Indian e-Mandate for Recurring Payments
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has rolled out a regulation where e-mandates need to be created for added safety and security of all recurring card transactions and to increase acceptance of recurring payments across various payment methods.
This is applicable for transactions amounting up to ₹ 5,000.00 performed using all types of cards – debit, credit and Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs), including wallets. This mandate does not allow recurring transactions of more than ₹ 5,000.00. Therefore, recurring payments above the maximum threshold will no longer be permitted.
Who is affected? What does this mean for you?
Starting 1 October 2021, all recurring/subscription payments on Freelancer.com using an Indian-issued card or any PayPal account linked to an India issued card may be declined as per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines to all card-issuing banks in India.
If the payment method you are using for recurring/subscription payments on Freelancer.com is:
- An Indian-issued card: For recurring/subscription payments, we are required to collect your card details and have you go through payment verification again, in order to comply with this e-mandate and for you to continue enjoying the benefits of your membership. You can continue using your Indian-issued cards to make one-off payments (not related to a subscription) of any amount.
- A PayPal account linked to an Indian-issued card: You will no longer be able to use this payment method for recurring/subscription payments from 1 October 2021, and you will instead be required to enter the details of your Indian-issued card directly into Freelancer.com for all recurring/subscription payments. You will be able to continue using your Paypal account linked to an Indian-issued card for one-off payments (not related to a subscription) of any amount.
For users with membership plans amounting up to ₹ 5,000.00 per billing cycle
We will ask you to verify your payment again, and in order to comply with the regulation, an e-mandate with the maximum amount of ₹ 5,000.00 will be created. Rest assured, we will only charge you for the membership fee.
For users with membership plans greater than ₹ 5,000.00 per billing cycle
Auto-renewal will be disabled for membership plans affected by the maximum threshold set by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This means that the purchase of plans greater than ₹ 5,000.00 will be a one-off payment/ non-recurring, and you have to purchase that plan every year when nearing the end of the plan. An e-mandate will not be created in this scenario.
If the payment method to be used is an Indian-issued card, the non-renewing plans are as follows:
● Plus, Annual plan, Prepaid
● Professional, Annual plan, Prepaid
● Premier, Annual plan, Prepaid
● Annual Corporate Membership
When is this enforced?
This directive from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will come into effect from October 1, 2021, and we must comply accordingly.
How will I know if I have already complied with the mandate?
Notifications will be sent to you to confirm the creation of the e-mandate, from your issuing bank. (i.e. SMS, email, mobile banking app).
Pre-debit notifications before every recurring charge will also be sent to you by your issuing bank at least 24 hours before the recurring charge.
What if my payment has failed? What should I do?
Due to this new regulation, your payment for renewal might fail. If payment failure has reached the maximum attempts of 5 times (done over 5 days), you will get a notification that your subscription has been canceled. Please subscribe again to the membership plan as we will try to use another payment processor for your transaction. You may need to subscribe to your membership plan until further notice.
