Quick answer
Paytm ka ATM was Paytm Payments Bank's network of shops in India where you could open an account and deposit or withdraw cash. It doesn't run today: the RBI cancelled the bank's licence on April 24, 2026, and a court-appointed liquidator now handles balances. If a parent still has money there, the bank says depositors don't need to file a fresh claim.
Paytm ka ATM is an Indian service, run by Paytm Payments Bank for customers in India. It was never a US cash machine network. It was the bank's name for corner-shop counters where a local agent took in and paid out cash. Your parents in Lucknow may have used one. If a parent still has money in the bank, what decides its fate now is the RBI's licence cancellation of April 24, 2026, and the winding up that followed.
We'd skip the forwarded rumors and go by the RBI's own press releases and the bank's notices, quoted with their dates. Where a Paytm page is gone, we say so and use an archived copy with its capture date. On November 6, 2026, 13 of 17 official Paytm addresses we requested were gone or blocked.
Key takeaways
- The RBI cancelled Paytm Payments Bank's licence on April 24, 2026.
- Depositors' claims are deemed filed, so no fresh claim form is needed.
- The bank's FAQ says it will never ask for OTPs.
- Paytm began moving @paytm UPI handles to four banks in April 2024.
- USPS gives free cash back in $10 steps up to $50.
What was Paytm ka ATM?
That name came from a launch post on December 5, 2017. The post now survives as an archived copy of the launch post, captured August 6, 2020. It says "These specially branded outlets will allow you to open Savings Account and deposit/withdraw money." Each shop had a local banking correspondent, a person who handles cash for a bank, so a customer could hand over notes at a nearby store instead of a branch. The first phase had 3,000 points in Delhi NCR, Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi and Aligarh. The bank planned "over 100,000 Paytm Ka ATM banking outlets across India" and pledged ₹3,000 crore over three years. No later Paytm page we read says how many opened.
It was a payments bank, a narrower license than a normal bank. The bank's own home page says it "cannot issue loans or credit cards."
Balances had a ceiling too. The RBI's February 16, 2024 FAQ puts the cap at "₹2 lakh per individual customer at the end of day." That's about $2,106.59 at the Federal Reserve's H.10 rate of 94.94 rupees per dollar for October 30, 2026, and the St. Louis Fed DEXINUS series shows the same 94.94.
Paytm ka ATM charges and limits, from the bank's 2023 notice
Those shop counters were free only up to a monthly total. The bank's own link to its charges notice now returns a 403. So we read the June 1, 2023 archived copy kept by the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. Titled "Revised Bank Charges effective from 1st May 2023," it covers cash withdrawal at "Banking Points including branches." It lists "No fee upto Rs 25,000 (cumulative transactions per month)." Above that, it charged Rs 5 "per 1000 of the withdrawal amount+ GST." Cash deposits had the same free band. At the Federal Reserve's rate of 94.94 rupees per dollar for October 30, 2026, Rs 25,000 is about $263.32 a month (25,000 ÷ 94.94).
ATMs were a separate line. The notice gave unlimited free use of the bank's own ATMs with its card, plus 3 free transactions a month at other banks' ATMs in metro cities and 5 elsewhere. After that, each cash withdrawal cost Rs 21 including GST, roughly 22 US cents (21 ÷ 94.94). Our calculator applies the banking-point rule to example monthly totals, before GST, since the notice doesn't print a GST rate:
| Example cash taken in a month | In USD at 94.94 | Fee before GST (2023, no longer in use) | Fee in USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rs 10,000 | $105.33 | Rs 0 | $0.00 |
| Rs 25,000 | $263.32 | Rs 0 | $0.00 |
| Rs 40,000 | $421.32 | Rs 75 | $0.79 |
| Rs 60,000 | $631.98 | Rs 175 | $1.84 |
The formula is (monthly total minus Rs 25,000) divided by 1,000, times Rs 5, so an example Rs 40,000 month would have cost Rs 75. That is 0.19% of the cash (75 ÷ 40,000), on a 2023 schedule that is no longer in use.
