How to use RBI’s complaint portal if your bank doesn’t resolve your issue

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The complaint portal is not a shortcut to bypass your bank’s own system. RBI expects you to first raise the issue with the bank or financial institution and give it a fair chance to respond. That usually means filing a written or online complaint, getting a reference or ticket number, and waiting up to 30 days.

If the bank does not reply within that period, or sends a response that clearly doesn’t address your problem, you can move to the RBI Complaint Management System, which is the front door for the Integrated Ombudsman Scheme. You can use it for most retail issues: failed UPI or IMPS transfers, ATM cash not received, wrongful charges on accounts or cards, unauthorised debits, loan foreclosure and prepayment charges, mis-selling of products and delays in closing accounts or releasing securities.

It does not handle everything. Pure “service experience” issues like rude staff, or matters already in court, are usually outside its scope. But anything involving money wrongly debited, delays, or violation of RBI rules is very much in play.

The portal is fairly simple, but a little preparation helps. Keep your basic details ready: your full name, address, mobile number and email ID. You will also need the name of the bank or NBFC, branch details if relevant, and your account or card number.

The crucial part is proof that you first approached the bank. This can be a complaint reference number, an email from customer care, a screenshot of your online complaint, or a written reply from the branch. If you simply land on the RBI portal without any prior complaint to the bank, the system is very likely to reject it.

It also helps to have supporting documents: mini or full statements showing the disputed entry, screenshots of failed transactions, copies of charge slips, loan statements or any written communication from the bank. You don’t have to upload dozens of files, but attach the ones that clearly show what went wrong.

Once you are ready, you go to the RBI’s Complaint Management System. The site opens with a guided form that asks who you are complaining against, whether you have already approached the bank, and what category the issue falls under. Take a minute to choose the closest category; it helps route your complaint correctly.

You then enter your personal details and describe the problem in your own words. This is not the place for long emotional narratives. Stick to dates, amounts, what exactly happened and what you want corrected.

The form then lets you upload documents and asks for the bank complaint reference number and date. After you submit, the system generates a complaint number. This is your tracking ID; note it down or save the confirmation email.

Behind the scenes, RBI forwards your complaint to the concerned bank or financial institution and sets a timeline for response. Because the matter has now come through the Ombudsman route, banks usually treat it more seriously than a routine customer-care ticket.

You can log back into the portal at any time to check the status. The bank may upload its reply there, or the Ombudsman’s office may ask you for a clarification or an extra document. If a hearing is required, it is often done through phone or video rather than a physical appearance, especially for small-ticket retail complaints.

Many cases end at this stage itself: banks reverse charges, credit failed transactions, correct interest or send a proper explanation. Where there is a clear violation of rules or unfair treatment, the Ombudsman can order compensation, reversal of debits, or corrective action. You are informed of the outcome on the portal and by email.

The complaint system is powerful, but it is not a magic wand. It cannot re-write loan agreements you willingly signed, or force a bank to give you a lower interest rate just because a competitor is cheaper. It cannot interfere where you and the bank simply disagree on commercial decisions, such as sanctioning or rejecting a fresh loan.

It also cannot take up matters that are already before a court, consumer forum or arbitrator. If you have gone legal, RBI usually steps aside. Repetitive complaints on the same issue, or cases filed without first approaching the bank, may also be closed at the screening stage.

If your complaint is rejected on technical grounds (for example, you filed before the 30-day period was over), you will see that on the status screen. In such cases, you may have to go back to the bank, collect a proper written reply, and then re-approach RBI correctly.

For most ordinary customers, the biggest advantage of the portal is that it forces banks to treat them seriously. Once a matter shows up through RBI’s system, it creates a formal trail that compliance teams cannot ignore. Someone senior in the bank is now answerable to a regulator, not just to an angry customer on a helpline.

Even when the decision goes in favour of the bank, you at least get a clear, written explanation rather than vague verbal assurances. And those decisions, across thousands of complaints, help RBI spot patterns: whether a particular bank has too many UPI failures, keeps delaying refunds, or is repeatedly charging fees in violation of guidelines.

If you have emailed, called and visited your bank and still feel stonewalled, the RBI complaint portal is the next step. It is free, fully online and designed for ordinary customers, not just lawyers and experts. As long as you have first raised the issue with your bank, documented it, and can explain your grievance clearly with dates and amounts, the system gives you a realistic chance of getting the problem fixed when your bank refuses to act on its own.