The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) under the Ministry of Finance on March 24, 2026, introduced a Payment Aggregator facility on the ICEGATE platform to simplify and enhance customs duty payment mechanisms as part of its trade facilitation initiatives.
The new system enables importers to pay customs duty using credit cards, debit cards, and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for the first time, along with expanded internet banking access through 41 banks via the aggregator mode. This facility complements existing payment methods such as direct internet banking and NEFT/RTGS, and integrates seamlessly with the Electronic Cash Ledger (ECL) for instant transaction-wise duty payments.
Currently, major banks such as ICICI, IOB, SBI, and HDFC have been onboarded, with more banks to be added. Any applicable transaction charges will be borne by the user. The initiative is backed by amendments to the Customs (Electronic Cash Ledger) Regulations, 2022, and aims to improve ease of doing business, reduce transaction time, and increase flexibility in customs duty payments.
[Notification No. 44210212017-Cus IV (Pt.)]