One correction: our December 2023 text claimed three free transactions and then Rs 25 each. The bank's notice doesn't say that anywhere.
Drawn by us from Paytm Payments Bank's May 1, 2023 charges notice (archived copy), example amounts, November 6, 2026.What the RBI ordered in 2022 and 2024
The RBI's first order came on March 11, 2022. It told the bank to stop onboarding new customers "with immediate effect." It also ordered an IT audit. The RBI's January 31, 2024 press release said the audit found "persistent non-compliances and continued material supervisory concerns in the bank." It also set the rules for customer money. It said "No further deposits or credit transactions or top ups shall be allowed" after February 29, 2024. Interest, cashbacks and refunds were the only exceptions. Withdrawals were "to be permitted without any restrictions, upto their available balance." Fund transfers like AEPS and IMPS, plus UPI, were to stop on the same date.
Sixteen days later the date moved. The RBI's February 16, 2024 release pushed the cutoff to March 15, 2024. It said "fund transfers including AEPS, IMPS and UPI may be allowed anytime" so people could take their balance out. Its FAQ added that after March 15, salary and Aadhaar-linked subsidy payments couldn't land in the account, so families had to move those credits to another bank. The February 23, 2024 release turned to UPI. It asked NPCI, which runs UPI, to examine One97 Communications' request to become a third-party app provider, which would let the Paytm app keep working through other banks. For any UPI handle other than @paytm, it said "no action is required to be taken by them."
Diagram by DigitalTreed, from RBI press releases of 2022, 2024 and 2026 and the bank’s 2017 post, November 6, 2026.Licence cancelled in 2026: the winding up
The RBI's April 24, 2026 press release says it "cancelled the banking licence issued to Paytm Payments Bank Limited" under Section 22(4) of the Banking Regulation Act. It took effect at close of business that day. One reason it gives is that "The affairs of the bank were conducted in a manner detrimental to the interest of the bank and its depositors." The release also says the bank "has enough liquidity to repay its entire deposit liability upon winding up of the bank."
The winding up went to the High Court of Delhi. The RBI's July 28, 2026 release on the winding up says the court ordered it on July 8, 2026, read with a second order of July 22, 2026. We could not read the court orders themselves. The court named Girikumar M Nair, a former SBI chief general manager, as Official Liquidator, who holds all the powers of the bank's board from July 8, 2026. The bank's own site at paytm.bank.in repeats this in a July 16, 2026 notice citing Company Petition No. 3 of 2026. That notice adds that "The PPBL mobile application is currently not available for use."
For a parent with money still in the account, the bank's July 16, 2026 notice says "The claim of every depositor of PPBL is deemed to have been filed." That covers balances in wallets, FASTags, NCMC cards and savings accounts. The July 31, 2026 FAQ tells account holders to "Please wait for the claim process to be announced" while a KYC check runs. It also says "Do not pay any person for processing claims."
The bank's notice lists two emails, [email protected] and [email protected]. There's no phone number. A caller who asks a parent for a fee to speed up the refund wants the very payment the FAQ rules out. Our text mail subscriber calls guide walks through number lookups and reports from the US.
Does Paytm ka ATM still work today?
No official page we could reach describes the shop service as running. The 2017 launch post returns a 403 error even in a browser. The bank's footer links, including the ones for its debit card and AePS pages, are switched off. Since April 24, 2026, the RBI's order has barred the bank from "the business of ‘banking’" with immediate effect. No current Paytm page we read offers shop cash under the Paytm ka ATM name either. If a relative's UPI payment from an SBI account or another bank fails while you're helping from abroad, our SBI UPI troubleshooting guide lists the usual causes and fixes.
