The NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd., through Circular No. NPCI/2026-27/BBPS/004 dated May 15, 2026, announced the introduction of two additional settlement cycles under the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) framework with effect from June 1, 2026. The additional ninth and tenth settlement cycles have been introduced to mitigate settlement risk and improve the overall efficiency of the settlement mechanism for Operating Units (OUs).
Under the revised arrangement, the BBPS settlement framework will expand from eight to ten settlement cycles operating throughout the day. The newly introduced ninth cycle will operate from 17:00 hrs to 19:00 hrs with expected RTGS posting at 21:00 hrs, while the tenth cycle will operate from 19:00 hrs to 21:00 hrs with expected RTGS posting at 23:00 hrs. Simultaneously, the timing structure of the existing cycles has also been revised, with the new settlement cycle matrix becoming operational from 00:00 hrs on June 1, 2026.
NPCI has advised all Operating Units, sponsor banks, and service providers to ensure system readiness for implementation of the revised settlement framework. The circular further clarifies that settlement files, MNSB files, and related reports will continue to be made available through the CANVAS module and SFTP transfer mechanism as per the prescribed process.
[Circular No. NPCI/2026-27/BBPS/004]
