RBI Ombudsman Complaint — When You Can File and What It Can Award
Free, online, no lawyer, and it covers every RBI-regulated entity — banks, NBFCs and payment operators alike. The two things that decide whether your complaint is admitted are both about timing.
- Who to contact first
- The Reserve Bank Ombudsman, covering all RBI-regulated entities — banks, NBFCs and payment system operators.
- How to reach them
- File free online at cms.rbi.org.in. No fee, no lawyer, and the whole process runs on the portal.
- How long to wait
- File after the entity’s response period has expired or its reply is unsatisfactory, and within 90 days of that point under the Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026.
- If they ignore you
- An award can be appealed to the Appellate Authority within 30 days of receiving it. A consumer commission remains available for deficiency in service, but not on a matter pending before the Ombudsman.
Official source · last verified 2 September 2026 — RBI Complaint Management System. GetNyay is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for any government department.
First, you cannot go straight to the Ombudsman — there must be a written complaint to the entity and either a reply or the expiry of its 30-day response period. Second, once that point is reached you have 90 days to file under the 2026 scheme. That 90-day window is much shorter than the one year the 2021 scheme allowed, and a great deal of online guidance still quotes the old figure. Diarise the date the 30 days expire.
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All contact channels
Every channel below was read on an official page. Contact details change — the source for each is linked in the verification footer at the end of this page.
The escalation ladder, level by level
Work through these in order. Every forum above asks what you did below, and skipping a rung is the commonest reason a complaint is sent back.
- 1Entity grievance channelWait 30 days for the entity to respond
The bank, NBFC or payment operator, in writing.
Account number, the disputed amount, the transaction reference — UTR, RRN or ATM transaction ID — and the dates. Take the Service Request or complaint number.
- 2Principal Nodal OfficerWait Within the same 30-day period
The entity’s Principal Nodal Officer, on the same complaint number.
Escalate on the original complaint number rather than raising a new one, so the original date survives.
- 3Reserve Bank OmbudsmanWait After 30 days, and within 90 days of that point
The RBI Ombudsman, on the CMS portal.
cms.rbi.org.in
The complaint number and its date, the entity’s reply or the fact of no reply, and what you are claiming.
- 4Appellate Authority under the SchemeWait 30 days of receiving the award
The Appellate Authority, against an award.
The award and the ground on which it is challenged.
How the process runs
- 1Complain to the entity in writing
Bank, NBFC or payment operator. Take the Service Request number and note the date — everything is measured from it.
then: 30 days for the entity to respond - 2Escalate to the Principal Nodal Officer
On the same complaint number, so the original date survives. Raising a fresh complaint restarts the clock.
then: if unresolved or the reply is unsatisfactory - 3File at cms.rbi.org.in
Free, online, no lawyer. Within 90 days of the response period expiring or the last communication, whichever is later.
then: if an award is made and you disagree - 4Appeal to the Appellate Authority
Within 30 days of receiving the award.
What this system will not take up
Filing one of these wastes the whole period — it is closed on that ground alone.
- A matter already pending or decided by a court or tribunal.
- A complaint where you have not first complained to the entity in writing.
- A complaint filed more than 90 days after the response period expired.
- Commercial judgment — the interest rate a bank chooses to offer, or its decision to decline a loan on credit grounds.
What to have ready before you complain
Assemble these first. A complaint that opens with the identifying numbers gets routed; one that opens with how long this has been going on gets a template reply.
- The account number and the registered mobile number.
- The date, the exact amount, and the transaction reference — UTR, RRN or ATM transaction ID.
- The written complaint to the entity, with its Service Request number and date.
- The entity’s reply, or your record that the 30 days expired with none.
- Bank statements covering the disputed period.
- For an unauthorised transaction, the date and time you first reported it — customer liability turns on this.
Timelines at a glance
How long to wait at each stage, and where that period comes from.
| Stage | Window | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Entity response period | 30 days | Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026 |
| Filing window at the Ombudsman | 90 days from expiry of the response period or the last communication, whichever is later | Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026 |
| Appeal against an award | 30 days from receiving it | Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026 |
| Failed transaction auto-reversal | T+1 for UPI person-to-person and IMPS; T+5 for ATM, card and UPI-to-merchant | RBI turn around time circular, with ₹100 per day of delay |
| Unauthorised transaction reported within three working days | Nil customer liability; shadow credit within 10 working days | RBI circular on limiting customer liability |
Common complaints handled here
Who runs this, and who is above it
Reserve Bank of India
The Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026 covers all RBI-regulated entities under one scheme rather than separate schemes for banks, NBFCs and payment operators. It can award up to ₹30 lakh for consequential loss and a further ₹3 lakh for time, expenses and harassment — which is materially more than most people expect from a free process.
https://cms.rbi.org.in/ →If they ignore you — where to go next
What each forum costs and what it needs before it will take your case.
The award, within 30 days of receiving it.
Available for deficiency in service, but not on a matter currently pending before the Ombudsman. Two years from the cause of action.
Where the loss is fraud rather than a service failure, report immediately on 1930 — the speed of that report is what gives any chance of freezing the money.
Frequently asked questions
When can I file with the RBI Ombudsman?
After you have complained to the bank, NBFC or payment operator in writing and either received an unsatisfactory reply or waited out its 30-day response period. You then have 90 days to file, measured from the expiry of that period or the entity’s last communication, whichever is later. Filing before complaining to the entity gets the complaint returned.
How much can the RBI Ombudsman award?
Under the Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026, up to ₹30 lakh for consequential loss, and a further ₹3 lakh for the time lost, expenses incurred and harassment suffered. That second head is often overlooked and is worth claiming explicitly, with the days and costs set out rather than asserted generally.
Is the RBI Ombudsman free? Do I need a lawyer?
It is free, and no legal representation is required — the whole process runs online through cms.rbi.org.in. That is the main practical advantage over a consumer commission or a court for a banking dispute. Treat any offer to file on your behalf for a fee with caution; nothing about the process requires an intermediary.
Which entities does the Ombudsman cover?
All RBI-regulated entities under one integrated scheme — banks, NBFCs and payment system operators alike. That consolidation is the point of the 2026 scheme: you no longer have to work out which of several separate schemes your complaint falls under, or whether the entity is technically a bank.
My money went in a fraud. Is the Ombudsman the right place?
Report the fraud on the cybercrime helpline 1930 first, and immediately — the chance of the money being frozen falls away within hours, and no ombudsman process moves at that speed. The Ombudsman is the right route for how the bank then handled it: the limited-liability framework means an unauthorised transaction reported within three working days of the bank’s alert carries nil customer liability, with the disputed amount shadow-credited within 10 working days.
Can I go to a consumer commission instead?
You can, for deficiency in service, but not on a matter currently pending before the Ombudsman. In practice the Ombudsman is usually faster and free, and the record it produces strengthens a later consumer complaint if one becomes necessary. Watch the consumer limitation separately: two years from the cause of action, which does not pause while the Ombudsman considers the matter.
Letter and notice formats
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Related escalation guides
Every contact detail on this page was read on an official page — primarily RBI Complaint Management System. Government contact details change without notice. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will check it.
What we deliberately left blank (2)
- — Ombudsman office addresses by jurisdiction — filing is centralised through CMS, so a postal address is rarely needed.
- — The Appellate Authority’s own contact details, which are set out in the scheme document.