What is Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS)?

About Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS):

 

• BBPS is an integrated bill payment system or a platform which acts as a connect between various billers and users. 
• It is a one-stop ecosystem for payment of all bills providing an interoperable and accessible “Anytime Anywhere” Bill payment service to all customers across India with certainty, reliability and safety of transactions.
• It offers customers the convenience of payment by cataloguing various utility providers under one platform.
• It acts as a central reference for a customer who wants to make different payments — whether utility bills, loan repayments, FasTag recharge, and so on.
• Different Payment Channels:
  • Bharat BillPay transactions can be initiated through multiple payment channels like Internet, Internet Banking, Mobile, Mobile-Banking, Mobile Wallets Bank Branch, Agents and Business Correspondents etc.
  • It provides instant confirmation of payment via an SMS or receipt.
• Who are the stakeholders?
  • BBPS was conceptualised by the Reserve Bank of India in 2013 and is a product of the National Payments Council of India (NPCI).
  • It was piloted in 2016 and went live a year later.
  • By 2019, BBPS onboarded all recurring payments.
• Components: There are two key components in the BBPS system,
  • Bharat Bill Payment Central Unit (BBPCU): The BBPCU is NPCI, which lays downs the operating procedures and standards for BBPS. 
  • Bharat Bill Payment Operating Units (BBPOUs): BBPOUs adhere to the rules set by BBPCU. They are the banking and non-banking entities that handle the payments load. 
  • Then, there are billers (utility providers) and agents, either as institutions or individuals, who provide services primarily on the collection side, to BBPOUs.

 

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Q1) What is the National Payments Council of India (PCI)?

PCI was formed under the aegis of IAMAI in the year 2013 catering to the needs of the digital payment industry. The Council was formed inter-alia for the purposes of representing the various regulated non-banking payment industry players, to address and help resolve various industry level issues and barriers which require discussion and action. PCI works closely with the regulators i.e. Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Finance Ministry and any similar government, departments, bodies or Institution to make ‘India a less cash society’.

Source: Bharat Bill Pay’s Business Grew Threefold In Just 2 Years: CEO Nupur Chaturvedi