Digital Payment Transactions – Streamlining QR Code infrastructure

Reserve Bank of India

RBI/2020-21/59
DPSS.CO.PD.No.497/02.14.003/2020-21

October 22, 2020

The Chairman / Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer
Authorised Payment System Operators (Banks and Non-banks)

Madam / Dear Sir,

Digital Payment Transactions – Streamlining QR Code infrastructure

As you are aware, Reserve Bank had constituted a Committee (Chairperson : Prof Deepak Phatak) to review the current system of Quick Response (QR) Codes in India and suggest measures for moving towards interoperable QR Codes. The report of the Committee containing various recommendations was placed on the Reserve Bank website for public comments and feedback.

2. After examining the recommendations and the feedback received, the following has been decided:

i. The two interoperable QR codes in existence – UPI QR and Bharat QR – shall continue as at present.

ii.  Payment System Operators (PSOs) that use proprietary QR codes shall shift to one or more interoperable QR codes; the process of migration shall be completed by March 31, 2022.

iii. No new proprietary QR codes shall henceforth be launched by any PSO for any payment transaction.

iv. RBI shall continue a consultative process to standardise and improve interoperable QR codes, to enable beneficial features identified by the Phatak Committee.

v. PSOs may take initiative to increase awareness about interoperable QR codes.

3. The above measures are expected to reinforce the acceptance infrastructure, provide better user convenience due to interoperability and enhance system efficiency.

4. This directive is issued under Section 10 (2) read with Section 18 of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 (Act 51 of 2007).

Yours faithfully,

(P. Vasudevan)
Chief General Manager