Is Loan EMI Autopay Now Mandatory in 2025?

Loan autopay is a facility that automatically deducts your loan instalments from your bank account on the due date, ensuring timely payments without manual intervention.

Example:

Siddhart took a personal loan of ₹1,00,000 at an annual interest rate of 12% for 1 year. He enabled autopay, so ₹8,884 was auto-debited from his account every month. This helped him avoid late fees and maintain a good credit score.

Loan Repayment Schedule:
 

Autopay provides convenience and reduces the risk of missing payments. However, one must ensure there’s always enough balance in the account to avoid bounce charges.

RBI’s New Rules on Automatic Payments in India (2025)

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has introduced updated regulations that impact automatic or recurring payments made using credit or debit cards in India.

What Has Changed?

According to the new RBI guidelines, automatic payments are now capped at ₹5,000 per transaction. Any recurring payment above this limit requires additional authentication from the cardholder (such as OTP approval).

Who Is Affected?

These changes affect all users, but the setup process may differ for new and existing accounts.
 

Why These Changes?

The RBI aims to enhance security and give users more control over high-value transactions, reducing the risk of unauthorised deductions.

Benefits of Enabling Autopay

Activating autopay offers multiple advantages, especially when it comes to managing loan EMIs and regular bills.

Example:
Meera has a car loan of ₹6,00,000 with a tenure of 5 years at an interest rate of 9%. She enabled autopay for her monthly EMI of ₹12,455. Every month, the EMI was automatically deducted on the due date without any manual effort.

This ensured she never missed a payment, avoided penalties, and steadily improved her credit score.

How Autopay Helped Meera

Risks or Drawbacks to Consider with Autopay

While autopay offers convenience, it's important to be aware of certain risks. Failing to manage your bank account balance properly can lead to failed transactions, bounced checks, and other issues.

Arjun enabled autopay for his ₹10,000 monthly personal loan EMI. However, one month he forgot to maintain a sufficient balance in his account. The transaction failed, leading to penalties from both the bank and the lender.
 

Is Autopay Now Mandatory for All Loans?

No, autopay is not mandatory for all loans in India.
As of 2025, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has not made autopay compulsory for loan repayments across the board. However, many banks and financial institutions strongly encourage or default to autopay, especially for credit card dues, retail loans, and digital lending platforms, to ensure timely payments.

Scope of Autopay Mandate
 

While not legally mandatory, autopay is increasingly becoming the preferred repayment method due to its convenience and reliability. Borrowers should check with their lender for specific terms.

Conclusion

As of 2025, loan EMI autopay is not legally mandatory for all borrowers in India. However, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has introduced stricter rules for e-mandates and recurring transactions, especially those exceeding ₹5,000. While banks and digital lenders may encourage or default to autopay for convenience and timely repayments, it remains an optional feature for most loans.

Borrowers should review their lender's specific policies and ensure they understand the benefits and responsibilities of enabling autopay, such as avoiding late fees, maintaining credit health, and ensuring a sufficient account balance to prevent payment failures.

FAQ’s

1. Is autopay mandatory for loan EMIs in 2025?
No, autopay is not legally required for all loans, but many lenders recommend it for timely payments.

2. What happens if my autopay EMI fails?
You may face penalties, late fees, and a possible dip in your credit score if the transaction fails.

3. Are there RBI rules for autopay limits?
Yes, RBI caps automatic payments at ₹5,000; anything above needs extra authentication, like an OTP.

4. Can I turn off autopay after enabling it?
Yes, you can cancel or modify autopay by informing your lender or bank before the due date.

5. Is autopay required for credit cards or BNPL loans?
No, it’s not mandatory, but many digital lenders and credit card providers prefer or default to it.

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About the Author

LoansJagat Team

‘Simplify Finance for Everyone.’ This is the common goal of our team, as we try to explain any topic with relatable examples. From personal to business finance, managing EMIs to becoming debt-free, we do extensive research on each and every parameter, so you don’t have to. Scroll up and have a look at what 15+ years of experience in the BFSI sector looks like.