Razorpay, Cashfree Secure RBI Approval To Operate As Payment Aggregators

Payment processing giants Razorpay and Cashfree have received the final authorization from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as Payment Aggregators (PAs). This significant development comes after a year-long pause in onboarding new merchants, in compliance with RBI advisory. Open, a neobanking fintech, has also secured the final approval from RBI to operate as a Payment Aggregator.

1. RBI Authorization for Razorpay and Cashfree

• On December 19, 2022, Cashfree announced the receipt of the final authorization to operate as a payment aggregator from RBI.
• Razorpay, in an official statement on December 16, 2022, declared that it is now open to onboarding new businesses on its Payment Gateway platform, having received the final authorization from RBI.

2. Open’s Approval and Commitment to SMEs

• Open, a neobanking fintech, has also received the final approval from RBI to operate as a Payment Aggregator.
• Anish Achuthan, OPEN’s Cofounder & CEO, expressed gratitude for the RBI’s recognition, emphasizing the dedication to regulatory standards and commitment to SMEs.

3. RBI’s Temporary Pause and Companies Affected

• RBI’s advisory in the previous year led to a temporary pause in onboarding new merchants for companies like Razorpay, Cashfree, and Stripe until they received the final authorization for the PA license.
• The regulatory move aimed to ensure compliance and standards within the rapidly growing sector of payment gateway operators.

4. Payment Aggregators and their Role

• Payment Aggregators (PAs) are entities that facilitate e-commerce sites and merchants in accepting various payment instruments from customers, streamlining the payment process without requiring merchants to create their systems.
• PAs collect payments from customers, pool them, and transfer them to the merchants, offering a seamless transaction experience.

5. Other Players Receiving Approval

• Enkash and Paymentz are among the other players that have received approval from RBI to operate as Payment Aggregators.
• Notably, PayTm, PayU, and JusPay are still awaiting RBI’s final approval, according to sources.

6. Pine Labs, Razorpay, and Stripe’s Initial Approval

• In July 2022, Pine Labs, Razorpay, and American payments player Stripe were among the first to receive in-principle approval for the PA license.
• The final approval, pending with RBI for over a year, required companies to conduct an audit within the next six months in line with RBI’s procedure for all licenses.

Summary

• Cashfree and Razorpay receive final RBI authorization as Payment Aggregators.
• Open, a neobanking fintech, also obtains RBI approval to operate as a Payment Aggregator.
• Payment Aggregators streamline e-commerce payments, collecting and transferring payments for a seamless transaction experience.
• The final RBI authorization is a crucial milestone, allowing companies to resume onboarding new merchants and shaping the future of digital transactions in India.