Application Fee Payment Failed but Money Was Deducted: What to Do
Sarkari Naukri Khabar • All India
You paid the application fee, the portal said the payment failed or kept loading, and the money has left your account. This happens to thousands of candidates in the last days before a deadline, and the Reserve Bank of India has a fixed rule for it: a failed UPI or online card payment to a merchant must be reversed within five days of the transaction, and the bank owes you ₹100 for every day it is late. This guide explains that rule, what to check before you pay a second time, and how to protect your application when the last date is close.
First: do not pay again straight away
The instinct is to pay a second time before the deadline passes. Wait ten minutes and check first. A payment that looked failed on your screen has often gone through on the recruiting body's side, and the portal simply lost the confirmation on the way back.
If you pay again and both payments succeed, you have paid twice. Many notifications state that the fee is not refundable, so do not assume the duplicate will come back. Read the fee section of your notification before you pay a second time.
Check whether the fee was actually received
Log back in to the application portal and look at the status of your form. Many portals show the fee as paid, pending or failed, and some have a button to re-verify a payment. If the form shows the fee as received, you are done: the application is complete and nothing more is needed.
Before you do anything else, write down or screenshot the transaction details from your bank or UPI app.
- The UTR or transaction reference number
- The date and time of the payment
- The amount and the name the payment went to
- Your application or registration number on the portal
The RBI rule that protects you
The Reserve Bank of India fixed a time limit for failed payments in its circular DPSS.CO.PD No.629/02.01.014/2019-20 dated 20 September 2019, in force from 15 October 2019. A recruitment portal is a merchant under that circular, so the rows for payments to a merchant are the ones that apply to your fee.
Day T is the calendar date of your transaction. The five-day count starts from that date, not from when you complained.
- UPI payment to a merchant, money debited but no confirmation at the merchant: reversed automatically within T + 5 days, and ₹100 for every day of delay beyond that.
- Online card payment (card not present), money debited but no confirmation at the merchant: the same, reversed within T + 5 days, and ₹100 for every day of delay beyond that.
You do not have to ask for the ₹100
The same circular says that where compensation is due, the bank must credit it to your account on its own, without waiting for a complaint. If the money came back late and no compensation arrived, that is worth raising with your bank.
If your bank does not resolve a failed payment within these limits, the circular directs customers to the Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021.
Net banking is not in this table
The RBI table lists ATMs, cards, IMPS, UPI, Aadhaar-enabled payments, NACH and prepaid wallets. It does not list net banking. If you paid through net banking and the money is stuck, do not rely on the five-day figure. Ask your bank directly how long the reversal takes.
When the last date is close
The reversal timeline protects your money, not your application. Five days is longer than the time left before many deadlines. If the last date is near and the portal still shows the fee as unpaid, the application itself is at risk.
Contact the recruiting body's helpdesk the same day, by the email or phone number printed in the notification, and give them the UTR number, the amount, the date and time, and your registration number. Some boards extend the fee deadline beyond the form deadline for exactly this reason: check the notification for a separate last date for fee payment.
If you do decide to pay again
Pay again only after the portal clearly shows the first payment as failed, and use a different method if you can: if UPI failed, try a debit card. Keep the records of both attempts. If both later succeed, write to the recruiting body with both UTR numbers and ask about the duplicate, and keep in mind that the notification's refund rule decides the outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a failed UPI fee payment take to come back?
For a UPI payment to a merchant where money was debited but the merchant got no confirmation, RBI requires the reversal within T + 5 days, where T is the date of the transaction. Beyond that, the bank owes ₹100 for each day of delay.
Do I have to complain to get the ₹100 compensation?
No. The RBI circular says compensation must be credited to your account by the bank on its own, without waiting for a complaint.
I paid by net banking. Does the five-day rule apply?
The RBI table does not list net banking. Ask your bank how long the reversal takes, and do not rely on the five-day figure.
My payment failed and the last date is tomorrow. What should I do?
Check the portal first: the fee may have gone through. If it still shows unpaid, contact the recruiting body's helpdesk the same day with your UTR number, amount, date and time and registration number, and check the notification for a separate fee deadline.
If I pay twice, will I get one payment back?
Do not assume so. Many notifications state that the fee is not refundable. Read the fee section of your notification, and if both payments succeed, write to the recruiting body with both UTR numbers.
Where do I complain if the bank does not return the money?
The RBI circular directs customers whose failed transaction is not resolved within the limits to the Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021.
ℹ️ Government rules, fees and processing times can change. Always confirm the current position on the official portal or at your block office before acting.
Last updated: 11 Sep 2026