Your complaint against a bank, an RBI-registered NBFC, a prepaid wallet issuer or a credit information company can go to the RBI Ombudsman only after you have complained to that entity first. You must then either wait 30 days or hold a reply you are not satisfied with. From 1 July 2026 the RBI Ombudsman complaint must be filed within 90 days, on the CMS portal (cms.rbi.org.in), by email to crpc@rbi.org.in or by post, and it costs nothing. Most complaints that fail are rejected on admissibility, before anyone looks at the merits, so the sequence and the dates decide the outcome more often than the facts do.
The rules below are from the Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026 (RB-IOS 2026) and the RBI FAQs on RB-IOS 2026 updated as on 1 July 2026. RBI announced the final Scheme in its press release of 16 January 2026, which replaced the 2021 Scheme from 1 July 2026.
Check first whether your complaint falls under the 2026 Scheme or the 2021 Scheme
The date on which the Ombudsman receives your complaint decides which Scheme applies. Anything received on or after 1 July 2026 is handled under RB-IOS 2026. A complaint received before 1 July 2026 continues under the 2021 Scheme, and so do appeals against decisions taken under it and the execution of awards passed under it. If you filed in June 2026 and are still waiting, do not refile; a second complaint on the same grievance is itself a ground for rejection.
Which banks and finance companies the Ombudsman can act against
The Scheme covers a specific list of regulated entities (REs). If your lender or wallet provider is outside the list, the Ombudsman will close the complaint as not maintainable, however strong your case is.
- Banks: all commercial banks, regional rural banks, state co-operative banks and central co-operative banks, scheduled primary (urban) co-operative banks, and non-scheduled urban co-operative banks with deposits of ₹50 crore or more as on the audited balance sheet date of the previous financial year.
- NBFCs: RBI-registered NBFCs that either accept deposits or have a customer interface, with an asset size of ₹100 crore or more as on the audited balance sheet date of the previous financial year. Housing finance companies, core investment companies, IDF-NBFCs, NBFC-IFCs, NOFHCs, primary dealers and mortgage guarantee companies are excluded.
- Others: non-bank prepaid payment instrument issuers (wallets and similar products) and credit information companies.
A complaint against a housing finance company therefore does not belong here, even though it lends like an NBFC. Customers of a small non-scheduled urban co-operative bank below the ₹50 crore deposit mark also fall outside the Scheme; for such entities the FAQs point to other RBI grievance channels such as the Consumer Education and Protection Cells.
What counts as a complaint the Ombudsman will hear
The test is a "deficiency in service", which the FAQs describe as a shortcoming or inadequacy in any service the entity is required to provide, by statute or otherwise. It may or may not have caused you a money loss. Depending on the facts, examples can include a failed transaction not reversed, charges levied against RBI instructions or a refusal to close an account. Other examples are a delay in returning title deeds after a loan is repaid, or a bank charging for reactivating an account that the rules on inoperative bank accounts say must be reactivated free.
The Scheme also lists matters the Ombudsman will not take up even if you are unhappy. The ones that catch people most often are:
- a commercial judgement of the bank, such as refusing a loan, fixing a credit limit or pricing a product within RBI rules;
- a dispute between you and a vendor or merchant, or between two banks;
- a grievance against the bank's management or executives personally, or an employee-employer dispute;
- action the bank took under the order of a court, tax authority or law enforcement agency, such as an account freeze on a police request;
- a service that falls outside RBI's regulatory purview, such as a claim dispute on an insurance policy that the bank only distributed;
- a grievance for which a remedy exists under Section 18 of the Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act, 2005;
- a matter already pending before, or decided on merits by, a court, tribunal, arbitrator or other forum.
Police investigations and criminal proceedings are treated differently. A pending police complaint about a fraud does not count as the same grievance, so it does not bar you from the Ombudsman. That is often the position in cyber fraud cases, where the separate rules on bank liability for unauthorised online transactions decide how much the bank must refund.
The three dates that decide whether the complaint is admitted
Every RB-IOS 2026 complaint is tested against three timing conditions. Missing any one of them gets it closed at the admissibility stage.
1. You complained to the bank in writing, within the limitation period
You must have approached the entity first and you must be able to prove it, usually with a complaint number or acknowledgement. Marking a copy to RBI on your email to the bank does not count as a complaint to the Ombudsman, and the bank complaint itself must have been made before the period under the Limitation Act, 1963 ran out.
2. You waited for the bank's reply period, unless it already replied
You can approach the Ombudsman once 30 days have passed after the bank received your complaint without a reply. Where RBI, NPCI or a card network prescribes a longer timeline for that kind of transaction, the longer one applies. If the bank replies earlier and you are dissatisfied, you need not wait out the 30 days.
A shorter industry timeline does not shorten the wait. Under RBI's circular of 20 September 2019 on turn around time for failed transactions, a UPI or IMPS debit that does not reach the beneficiary must be reversed by T+1 day, T being the transaction date. Cash not dispensed at an ATM must be reversed within T+5 days. Beyond those dates the bank owes ₹100 a day as compensation. The bank owes that compensation regardless, but you still have to give the bank the full 30 days before going to the Ombudsman, because 30 days is the higher of the two periods.
3. You filed with the Ombudsman within 90 days
The complaint must reach the Ombudsman within 90 days from the date the waiting period ends or the date of the bank's last communication, whichever is later. Ninety days is short enough to slip past while you exchange emails with a branch, so diarise it on the day you lodge the bank complaint.
