Revised NPS charge implementation date extended
Many subscribers to the National Pension System (NPS) and the NPS Lite will have a relaxation of more than one month as the PFRDA has extended the deadline to implement the revised Point of Presence (PoP) charges from October 1, 2026, to December 1, 2026.
According to the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority’s (PFRDA) circular dated October 26, 2026, the implementation date extension applies to the revised charge structure for PoPs under all schemes covered by the NPS and the NPS Lite.
The regulator had announced the charge structure in its circular dated August 28, 2026.
The latest notification modifies only the implementation date. All other provisions of the August circular will remain unchanged.
New NPS PoP onboarding charge
One-time onboarding charge
Under the revised structure, a subscriber will have to pay a one-time onboarding charge of Rs 200 per Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) when registering through a PoP.
The Rs 200 charge will not be deducted as a single amount from the subscriber's account.
Instead, an amount equivalent to Rs 50 per quarter will be recovered through the cancellation of units by Central Recordkeeping Agencies (CRAs). The amount will be paid to the PoP in the month subsequent to the quarter in which onboarding is completed.
Annual charges for all schemes under NPS and NPS Lite
The PFRDA circular says that 0.20% per annum of the asset under management (AUM) will be adjusted through the net asset value (NAV) and payable to PoP on a quarterly basis, for all schemes other than dormant accounts.
One-time onboarding charges for subscribers who register digitally
The PFRDA has also provided an update about the onboarding charge for subscribers who complete the process entirely through a digital, non-face-to-face route.
In such cases, a one-time charge of Rs 100 may apply, depending on the terms determined by the PFRDA at the time of the PoP's registration and subsequently.
Will dormant NPS accounts attract PoP charges?
The PFRDA has clarified that dormant accounts will not attract charges. A dormant account is defined as such account(s) identified by a unique Permanent Account Number (PAN) across all CRAs, where subsequent to a contribution in a quarter, there is no contribution for four consecutive quarters as identified at the end of each quarter.
Revised minimum contribution under NPSThe circular also specifies the minimum contribution amounts for NPS subscribers.
A subscriber must make a minimum contribution of Rs 250 at the time of onboarding. For subsequent contributions, the minimum amount is Rs 10.
According to the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority’s (PFRDA) circular dated October 26, 2026, the implementation date extension applies to the revised charge structure for PoPs under all schemes covered by the NPS and the NPS Lite.
The regulator had announced the charge structure in its circular dated August 28, 2026.
The latest notification modifies only the implementation date. All other provisions of the August circular will remain unchanged.
New NPS PoP onboarding charge
One-time onboarding charge
Under the revised structure, a subscriber will have to pay a one-time onboarding charge of Rs 200 per Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) when registering through a PoP.
The Rs 200 charge will not be deducted as a single amount from the subscriber's account.
Instead, an amount equivalent to Rs 50 per quarter will be recovered through the cancellation of units by Central Recordkeeping Agencies (CRAs). The amount will be paid to the PoP in the month subsequent to the quarter in which onboarding is completed.
Annual charges for all schemes under NPS and NPS Lite
One-time onboarding charges for subscribers who register digitally
The PFRDA has also provided an update about the onboarding charge for subscribers who complete the process entirely through a digital, non-face-to-face route.
In such cases, a one-time charge of Rs 100 may apply, depending on the terms determined by the PFRDA at the time of the PoP's registration and subsequently.
Will dormant NPS accounts attract PoP charges?
The PFRDA has clarified that dormant accounts will not attract charges. A dormant account is defined as such account(s) identified by a unique Permanent Account Number (PAN) across all CRAs, where subsequent to a contribution in a quarter, there is no contribution for four consecutive quarters as identified at the end of each quarter.
Revised minimum contribution under NPSThe circular also specifies the minimum contribution amounts for NPS subscribers.
A subscriber must make a minimum contribution of Rs 250 at the time of onboarding. For subsequent contributions, the minimum amount is Rs 10.
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