NPS Point of Presence charges from 1 October 2026: ₹200 one-time onboarding per PRAN and 0.20% of AUM a year for all schemes and NPS Lite; dormant accounts not charged
PFRDA has revised what Points of Presence can charge for all schemes under NPS and NPS Lite from 1 October 2026: a one-time onboarding charge of ₹200 per PRAN, recovered at ₹50 a quarter, and an annual charge of 0.20% of AUM adjusted through NAV. Dormant accounts are not charged. Fully digital onboarding may attract a reduced ₹100 charge. GST is extra.
Key facts
- In force
- 1 October 2026; CRAs to deduct from Q3 of FY 2026-27
- Who it affects
- NPS and NPS Lite subscribers onboarded through Points of Presence, all PoPs, Central Recordkeeping Agencies
- What it is
- Rule change
- Section
- SEBI
- Published
- 28 August 2026
In 30 seconds
- Circular No. PFRDA/2026/46/REG-POP/08 is dated 28 August 2026; the charge structure applies from 1 October 2026.
- One-time onboarding charge: ₹200 per PRAN, deducted as ₹50 a quarter through cancellation of units by the CRA.
- Annual charge: 0.20% a year of AUM, adjusted through NAV and paid to the PoP quarterly — for all schemes other than dormant accounts.
- Dormant account: no contribution for four consecutive quarters after a contribution in a quarter, identified by a unique PAN across all CRAs.
- Minimum contribution: ₹250 at onboarding and ₹10 for subsequent contributions.
- Subscribers onboarded through e-NPS who contribute through e-NPS or D-Remit pay no PoP charges.
हिंदी में सार
PFRDA ने 28 अगस्त 2026 के परिपत्र से 1 अक्टूबर 2026 से NPS की सभी योजनाओं और NPS Lite के लिए Point of Presence के शुल्क बदले हैं। एकमुश्त onboarding शुल्क ₹200 प्रति PRAN है, जो ₹50 प्रति तिमाही यूनिट काटकर लिया जाएगा, और वार्षिक शुल्क AUM का 0.20% है जो NAV में समायोजित होगा। निष्क्रिय (dormant) खातों पर कोई शुल्क नहीं; पूरी तरह डिजिटल onboarding पर ₹100 का घटा हुआ शुल्क लागू हो सकता है। e-NPS से जुड़े और e-NPS या D-Remit से अंशदान करने वालों पर PoP शुल्क नहीं लगेगा।
What PFRDA has revised
By Circular No. PFRDA/2026/46/REG-POP/08 dated 28 August 2026, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority has revised the charges applicable to Points of Presence (PoPs) for all schemes under the National Pension System and NPS Lite. Regulation 16 of the PFRDA (Point of Presence) Regulations, 2018 makes the charges a PoP may collect from a subscriber subject to the limit, mode and manner permitted by the Authority.
The circular notes that PFRDA’s circular of the same date on the standardised framework for classification of NPS schemes removes the distinction between Common Schemes and schemes introduced under the MSF — hence one charge structure for all schemes.
Charge structure from 1 October 2026
| Particulars | Charge | How it is collected |
|---|---|---|
| One-time onboarding charge | ₹200 per PRAN | The equivalent of ₹50 on a quarterly basis is deducted through cancellation of units by the CRA(s), and paid to the PoP in the month after the quarter in which onboarding is completed |
| One-time onboarding charge — fully digital, non-face-to-face onboarding between PoP and subscriber | Reduced charge of ₹100 may be applicable | As may be determined by the Authority at the time of registration of the PoP and thereafter |
| Annual charge | 0.20% a year of the AUM | Adjusted through NAV and payable to the PoP on a quarterly basis, for all schemes other than dormant accounts |
| Dormant account | Not charged | — |
GST or other taxes as applicable are additional.
What counts as a dormant account
A dormant account is an account, or accounts, identified by a unique PAN across all CRAs where, after a contribution in a quarter, there is no contribution for four consecutive quarters, as identified at the end of each quarter.
Minimum contribution
For subscribers under NPS there is a minimum contribution of ₹250 at the time of onboarding and ₹10 at the time of making subsequent contributions.
e-NPS and D-Remit
- Subscribers onboarded through e-NPS and making subsequent contributions through e-NPS or D-Remit are not liable to pay any PoP charges.
- Subscribers onboarded through a PoP and making subsequent contributions through e-NPS or D-Remit are liable to pay PoP charges as prescribed above.
What PoPs must do
- Publicly display the updated charge structure on their websites and bring it to the attention of stakeholders on an immediate basis.
- Present the information clearly to subscribers during the transaction process, through a pop-up notification in the digital onboarding journey.
Scope and implementation
The charge structure for PoPs under “4A Schemes” is governed by their respective guidelines or circulars, not by this circular. This circular supersedes Circular No. PFRDA/2026/16/REG-POP/01 dated 10 March 2026 on the PoP charge structure for Common Schemes under NPS (All Citizen), including NPS Vatsalya and NPS Lite, with effect from 1 October 2026. The Central Recordkeeping Agencies are to implement the new structure for deduction of charges starting from the third quarter of FY 2026-27.
What subscribers should check
If you joined NPS through a PoP, the annual charge is adjusted through the NAV and the onboarding charge comes out of your units in quarterly parts — look for both in your statement from the October–December 2026 quarter. If you are not contributing, note the four-quarter test for a dormant account.
Questions and answers
What can a Point of Presence charge an NPS subscriber from 1 October 2026?
A one-time onboarding charge of ₹200 per PRAN and an annual charge of 0.20% a year of the AUM, for all schemes under NPS and NPS Lite other than dormant accounts. GST or other applicable taxes are additional.
How is the ₹200 onboarding charge collected?
The equivalent of ₹50 on a quarterly basis is deducted through cancellation of units by the CRA(s) and is payable to the PoP in the month subsequent to the quarter in which onboarding is completed.
Is the onboarding charge lower for digital onboarding?
Where onboarding is through a fully digital and non-face-to-face mode between the PoP and the subscriber, a reduced one-time onboarding charge of ₹100 may be applicable, as may be determined by the Authority at the time of registration of the PoP and thereafter.
Do e-NPS subscribers pay PoP charges?
Subscribers onboarded through e-NPS and contributing through e-NPS or D-Remit are not liable to pay any PoP charges. Subscribers onboarded through a PoP remain liable even if they later contribute through e-NPS or D-Remit.
When is an NPS account treated as dormant?
When, subsequent to a contribution in a quarter, there is no contribution for four consecutive quarters, as identified at the end of each quarter, for account(s) identified by a unique PAN across all CRAs. A dormant account is not charged.
Published 28 August 2026. Updated 8 October 2026. This report is for general information and is not professional advice. Read the source document before acting on it.