Working out your deadline: three illustrations
These illustrations assume the bank received your complaint on 4 August 2026 and count calendar days.
| What the bank did | Earliest date to approach the Ombudsman | Last date to file |
|---|---|---|
| No reply at all | 3 September 2026 (30 days after receipt) | 2 December 2026 (90 days after 3 September) |
| Rejected the complaint on 20 August 2026 | 20 August 2026, since you have an unsatisfactory reply | 2 December 2026, because 3 September is later than 20 August |
| Sent a final reply on 25 September 2026 | 3 September 2026 (you could have gone after 30 days) | 24 December 2026 (90 days after the last communication) |
The second row surprises people. An early rejection does not start an earlier clock, because the 90 days run from the later of the two dates. The third row shows why it pays to keep every reply: a later communication from the bank extends your window, but only if you can prove its date.
Before you file, read the bank's final reply closely. Under the Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks - Internal Ombudsman) Directions, 2026, a commercial bank with ten or more outlets must send a complaint it rejects or only partly resolves to its Internal Ombudsman for review. Its final reply must also tell you that you can approach the RBI Ombudsman. A reply without that review does not stop you from filing, but it is worth mentioning in your complaint.
How to file the complaint, step by step
- Collect the bank-side evidence. You need the complaint or acknowledgement number, the date of your complaint and a copy of it, the bank's reply if any, and the account, card, loan or transaction reference with the transaction date.
- Choose the channel. File online on the CMS portal at cms.rbi.org.in, email the complaint to crpc@rbi.org.in, or post a signed complaint form with documents to the Centralised Receipt and Processing Centre, Reserve Bank of India, Central Vista, Sector 17, Chandigarh 160017. The portal accepts Hindi and English; email and paper complaints may be in any language.
- Address it to the RBI Ombudsman. There is no need to pick a city office. RBI allocates complaints internally, so a Pune customer of a Kolkata branch files in exactly the same way.
- State the facts, the loss and the relief. Give your name, mobile number, postal address and email, and the entity's name and branch. Then set out the complete facts, the nature and extent of the loss or inconvenience, and the precise relief you want, such as reversal of ₹48,500 with ₹100 a day TAT compensation from the due date.
- Attach the supporting documents. Statements, screenshots, letters and the bank's acknowledgement. An incomplete complaint is a listed ground for rejection.
- Note the complaint number and track it. Status can be checked on CMS with the complaint number and your mobile number, or on the toll-free contact centre 14448. The contact centre gives guidance and status only; it cannot register a complaint.
You may file yourself or through a representative you authorise in writing, such as a family member or your firm's accountant. An advocate cannot represent you unless the advocate is the aggrieved person. No fee is charged at any stage, and no agent is needed.
What the Ombudsman can award
There is no ceiling on the amount in dispute. If you are owed ₹40 lakh that the bank wrongly debited, the Ombudsman can direct its return. The limits apply only to compensation over and above the disputed amount:
- up to ₹30 lakh for consequential loss, meaning loss that flows from the deficiency (for example penal interest you paid elsewhere because funds were wrongly held);
- up to ₹3 lakh for loss of time, expenses incurred, harassment and mental anguish.
If your consequential loss claim is larger than ₹30 lakh, the Ombudsman may reject the complaint as beyond its powers, leaving you to a civil court or consumer forum. Pitch the relief you seek within the limit if you want the Ombudsman route. The Ombudsman may also reject a complaint that needs elaborate documentary or oral evidence, one you do not pursue with reasonable diligence, or one that shows no deficiency, loss or inconvenience.
Many complaints end without an award. After the bank responds, the Ombudsman or Deputy Ombudsman may try facilitation, advice or a conciliation meeting (in person or online). If that fails and a deficiency is found, an award follows, after both sides get a chance to be heard.
After the award: acceptance, compliance and appeal timelines
The award binds the bank only once you accept it, and each step has its own 30-day clock.
| Step | Who acts | Time limit under RB-IOS 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Accept the award in full and final settlement | Complainant, by letter to the bank | 30 days from receiving the award copy |
| Comply with the award and inform the Ombudsman | Bank or other entity | 30 days from receiving your acceptance letter |
| Appeal against the award | Complainant | 30 days from receiving the award, extendable by up to 30 more days for sufficient cause |
| Appeal against the award, with required prior sanction | Bank or other entity | 30 days from receiving your acceptance letter, extendable by up to 30 more days |
If you are not satisfied with the award, do not send the acceptance letter; appeal instead. A bank cannot appeal an award passed because it failed to give the Ombudsman the information or documents asked for. The Appellate Authority, supported by RBI's Consumer Education and Protection Department, may dismiss the appeal, set aside or modify the award, send the matter back to the Ombudsman, or pass any other order it thinks fit.
Mistakes that get Ombudsman complaints closed
Closures cluster around a handful of avoidable errors. People file the same day they email the bank, before the 30 days run. They write to RBI by copying it on their mail to the bank. They lose the acknowledgement, so they cannot prove the date the bank received the complaint. They file a consumer case and an Ombudsman complaint together, which ends the Ombudsman complaint. Or they wait for months hoping the branch will sort it out, then find the 90-day window has closed.
A few account problems also have their own rule set to check before you complain. If the grievance is an account frozen for KYC, first confirm the bank followed RBI's periodic KYC update rules, because the remedy may be a simple declaration rather than a complaint.
If you change your mind after filing, you can withdraw the complaint at any stage from the "Track a complaint" option on CMS. Withdrawal is safer than letting it lapse for lack of diligence, which counts as a rejection ground under the Scheme.
