Paytm Payments Bank Wins Final RBI Nod, Can Operate as Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit

Paytm Payments Bank on Monday said it has received final approval from the Reserve Bank of India to operate as a Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU). Under Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), a BBPOU is allowed to facilitate bill payment services for electricity, phone, DTH, water, gas insurance, loan repayments, FASTag recharge, education fees, credit card bills and municipal taxes.

BBPS is owned by the National Payments Corporation of India.

So far, Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL) has been undertaking this activity under in-principle authorisation from RBI.

"PPBL has got the final approval from RBI to operate as Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU) under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. As an entity under Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), PPBL has got the final authorization to conduct bill payment and aggregation business as a BBPOU," the company said in a statement.

Under RBI's guidance, PPBL will display all agent institutions onboard on its website.

"Our vision is to drive financial inclusion by offering users greater access to digital services. With this approval, we will further increase the adoption of digital payments by merchant billers and enable them with secure, fast and convenient transactions. Through the Paytm app, users can make convenient payments for their bills and benefit from automatic payment and reminder services," a Paytm Payments Bank spokesperson said.

Last month, the company released its Paytm 2022 Recap report that showed the Delhi-National Capital Region emerged as India's digital payments capital whereas Tamil Nadu's Katpadi is the fastest-growing city for digital payments with 7X growth in 2022. Chennai and Trichy in Tamil Nadu have the highest percentage of offline payments on food and beverages while Amritsar saw the highest spending on health and grooming through Paytm.