Bharat BillPay Onboards BSNL As 1st Operator In Mobile Prepaid Recharges Category

Integrated bill payment system Bharat BillPay started its mobile prepaid recharge services and onboarded Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) as the first telecom operator for the category- now live on the BHIM UPI app, according to a statement shared by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

The initiative will help BSNL prepaid subscribers to recharge their mobile prepaid plans. NPCI Bharat BillPay Limited (NBBL) - a wholly-owned subsidiary of NPCI, is in advanced talks with other telecom operators to get them onboard the Bharat BillPay platform - which will provide more options and channels for their mobile prepaid recharges. 

In June 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had approved mobile prepaid recharges as a biller category in Bharat BillPay payment system (BBPS), according to NPCI's statement. 

The RBI-approved mobile prepaid recharge facility allows telecom operators to update the mobile prepaid recharge plans and make them available to customers across several points such as websites/apps/physical channels - enabled with Bharat BillPay. 

The addition of the category will help Bharat BillPay enabled banks as well as non-banks to provide an integrated flow for all the recurring payments including recharges to customers at the click of a button. 

Presently, Bharat BillPay provides recurring payment services to customers across several segments such as telecom, electricity, gas, DTH, education fees, municipal taxes, water, insurance, loan repayments, subscription fees, among others. 

''The addition of mobile prepaid recharges to BBPS would give consumers a convenient, uniform, and assured transaction experience. We look forward to on-board other operators in this category and further strengthen the ecosystem.,'' said Noopur Chaturvedi, CEO, NPCI Bharat BillPay Limited.