The Paytm app belongs to a different company. Its UPI terms are an agreement with "One97 Communications Limited," not the bank. Paytm's April 19, 2024 post on the UPI move says NPCI approved One97 as a third-party app provider on March 14, 2024. Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, SBI and YES Bank then went live as its partner banks, which the post calls Payment System Provider banks for the new UPI handles. The same post says NPCI gave the go-ahead on April 16, 2024 to start moving users to the new bank handles. By that post's account, UPI in the Paytm app runs on those banks, not on the payments bank.
What we tested
On November 6, 2026 our script requested 17 official Paytm and Paytm Payments Bank pages, with certificate checks on. Four loaded. Six were gone. Five Paytm FAQ pages answered 410, and one NRI post answered 404. All seven paytmbank.com and paytm.bank.in addresses returned 403. In a browser, the new bank home page loaded. The 2017 post still showed a 403.
Screenshot: our page check results served on 127.0.0.1, November 6, 2026.For NRIs and family abroad: what still works
Dead Paytm pages don't switch off UPI for you abroad. UPI runs through NPCI and your own bank, not through Paytm's payments bank. A Ministry of Finance statement of July 31, 2023 says the RBI made room for "NRIs who have international mobile numbers linked to their NRE / NRO accounts." That statement says NPCI then allowed it for 10 countries. The USA was one. NPCI's UPI circular list also shows a 2026-27 circular, OC 161A, on adding new countries. We couldn't open its PDF, so we can't list them.
Paytm's guide on NRI UPI documents, last updated September 16, 2025, sets the conditions. Your NRE or NRO account needs full RBI KYC. Your international mobile number must already sit in the bank's records. Then you set a UPI PIN with a debit card or Aadhaar OTP. The app must support international numbers. For short trips, the same guide describes UPI One World, a prepaid wallet issued after a passport and visa check at an issuer's counter. Paytm's older NRI FAQ pages returned 410 in our test. Confirm these steps with the bank that holds your NRE or NRO account.
For a parent's leftover Paytm Payments Bank balance, these four steps follow from the bank's July 2026 notice and FAQ:
- Watch paytm.bank.in for the claim process; depositors are already counted.
- Keep the account number, registered phone and KYC papers ready.
- Never share an OTP or password; the bank says it will never ask.
- Never pay anyone who offers to process the claim faster.
India's deposit insurer, the DICGC, insures each depositor "upto a maximum of ₹ 5,00,000 (Rupees Five Lakhs)" per bank, says its deposit insurance FAQ. That's about $5,266.48 at the October 30, 2026 rate of 94.94 rupees per dollar.
If the same relative forwards stock-scan tips, our Chartink explainer says what that screener shows. Our Ekart partner guide covers the courier counters of Flipkart's logistics arm, another shop-based program in India.
Diagram by DigitalTreed, from PIB, Paytm, RBI and Paytm Payments Bank pages, November 6, 2026.Paytm ka ATM vs cash back at a US checkout
The closest US habit is asking for cash back at the register when you pay for groceries or household items with a debit or prepaid card. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's August 27, 2024 cash-back report announcement says three of the eight big chains it sampled charge for it. Together they collect "over $90 million in fees annually." Its Issue Spotlight on cash-back fees gives the store-by-store detail, as of that report:
| What each publishes | Paytm ka ATM (2023 notice, no longer in use) | US store cash back (CFPB 2024, USPS) |
|---|---|---|
| Who hands over the cash | A banking correspondent at a branded shop | The cashier, during a debit or prepaid card purchase |
| Account needed | A Paytm Payments Bank account | Any debit or prepaid card the store accepts |
| Amount limits | Rs 25,000 a month free, then a fee | Pre-set amounts, commonly $5 to $50; USPS $10 steps up to $50 |
| Fees | Rs 5 per Rs 1,000 above Rs 25,000, plus GST | Dollar General $1 to $2.50; Family Dollar $1.50; Kroger brands $0.50 up to $100; USPS free |
| Status, November 2026 | Bank licence cancelled April 24, 2026 | Offered; fees as of the CFPB report |
US fees, as of that August 2024 report, bite harder on small sums. As examples, fee divided by cash: Family Dollar's $1.50 on $50 is 3% of the cash. Dollar General's top fee of $2.50 on its $40 cap is 6.25%. Kroger's $0.50 on $100 is 0.5%. The CFPB puts a store's extra cost per cash-back sale at "from a penny to about 20 cents."
