RBI Mandates Stronger 2FA for Digital Payments from April 1: What Changes?

• Starting April 1, 2026, online payments in India will require stronger two-factor authentication (2FA) as per RBI directives.
• The new rules move beyond SMS-based OTPs, requiring combinations like PIN plus biometric or device-based confirmation layered over an OTP.
• Banks may introduce dynamic authentication, generating transaction-specific checks that cannot be reused.
• If a transaction becomes fraudulent due to weak compliance, the issuer may be held fully liable.
• Additional checks may be triggered by behavior or device patterns, and international payments have a separate deadline of October 1, 2026, for stronger authentication.