Government Services · India · Banking Grievances

How to File an RBI Ombudsman Complaint (2026)

Updated for 2026 · Claw Editorial

If a bank, NBFC, prepaid wallet or digital lender has treated you unfairly and will not fix it, the RBI Ombudsman is a free way to get an independent decision. Since the Reserve Bank Integrated Ombudsman Scheme 2021, there is one scheme and one portal for all of them, so you no longer have to work out which ombudsman covers your complaint. You file online on the RBI Complaint Management System, the CMS portal, and there is no fee. This page walks through the full flow: what you can and cannot complain about, the one step you must take first, how to file on the CMS portal, what the Ombudsman does, the timeline, the compensation you can get, the appeal if you are not satisfied, and where to go if the matter is still not resolved. Last verified October 2026.

01What you can complain about

The scheme covers deficiency in service by a regulated entity. Common complaints are:

• Money wrongly debited, a failed ATM, UPI or card transaction not reversed, or a fraud debit the bank will not refund.
• Loan problems: wrong interest or charges, a recovery agent harassing you, or a digital lender breaking the rules.
• Account and deposit issues, cheque problems, and delays the bank will not explain.
• Credit card charges, mis-selling of insurance or investments by the bank, and non-closure of accounts.
• Wrong or unfair reporting that is actually the bank or NBFC fault.

The regulated entities covered include banks, most NBFCs, and prepaid payment instrument and payment system operators, so wallets and several digital lenders are within reach.

02The step you must take first

You cannot go straight to the Ombudsman. You must complain to the bank or NBFC first and give it a chance to fix the problem. You can approach the Ombudsman only when one of these is true:

• The bank or NBFC has not replied within 30 days of your complaint.
• It has rejected your complaint.
• You are not satisfied with its reply.

Keep ready: your complaint to the bank and its reply or the proof that 30 days have passed, your account or loan details, the amount involved, the transaction proof, and a short statement of what you want. A complaint should normally be filed within one year of the bank reply or the cause of action, so do not sit on it.

03Step by step on the CMS portal

Filing is online and free.

• 1. Open the portal. Go to cms.rbi.org.in, the RBI Complaint Management System.
• 2. Enter your details. Verify your mobile with an OTP and fill your name and contact details.
• 3. Name the entity. Select the bank, NBFC or payment operator you are complaining against.
• 4. Describe the complaint. Enter what happened, the amount, and what you want, and confirm you complained to the entity first.
• 5. Upload and submit. Attach your complaint to the bank, its reply, and the transaction proof, then submit and note the complaint reference.

You can also file by post or email to the RBI centralised receipt centre, but the CMS portal is the fastest and lets you track the case.

04What the Ombudsman does and the timeline

There is no fee. Once filed, your complaint goes to the Ombudsman office, which may first push the entity to resolve it. If it is not resolved, the Ombudsman examines the records from both sides and can facilitate a settlement or pass an award.

Many complaints are closed in a few weeks to a few months, depending on the issue and whether the entity cooperates. You can track the status on the CMS portal with your complaint reference, and you will be told the outcome in writing.

05Compensation and the appeal

The Ombudsman can direct the entity to set right the problem and, where the scheme allows, pay compensation for the loss, which includes an amount for the time, cost and harassment caused, up to the cap fixed in the scheme.

If you are not satisfied with the Ombudsman decision, or your complaint is rejected on certain grounds, you can file an appeal with the Appellate Authority, who is a Deputy Governor of the RBI, usually within 30 days of getting the decision. Keep the award or rejection letter, because the appeal runs against it.

06When the Ombudsman cannot help

The Ombudsman will not take every matter. It usually cannot help when:

• You did not complain to the bank or NBFC first, or the 30 days have not passed.
• The same matter is already pending or decided in a court or another forum.
• The complaint is about a commercial judgment of the bank, such as a refusal to lend on its own terms.
• The complaint is time barred, filed well beyond the limitation the scheme allows.

If the Ombudsman cannot help or you are still not satisfied after the appeal, the next section explains the forums that can decide your money claim.

07If it is still unresolved: the next forums

The Ombudsman is a quick and free first stop, but it is not the only one. If it rejects your complaint, or you want a money decree the entity must obey, you have choices. Unfair treatment or a deficiency in service by a bank or NBFC is a classic consumer complaint, which you can take to the District Consumer Commission under the Consumer Protection Act 2019, which hears claims up to Rs 50 lakh at the district level, with the State and National Commissions above that. A pure civil recovery can go to the civil court, and where a bank is enforcing a secured loan the matter may sit before the Debts Recovery Tribunal. You can also move the High Court by writ where a regulated entity acts unlawfully.

Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.

If your banking complaint becomes a consumer case, a civil suit or a DRT matter, you can create a FREE Claw account and track that matter across the forum that hears it. Claw covers 9,102 courts, benches and forums in India, so whether it sits before a Consumer Commission, a civil court, the Debts Recovery Tribunal or the High Court, there is a real tracking home for the orders and next dates. Judgment search spans 30 crore+ judgments, with Supreme Court decisions from 1950 and High Court decisions from 1990, and results return in under 5 seconds, which helps you or your lawyer see how similar bank disputes were decided. Claw does not train its AI models on your documents. This is general information and not legal advice, and a live claim needs a lawyer for the arguments.

To take the consumer route, read how to file a consumer complaint. You can also run a case search across Indian courts by party name.

08Sources and further reading

• RBI Complaint Management System (CMS): cms.rbi.org.in
• Reserve Bank of India: rbi.org.in
• eCourts (case status): ecourts.gov.in
• Claw: clawlaw.in

This page is general information for readers in India, not legal advice. Rules and caps change, so confirm the current details on the official RBI portal before you file.

09Frequently asked questions