No slips, no forms: Aadhaar e-KYC now live for Post Office RD, PPF

Depositors can open and manage recurring deposit and public provident fund accounts using Aadhaar biometrics

Post offices nationwide will allow customers to open and manage recurring deposit (RD) and public provident fund (PPF) accounts using Aadhaar-based biometric e-KYC, making processes quicker and paperless.

 

What’s new?

 

The facility was available for Monthly Income Scheme, Time Deposit, Kisan Vikas Patra, and National Savings Certificate. It has been extended to RD and PPF, two of the most popular small savings accounts among Indians.

 

With this update, customers can:

 

Open new RD and PPF accounts using Aadhaar biometric authentication.

 

Deposit money into RD and PPF accounts without using pay-in slips.

 

Open RD and PPF loan accounts and repay loans using biometric verification.

 

Make partial or full withdrawals from PPF accounts, irrespective of limits, via Aadhaar biometrics.

 

This Aadhaar-linked process eliminates the need for physical forms such as withdrawal vouchers and pay-in slips, reducing paperwork and transaction time.

 

How does it work?

 

When opening an RD or PPF account, the depositor’s biometric is captured twice:

 

The first capture obtains consent for using Aadhaar details.

 

The second scan authenticates the transaction.

 

For deposits and withdrawals, the biometric alone is sufficient for verification. Customers can even transfer funds from their Post Office savings accounts without submitting withdrawal forms.

 

Added security

 

For privacy, Aadhaar numbers on forms will appear in a masked format (e.g., xxxx-xxxx-1234). If an unmasked Aadhaar appears on any document, post office chiefs have been instructed to manually mask the first eight digits.

 

This initiative aligns with the government’s push for a digital-first approach to small savings and promises greater convenience for depositors, especially in rural and semi-urban areas.