* **Application Process:**
* Cooperative banks desiring to deploy their own POS terminals and act as acquiring banks should approach the respective Regional Offices of RBI for permission with requisite information and documents.
Impact Analysis:
* **Primary Urban Cooperative Banks, State Cooperative Banks (StCBs), and District Central Cooperative Banks:**
* Impact: New guidelines affect their ability to deploy POS terminals and engage in merchant acquisition for card transactions.
* Action Required: Assess current status against eligibility criteria. If eligible and desiring to deploy third party POS terminals, implement necessary policies, customer consent mechanisms, and reporting procedures. If intending to act as POS acquiring bank, prepare application with all necessary documentation for submission to the RBI Regional Office.
Key Entities Referenced
Primary Urban Cooperative Banks: A type of cooperative bank regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
State Cooperative Banks: A type of cooperative bank in India.
District Central Cooperative Banks: A type of cooperative bank in India operating at the district level.
Reserve Bank of India: The central bank of India, responsible for regulating the banking sector.
Point of Sale POS: A system for conducting card transactions at merchant locations.
CRAR: Capital to Risk (Weighted) Assets Ratio, a measure of a bank's capital adequacy.
RuPay: An Indian card payment network.
Mumbai, Maharashtra: The city where the Department of Cooperative Bank Regulation, Central Office is located.
RBI/2016-17/296
DCBR.RAD (PCB/RCB) Cir.No.4/7.12.001/2016-17 April 28, 2017
The Chief Executive Officers
All Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks /
All State Co-operative Banks (StCBs) /
All District Central Co-operative Banks
Dear Sir/Madam,
Guidelines on Merchant Acquisition for Card Transactions
Co-operative banks have been permitted to install both onsite/offsite ATM networks
and can issue debit cards on their own or through sponsor banks based on certain
eligibility conditions. Also, all co-operative banks have been allowed to enter into
credit card business on their own or co-branding arrangement with other banks,
subject to fulfilment of the guidelines prescribed in this regard. Keeping in view the
need for encouraging digital channels for financial transactions in co-operative banks,
it has been decided as under:
1. All co-operative banks not intending to act as Point of Sale (POS) acquiring bank
are permitted to deploy third party POS terminals without prior approval of Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) subject to the bank fulfilling the following criteria:
(a) The co-operative bank should be licensed by RBI and CBS compliant;
(b) The bank’s CRAR should not be less than 9% in the preceding financial year;
(c) The bank should have made a net profit in the preceding financial year;
(d) The bank’s board should consist of at least two professional directors;
(e) A customer grievance redressal mechanism duly approved by the bank’s
board should be in place;
(f) The bank should have a board approved policy on merchant acquisition for
card transactions;
(g) There should not be any restrictions imposed on the bank for accepting
deposits/withdrawals by Reserve Bank of India.
सहकार� बक� �व�नयमन �वभाग, क�द्र�य कायार्लय, सी-7, पहल�/ दसू र� मिंज़ल, बांद्रा कुला र् संकुल, बांद्रा (पवू )र्, मंबु ई – 400 051
फोन: 022 – 26578300/ 26578100 ; फैक्स: 022 - 26571117 ; ई-मेल: cgmdcbrco@rbi.org.in
Department of Co-operative Bank Regulation, Central Office, C-7, 1st/ 2nd Floor, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Bandra (E), Mumbai – 400 051
Phone: 022 – 26578300/ 26578100; Fax: 022 - 26571117; E-mail: cgmdcbrco@rbi.org.in
�हदं � आसान है, इसका प्रयोग बढ़ाइए—
चते ावनी: �रज़व र्बक� द्वारा ई-मेल, डाक, एसएमएस या फोन कॉल के ज�रए �कसी क� भी व् यिक्तगत जानकार� जैसे बक� के खाते का ब् यौरा, पासवड र्आ�द
नह�ं मांगी जाती है। यह धन रखने या देने का प्रस् ताव भी नह�ं करता है। ऐसे प्रस् ताव� का �कसी भी तर�के से जवाब मत द�िजए।
Caution: RBI never sends mails, SMSs or makes calls asking for personal information like bank account details, passwords,
etc. It never keeps or offers funds to anyone. Please do not respond in any manner to such offers.(h) The bank should obtain consent of their merchant customers before offering
third party POS terminals and disclose the process of settlement.
(i) The bank should report to respective Regional Offices of RBI within a month
with necessary documents after the operationalization of third party POS
terminals.
2. All co-operative banks intending to act as POS acquiring bank are permitted to
deploy their own POS terminals with prior approval of RBI subject to the bank fulfilling
the following criteria:
a) The co-operative bank should comply with criteria mentioned above at 1(a) to
(g) of Para 1. The bank’s IT systems & CBS should have been subjected to an
IS Audit not earlier than six months from the date of application to confirm that
the system is adequately secure.
b) Assessed net-worth should be more than ` 25 crore as per the last RBI
inspection;
c) Gross NPAs should be less than 7% and net NPAs should be less than 3% in
the preceding financial year;
d) No monetary penalty should have been imposed in last two financial years and
during the year of submitting the application;
e) There should not be any default in the maintenance of CRR/SLR during the
preceding financial year;
f) The bank should be a member of authorized card network, such as RuPay,
Visa, MasterCard etc.
3. The banks shall comply with instructions and guidelines on Merchant Acquisition
for card transactions and POS issued by Department of Payment and Settlement
Systems, RBI from time to time.
4. The co-operative banks desirous to deploy their own POS terminals and act as
POS acquiring bank may approach the respective Regional Offices of RBI for
necessary permission in this regard, with requisite information/documents.
Yours faithfully,
(Neeraj Nigam)
Chief General Manager
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