The USPS payments FAQ says "Cash back allowed in $10 increments up to $50," as of November 2026, and the CFPB report adds that it's free.
Our take: for an example $40 in cash, the Post Office's free cash back beats Dollar General's top fee of $2.50, by the CFPB's August 2024 table.
An odd card line after a store visit is explained in our FDMS bank statement guide, and our no-fee debit card explainer covers accounts without monthly charges. Any Paytm Payments Bank balance still waits for the liquidator. The bank's notice says updates will be posted at paytm.bank.in.
Paytm ka ATM questions
Frequently asked
Can my parents still withdraw money from a Paytm Payments Bank account?
Not right now; the bank's July 16, 2026 notice says its app is "currently not available for use." The RBI's April 24, 2026 release says the bank can repay its entire deposit liability on winding up.
Does my Paytm UPI ID still work?
Only @paytm handles changed. The RBI's February 23, 2024 release said those were to move to other banks if NPCI approved a new app provider, and other handles need no action.
Is money in a Paytm Payments Bank account insured?
The bank's FAQ says deposits are covered by DICGC "up to the statutory limit," which the DICGC FAQ sets at ₹5 lakh per depositor.
Who should I contact about a Paytm Payments Bank balance?
The notice at paytm.bank.in lists [email protected] and [email protected], with updates by SMS, email and public notice.
How we made this guide: We read RBI, Paytm, PIB, NPCI, DICGC, CFPB, USPS and Federal Reserve pages and matched quotes to saved copies. Facts checked by the DigitalTreed team on November 6, 2026.
First published December 2023 as a guide to an expanding service. Rewritten November 6, 2026 after the RBI's 2024 limits and the 2026 licence cancellation.
Sources
- Paytm Payments Bank: Paytm Ka ATM launch post, December 5, 2017 (Wayback Machine capture, August 6, 2020)
- Paytm Payments Bank: Revised Bank Charges effective from 1st May 2023 (Wayback Machine capture, June 1, 2023)
- Paytm Payments Bank: notice and FAQ on the winding up (July 16 and July 31, 2026)
- RBI: Action against Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (March 11, 2022)
- RBI: Action against Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (January 31, 2024)
- RBI: Action against Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (February 16, 2024)
- RBI: FAQs on business restrictions on Paytm Payments Bank (February 16, 2024)
- RBI: Action against Paytm Payments Bank Ltd, Additional Steps (February 23, 2024)
- RBI: RBI cancels the Licence of Paytm Payments Bank Limited (April 24, 2026)
- RBI: Winding up of Paytm Payments Bank Limited (July 28, 2026)
- DICGC: FAQs
- Paytm: user migration to PSP banks with NPCI approval (April 19, 2024)
- Paytm: UPI Terms and Conditions
- Paytm: What Documents Are Required for NRIs to Register UPI? (September 16, 2025)
- PIB, Ministry of Finance: Foreign nationals and NRIs visiting India can make payments using UPI (July 31, 2023)
- NPCI: UPI circulars
- CFPB: Report Finds Large Retail Chains Charging Cash-back Fees (August 27, 2024)
- CFPB: Issue Spotlight, Cash-back Fees
- USPS: What Forms of Payment are Accepted?
- Federal Reserve: H.10 Foreign Exchange Rates (November 2, 2026 release)
- FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis: Indian Rupees to U.S. Dollar Spot Exchange Rate (DEXINUS)
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