PhonePe, Paytm have till February 2020 to update KYC

The deadline for mobile wallets to become full KYC compliant was earlier set to end on August 31. But on August 30 the RBI extended the deadline by six more months, with the warning that no further extension would be granted.

"It is advised that the timeline for conversion of minimum detail PPIs (pre-paid payment instruments) to KYC compliant PPIs has been extended from 18 months to 24 months. It may also be noted that no further extension will be granted for this purpose," the RBI said in the notification to all PPI issuers or mobile wallet providers.

Becoming full KYC compliance would mean that the mobile wallet service providers would have to do a physical verification of their customers. Earlier, these PPI issuers made use of partial KYC, which could be completed through a smartphone.

Industry body Payments Council of India hopes that the government would come up with a method that would enable mobile wallet users to avoid face-to-face verifications.

"PCI further states that the PPI industry hopes government will soon come up with the clarity on e-KYC via Aadhaar or any other remote fully non-face to face digital KYC method in order to enable the PPI industry players to perform this task of full KYC conversion effectively and efficiently under the given timelines as well as in a fast-track manner," the Payments Council of India said in a statement earlier.